WASHINGTON, DC – On November 14, 2013, more than 280 D.C. public school students competed in the 9th annual city-wide GeoPlunge Challenge Tournament. Organized by Arent Fox LLP, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and D.C. Public Schools, the tournament was held in the beautiful Kogod Courtyard of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

This year’s GeoPlunge Challenge Tournament, sponsored by Arent Fox LLP, UBT and Presidio, featured 95 three-person teams of 3rd through 8th graders from 30 DC elementary and middle schools competing for trophies and medals.  Dozens of local law firms, businesses, and individuals participated in the tournament as coaches for the teams or table monitors for the tournament.  Many of these volunteers are part of partnerships coordinated by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s DC Public School Partnership Program.

Check out some photos from the event!  Among the many dedicated and enthusiastic teams, the final champions included:

Senior Advanced Tournament Champion              Deal Middle School
Junior Advanced Tournament Champion              Shepherd Elementary School
Intermediate GeoPlunge Champion                      Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School
Intermediate Comeback Champion                      West Education Campus 

Congrats to all the students, coaches, and volunteers who participated!  We can’t wait to see you again next year.

Also, this year leading up to the Tournament the Washington Lawyers’ Committee’s Public Education Project conducted a #GeoPlunge Trivia Contest on Twitter @WashLawEd.  Winners received a GeoPlunge card set for the D.C. Public School of their choice, as well as the ability to award an “at-large” spot in the first ever National GeoPlunge Tournament to be held May 22, 2014!  Congrats to J.O. Wilson Elementary’s Kendall Evans, Hart Middle School’s Angel Cintron, and Devon Williams.  See the conversation at #GeoPlunge!

GeoPlunge is an award-winning series of educational U.S. geography games invented by Alan Fishel, a partner at Arent Fox LLP.  The games, played with a set of cards representing the 50 states, make learning fun.  GeoPlunge instills in students a love of geography at a critical time in their educational development. The GeoPlunge tournaments give students a chance to interact with their peers at other schools in a friendly competition.  For more information about how your school can start a GeoPlunge team or a school partnership with a local law firm or business, contact Kent Withycombe ([email protected] or 202-319-1000 x145) or Kiva Zytnick ([email protected] or 202-319-1000 x117).