When head coach Curt Cignetti took over the Indiana University football program, things were so bad, they couldn't even get the jerseys spelled correctly. Now they are National Champions. Don't be afraid to dream big. Congratulations Hoosier Nation! #MotivationMonday

🐝 Happy birthday to Erin Howard, one of the legendary Octochamps! Erin’s Bee journey started in 2nd grade and carried her to the national stage four times, with four Alabama State Spelling Bee titles along the way. Happy birthday, Erin!🎂 📸: AP/Cliff Owen

Happy birthday to Jairam Hathwar, 2016 Bee Co-Champion!🐝 After 24 unforgettable championship rounds, Jairam and Nihar Janga shared the crown in one of the most dramatic finishes in Bee history. We’ll always remember where we were for that one.🏆

It's National #NewsLiteracyWeek! This year's focus is helping students develop the skills they need to separate facts from falsehoods in an online ecosystem flooded with AI-generated content. Join @newslit.org, @ewscrippsco.bsky.social, @usatoday.com#NewsLiteracyWeekand USA TODAY Network: https://bit.ly/4qdlJUo

Happy birthday to noted spelling bee enthusiast Justin Timberlake! 🐝 JT famously competed in the 1995 Memphis-Shelby County Regional Spelling Bee, misspelling "wharf" to get eliminated. He got over it, but we bet he still remembers the word that knocked him out. 😄

Tyler from Miller Middle School in Iowa has earned a spot at his regional bee, hosted by our new Regional Partner, Living History Farms, on March 7! 🐝 We're grateful for all the teachers, principals, bee coordinators and Regional Partners who make the magic happen! ❤️ https://bit.ly/4q54EMc

Happy Birthday to Dr. Jacques Bailly, our incomparable Head Pronouncer – keeper of the roots, master of the pause, and the calm voice behind the biggest moments on the Bee stage. Thank you for the wisdom, wit, and heart you bring to every word (and every speller). May your year be joyously defined.🎂

We're in the homestretch! School enrollment for this year's Bee program ends this Friday, January 30. Don't miss this time-tested and time-honored rite of passage for school kids around the world. They'll never forget it. Enroll today at https://spellingbee.com/enroll. 🐝

🗞️ The Bee has a new hive! We're thrilled to announce the 2026 Bee will be held at the iconic DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.! We can’t wait to welcome the nation’s top spellers to our new stage in the heart of the capital! 🐝

Welcome to the hive, Peoria Public Library! We're proud to announce that students in Central Illinois now have a new Bee Regional Partner. The Peoria Public Library has stepped up to host the area's regional spelling bee, with the winner advancing to our national stage in Washington D.C.! 🐝

Happy birthday George Merriam, born on this date in 1803! Together with his brother Charles, George purchased the rights to Webster's Dictionary after Noah Webster's death. Their company would eventually become Merriam-Webster, Inc., which would eventually become the official dictionary of the Bee.🐝

"Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." – Martin Luther King, Jr. #MLKDay

School enrollment for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee ends two weeks from today! Don't miss the chance to give your students an unforgettable experience. We'll help you every step of the way! Sign up today at https://spellingbee.com/enroll and join the fun!

On this day in 1806, Noah Webster published his very first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. It was the first truly American dictionary, adding 5,000 words to the established British dictionary of the time, including words like hickory, skunk, and succotash. 📖

You probably know the word “xanthosis” is part of a crucial plot point in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. 🐝 But did you know it was the actual winning word at the 1995 Bee? Justin Tyler Carroll from Arkansas won it on that word, and the movie writers paid tribute by including it in the script. ❤️

Happy birthday to Arvind Mahankali, champion of the 2013 Bee! Arvind finished 3rd at the Bee in 2011 and 2012, before winning it all. After high school, Arvind earned his bachelor's in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University and is now pursuing his PhD at Stanford. Happy birthday Arvind! 🎉

Some spelling mistakes are just impossible to advoid. 🤣 #FridayFunnies

The Bee is accepting applications to join our College Crew for Bee Week 2026! Crew members answer questions, set up event venues, serve as ushers, and more. It's also a chance to put an unforgettable experience on your resume. Apply by January 23 at www.spellingbee.com/college-crew! 🐝

These Bee spellers through the years were on trend even before the trend was a trend 😁

At the 1st National Spelling Bee in 1925, nine finalists competed, and organizers must have wondered if the inaugural Bee would ever end. After 42 rounds, all nine spellers were still alive! The dam finally burst in Round 43 and Frank Neuhauser of Kentucky ultimately captured the crown. #beehistory

Happy New Year! Thank you for making our 100th anniversary year in 2025 so memorable. Here's to a new year filled with connection, confidence, and confetti showers! 🐝

Happy birthday to Libby Childress, Champion of the 1970 Scripps National Spelling Bee! 🎉 Libby, from Mount Airy, North Carolina, captured the crown with the winning word "croissant" and later appeared on the television show What's My Line.