GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE TEAMS FOR 2013 SEASON ANNOUNCED

(DURHAM, November 26, 2012) — Sixteen New Hampshire high school academic teams will vie for brainy bragging rights in the 29th season of GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE. During the GSC Super Sunday qualifying contest November 18th, a total of 48 NH school teams took a written test to qualify for a spot. The schools with the highest scores will compete in this season’s GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE. They include:Bedford High School, Bedford Bishop Brady High School, Concord Bow High School, Bow Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, Northwood Hanover High School, Hanover John Stark Regional High School, Weare Keene High School, Keene Kingswood Regional High School, Wolfeboro Manchester High School Central, ManchesterMascoma Valley Regional High School, Canaan Nashua High School, North Nashua Oyster River High School, Durham Pinkerton Academy, Derry Plymouth Regional High School, PlymouthPortsmouth Christian Academy, Dover Winnacunnet High School, Hampton Alternate SchoolsConcord High School, Concord Dover High School, Dover 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.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. Online GSC quizzes help keep students and audiences involved in the game.GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE is generously funded by lead sponsor Unitil Corporation, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England; additional funding is provided by the NHHEAF Network Organizations, DF Richard, Markem-Imaje, Pax World Funds, Heinemann and Measured Progress. 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. “Unitil congratulates the teams who have earned the honor of competing in this year’s GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE,” said Carol Valianti, Unitil’s vice president of communications and public affairs. “We know all the students will represent their state, their schools and their families with pride and grace in this beloved academic competition.”GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE will premiere Sunday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m. 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. 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.

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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