Teams of students from 40 Cobb County schools will face off in a challenge of reading prowess during the annual Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl next Saturday, Jan. 19 at McEachern High School. The Reading Bowl is an academic competition in which students from all three academic levels test their knowledge of books from the Georgia Book/Peach Teen lists.

The Cobb County bowl will begin with a parade of schools in the McEachern Performing Arts Center, followed by six rounds of competition. During each round, two teams compete in a fast-paced, 10 question match, using a quiz show-style system to ‘buzz in’ with the correct answers. Winning teams advance to the regional bowl at the University of West Georgia, heading towards the ultimate challenge of the state final in March.

The Reading Bowl was initiated by its namesake Helen Ruffin, a now-retired DeKalb County media specialist, who was looking for a way to motivate the students at her school to read more. When she noticed that the students at her school were extremely enthusiastic about competitive events she decided to capitalize on this energy. Thus the idea for an academic competition was formed.

Cobb schools with teams participating in the 2013 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl include:

For more information about the Cobb County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, contact Barbara Powell-Schager at (678) 516-6756.