On Scripps National Spelling Bee students prepare for local spelling bees using a variety of materials provided by us and Merriam-Webster, and they advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C., by winning a series of spellings as outlined by their local spelling bee sponsors. In general terms, the program is open to students who have neither turned 16 nor passed beyond the eighth grade, and who attend schools that officially enrolled with our program for the current academic year.