29 YEARS OF QUIZZICAL COMPETITION FEATURES SCHOOL TEAMS VYING FOR BRAINY BRAGGING RIGHTS
(DURHAM, October 24, 2012) — High school students looking for a challenge – or The Challenge – will be back on New Hampshire Public Television in February, when the 29th season of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE premieres. Through spirited competition and questions that align with state curriculum standards, GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is an entertaining and educational series that generates school pride and has an enthusiastic on-air and online audience.The pre-season begins November 18th, when 50 high school teams from around the state will vie for a slot on GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE during the new Super Sunday qualifying contest, which will be held at Southern New Hampshire University. School teams of up to six players from grades 9 – 12 will take a quiz to qualify to be one of the 16 teams that will play this season. New Hampshire’s top high school academic team sport went on hiatus in 2011 after NHPTV lost all its state funding, which helped support the popular, long-running program. Now, thanks to the generosity of lead sponsor Unitil Corporation, as well as the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation, the new season of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE will premiere in February to challenge high school students and viewers. It will air Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on NHPTV PRIME, and re-air later in the week on NHPTV PRIME and NHPTV EXPLORE. Look for exciting new angles to the games this season, including a Granite State vs. Bay State match between the winners of the GRANITE STATE SUPERCHALLENGE and the WGBH Boston High School Quiz Show. Also new this year is an interactive, online quiz version of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE where individuals can take the Challenge and play against each other in real time.The response – over 50 schools entering the qualifying contest – is a strong indication of enthusiasm for GSC. Each of the six students (4 team members and the alternates) of the winning Granite State SuperChallenge team will receive a $1,000 award from the NHHEAF Network/ I Am College Bound.org program. The winning school also receives $1,000 and a trophy, and the runner-up school receives $500. It takes a winning combination of knowledge, teamwork, grace under pressure, and a quick buzzer reflex to play GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE. The program brings New Hampshire’s top high school academic teams head-to-head in lively competition. The game emphasizes quick recall of factual material in all major disciplines – math, science, social studies, language arts and fine arts – along with a mix of questions about current events, entertainment, sports, and regional topics. Host Jim Jeannotte asks the Challenge questions to the teams; co-host Lori Warriner goes behind-the-scenes to interview team members. GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is one of the longest running high school quiz shows in the country. For nearly 30 years, it has been a lively, entertaining and educational academic competition that showcases and rewards the academic achievements of New Hampshire’s best and brightest high school scholars. GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE premiered January 30, 1984, and nearly 5,000 high school students have participated in the show since then. Tom Bergeron of Dancing with the Stars fame was the first GSC host. GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is funded by lead sponsor Unitil (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity in New England. The NHHEAF Network Organizations’ I Am College Bound program (www.iamcollegebound.org) is continuing its sponsorship of the program. Additional support for Granite State Challenge is provided by markem-imaje. The GSC Online Quiz is supported by Measured Progress.“We are thrilled to support Granite State Challenge and to celebrate educational excellence in New Hampshire,” said Carol Valianti, Unitil’s vice president of communications and public affairs. “Unitil works hard to promote science, technology, engineering and math education and we look forward to cheering on all the talented local students who will be competing on the show this season.” New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF) has supported New Hampshire Public Television since 1983. “We are proud to be affiliated with NHPTV’s educational programming which positively impacts New Hampshire students, parents and educators,” according to Tara Payne, vice president of College Planning & Community Engagement at NHHEAF. “Supporting students through the iconic Granite State Challenge program aligns with our belief that education is the means to achieving personal, career and life goals.” If you miss a match and want to see how your favorite team fared, watch GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE online at http://video.nhptv.org, on YouTube or iTunes. Online GSC quizzes help keep students and audiences involved in the game.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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