To participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program, a city or county must have a Bee-authorized official sponsor. A sponsor may be a business, community organization, college or university willing to organize a bee program open to all schools in the designated area and to send the area's champion the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The responsibilities of an official sponsor include the following:

• Organizing a final local spelling bee for the entire sponsored area
• Serving as the principal spelling bee contact for the sponsored area
• Recruiting a pronouncer, judges, officials and other volunteers for the final local spelling bee
• Securing a venue for the final local spelling bee
• Paying for and making the arrangements for the local champion's trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee
• Paying an annual sponsorship fee

In some areas, sponsorship responsibilities are shared by two or more co-sponsors.

To inquire about whether there is a Bee-authorized official sponsor in your area, please contact us.