How to enroll
Parents register online with NorthSouth. No school needed. No on-site registration.
- Watch the NorthSouth regional contest calendar for your nearest chapter's spring date
- Register online before that chapter's deadline ($40 regional fee, non-refundable)
- Top-ranked students are invited to the National Finals in summer
Older siblings in high school can volunteer on contest day or as coaches.
NorthSouth volunteering ↗In plain words
The NorthSouth Foundation runs regional contests each spring through 75+ local US chapters, including a Senior Spelling Bee for grades 4–8 and an Intermediate Vocabulary Bee for grades 4–8. Parents register online; there is no on-site registration, and each chapter sets its own registration deadline. Regional fee is $40. Top-ranked students are invited to the National Finals in summer ($60 fee). 2027 chapter dates were not posted as of mid-October 2026.
Compare every spelling bee: who signs up, cost, dates →Kids who want a spelling bee even if their school doesn't enroll in Scripps
You want the Scripps path to Washington, D.C. (that one goes through the school)
What it takes
Where it leads
- Regional contestSpring 2027 (dates not posted yet)
At a local chapter
- National FinalsSummer 2027
By invitation for top-ranked students