IAC Nationals isn’t just for competing students! We want to give everyone a chance to get on the buzzer and are thus pleased to offer three extra divisions of competition in an Academic Bee style setting: one each for Parents, Teachers, and Siblings. Each of these will feature 3 rounds with 30 questions each, using the same rules that IAC uses for the National Science, History, and Geography Bees for competing students. The top competitors will then advance to a final round to determine the champions with medals of their own! Per the schedule, the preliminary rounds will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026 from 5-6:45pm. The playoffs will then be held on Sunday evening, May 24, 2026 at 7pm for the Younger Siblings Division in the Siblings Bee (one round of finals) and at 9:15pm for the Parents (semifinals and finals), Teachers (finals), and Older Siblings (finals). Please note the following eligibility guidelines:
1. IAC Parents Bee: Open to any adult family member in an older generation than the member of their family competing at the National Championships in any event. This includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins once removed, etc. Family friends are welcome to attend as well. This hotly contested and eagerly awaited event features semifinals and finals rounds. Last year’s statistics are available here. Who will triumph in 2026???
2. IAC Siblings Bee: Open to any family member in the same generation of a competing student at Nationals who is in high school or younger. This includes cousins. However, this competition is NOT open to any student who is competing in any event at the National Championships for which prior qualification is required, including the Model UN National Championships. Those caveats aside, high school-aged siblings of students who are attending the Middle and Elementary Nationals are welcome to compete as well, as are primary and secondary school-aged friends of students competing at Nationals. There will be separate age divisions for this competition; age cut offs for these will depend on enrollment numbers.
3. IAC Teachers Bee: Open to any teacher or administrator at any school with at least one student from their school competing in any event at the National Championships.