South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University are again sponsoring the state spelling bee that will send a winner to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington.
DWU will host the state competition Saturday, Feb. 7, at its campus in Mitchell. It will run identical to this year, with up to 40 elementary and middle school students chosen from local competitions.
This is the second year News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan are the official sponsors of America’s longest-running educational competition.
“We are thrilled to welcome the 2026 South Dakota State Scripps Spelling Bee to our campus once again," said Dakota Wesleyan University President Dan Kittle. "At DWU, we believe education and literacy are the foundation for opportunity, growth and lifelong success. This event celebrates the passion, dedication and brilliance of the youth in South Dakota, and we are honored to be the home where their talents shine.”
The champion of the regional competition will represent South Dakota at the national competition in Washington in May. Read the story on last year's state bee and how the winner did at the national competition.
Each year, the bee reaches millions of students across the country and around the world with the classroom materials it provides schools enrolled in the yearlong program.
Participation in regional bees also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in public speaking, develop confidence and inspire a love of learning and connection with their peers.
"Having a South Dakota speller compete with spellers from every other state brings their community's pride and perseverance to a national level while inspiring other young learners to aim high. We look forward to cheering on the students of South Dakota as they learn words to help define their lives, and to celebrating the South Dakota champion at our national competition next May," said Corrie Loeffler, Scripps National Spelling Bee executive director.
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Carson Walker at carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org.
