Many thanks for all of the hard work putting together the geography, history, and science bee competitions! My son Theo, age 10, has participated in all three over the last couple of years, and really enjoyed them. They have provided an opportunity to meet like-minded kids and parents, to bone up on state capitals, Presidents, the periodic table, and many other subjects, and even an excuse to visit a couple of places in the US for regional finals when we couldn’t make the ones nearest to us in DC. Theo and his family visited Richmond, Austin, and Detroit over the years, combining a fun academic experience for part of the day together with a little exploration of a new place for a few hours afterwards.
Speaking of exploration, this year, we were lucky enough to join the International Geography Championships in Vienna, Austria, and then participate in the post-competition Central Europe trip to Prague, Berlin, and other interesting and beautiful spots in between. The Vienna competition was very well-run, and it was awesome for Theo to compete together with such an elite group of geographers. We also had the chance to visit museums, historical sites, and a couple of great restaurants in Vienna, and we appreciated the input and support from IAC in making recommendations and organizing field trips to locations as varied as the catacombs at St. Stephens’ Cathedral, the Military History Museum, and a tour of pastries! Also a highlight: IAC put together an incredibly fun scavenger hunt throughout Vienna that had us waltzing in front of the Strauss monument, visiting embassies to photograph flags, and collecting pinecones. Appreciate the time and work that goes into putting that kind of thing together, and made for a really memorable experience.
Then after that, Theo and I had the chance to go on the post-competition weeklong Central Europe trip. We were very impressed with the level of organization (I can only imagine the challenges of leading a group of 100 through multiple countries, on and off buses, and managing hotel stays, and then putting together activities every single day). And it all went off beautifully! Highlights included a treasure hunt in Prague (multiple stations within a 2-km radius downtown with various quizzes and so forth within a certain timeline) (a great way to see the downtown and get spun up on topics like “famous Czech expats”), visits to famous palaces such as Fredrick the Great’s in Potsdam, and then free time to see the Cold War Museum in Prague and Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. A region with a lot to offer, teach, and see, and the post-competition trip really provided that, together with fun diversions like quizzes in German geography and history in notable locales like the open area behind the Bundestag. A very well-run undertaking overall, memorable experience for Theo and his family…and we look forward to the next one! Great job all around.
Best,
Ehren
From Nicole Bowman, Mother of Ben Bowman (IGC 2024, Team Delaware, Intermediate Division)
Dear IAC:
Thank you so much for planning, organizing and leading the trip through Central Europe and the IGC experience in Vienna.
I just really want to make sure you realize what a positive impact you had on my family and on hundreds of other families and young people last month. My son (Ben, age 11) didn’t know many other children like him who share the same interests or want to talk for hours and hours about geography and can spend an entire day just learning about history. That all changed this July. Because of IAC, he met so many peers and older students and staffers who were like him. He met people who could challenge him, learn with him, excite him, relate to him. As a mother, it was absolutely priceless to see that happening. It’s something every parent wishes for their child.
The way the competition itself was organized was so thoughtful. Introducing the team element and many different types of events so children could learn new skills and have experiences that challenged them and rewarded them, made this a uniquely enriching experience. Honestly, I could go on and on about how well it was run, and how much my son (and my whole family) took from the IGC week in Vienna alone. The pastry tour! The Mozart tour! So thoughtful. Your staff was incredible.
But then! To be led around Central Europe by a legion of history teachers, to be on an intimate, curated tour with you two and your parents, to participate in quizzes and buzzer events in the evenings — it all came together to create a rare experience that I’m not sure any organization in the world could match. I just feel so grateful to you both for using all of your experience and knowledge to create this opportunity for young minds. I’m so glad Ben and I found IAC and met you both!
You have huge supporters and fans in myself, Ben, and the rest of my family! We will “follow the hat” again and again if we can!! Please let me know if there’s anything we can do to help your organization.
Best,
Nicole
