Ethiopian Spelling Bee

Move to Improve: A Vision for Health, Literacy, and Community Transformation

This past weekend, one of our valued partner schools in Hawassa, FreSeed School of Transformation (FST)—the proud home of Kal Tesfaye, the 2026 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB) Junior Champion—organized an inspiring community event under the theme:

“Move to Improve – Running for Health; Reading for Creativity”

The Grand Running Program brought together students, parents, educators, and community members in a vibrant city walk that celebrated the powerful connection between physical well-being and literacy development. More than just a race, the event served as a reminder that healthy minds and healthy bodies are both essential for children to thrive.

The program was further elevated by the presence of distinguished guests, including the Vice President of the Sidama Region and Mr. Beyene Berasa, a senior official from the Regional Education Bureau, whose participation demonstrated the growing recognition of initiatives that promote holistic child development.

One of the highlights of the day was the recognition of young academic achievers. During the ceremony, medals and trophies were awarded to the school’s spelling bee winners, celebrating students who have demonstrated excellence in literacy and language development. The awards were presented by the honored guests, reinforcing the message that academic achievement deserves the same level of celebration as athletic success.

At the Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB), we believe that this initiative represents a transformative opportunity—one that schools across Ethiopia can learn from. By combining reading, movement, family engagement, and community participation, schools can create environments where children are inspired to become confident learners, healthy citizens, and future leaders.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to FreSeed School of Transformation for pioneering this remarkable initiative and for their continued commitment to nurturing well-rounded students. We are especially proud that the school continues to champion literacy after producing the 2026 ESB Junior Champion, Kal Tesfaye.

May this be the beginning of a movement that encourages communities everywhere to embrace the simple yet powerful idea that:

When children move, they grow stronger.
When children read, they dream bigger.
When communities support both, transformation becomes possible.

Congratulations, FreSeed School of Transformation!

Community Pride Starts With Children.
— Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)

📚 What inspires children to read more deeply, more frequently, and with greater enthusiasm?

The newly released 2026 What Kids Are Reading Report by Renaissance provides valuable insights into the reading habits, motivations, and preferences of K–12 students. From the most popular books by grade level to emerging reading trends, this report offers practical guidance for educators, librarians, and school leaders committed to building a strong culture of literacy.

At the Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB), we believe that developing confident readers is the foundation for academic success, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Understanding what children choose to read helps us create programs that inspire a genuine love of books and learning.

We encourage schools, teachers, and parents to explore this important resource and use its findings to strengthen literacy initiatives in their communities.

📖 Download the full report here:
https://www.renaissance.com/resources/what-kids-are-reading/

💙 Community Pride Starts With Children.
🐝 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)

✨ Every child has a story, and every word tells part of that story.

Meet Hannah Abel, whose words reflect kindness, intelligence, gratitude, hard work, and joy. Through ESB’s My Words, My Identity series, students celebrate the qualities that make them unique and the values that shape their future.

💙 My Words. My Identity.
📚 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)
🇪🇹 Community Pride Starts With Children.

📚🐝 ETHIOPIAN SPELLING BEE (ESB)

From the first word to future leadership, ESB is empowering students across Ethiopia to read more, learn more, and lead more.

🏆 Juniors (Grades 1–4)
🏆 Seniors (Grades 5–8)
🏆 Scholars (Grades 9–12)

Through reading, vocabulary development, leadership training, academic excellence, and national competitions, ESB is helping build confident readers, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and future leaders.

🌍 School-Based Competitions
🏙️ City-Wide Championships
🇪🇹 National Finals
🎓 Scholarship Opportunities
✈️ International Participation

Because Community Pride Starts with Children.

After a heated spell-off, Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from California, has become the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.

Milestone Achievement: ESB and Youth Impact Network (YIN) Partnership
We are proud to announce another significant milestone: the Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB) has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Youth Impact Network (YIN).
This partnership serves as a strategic initiative to expand our reach, connecting directly with students through YIN’s extensive network. Initiated last year by Egla Dagmawi a visionary student from Nazareth School YIN has grown rapidly and now boasts an executive team comprised of dedicated leaders from various universities and schools.
As Mr. Tefera emphasized, the ESB is fully committed to supporting such impactful, student-led initiatives. We look forward to a highly collaborative and productive partnership. Regarding the collaboration, Ms. Egla Dagmawi stated, “Working with the ESB is an invaluable experience; it is a true honor to collaborate with such a dedicated team.”
Together, we move forward with excellence.
Community pride starts with children!

🌙✨ Eid al-Adha Mubarak from ESB ✨🌙

From all of us at Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB), we extend our heartfelt wishes to our Muslim brothers and sisters and the entire community for a joyful, peaceful, and blessed Eid al-Adha.

May this sacred celebration bring faith, unity, compassion, and abundant blessings to every home and family.

🕌 Eid Mubarak!
🇪🇹 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)
“Community Pride Starts with Children.”

😂📚 ESB Joke of the Day!

Learning English should be fun, memorable, and full of laughter.
Because sometimes the best way to remember a word… is through a joke! 😄

“Why is O the noisiest vowel?
Because all the others are in-audible!” 🎤

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)
“Community Pride Starts with Children.”

63 years ago our forefathers gathered in and dreamed of a free, united Africa, the dream is still alive. From North Africa to the South, from East Africa to the West, we celebrate our rich heritage, resilience, and unbreakable spirit. Today we honor our past, embrace our diversity, and commit to a bright future. Together we rise, together we thrive. The world is watching, let’s show them what can do! African Union

! May 25,2026!

Mission Beyond ESB

ESB was never meant to be just a competition.

Our mission is bigger than trophies, stages, or spelling words.

We are helping build a generation of stronger readers, confident communicators, critical thinkers, and future leaders who will elevate Ethiopia through education, knowledge, character, and excellence.

Just as great companies helped shape the identity of their nations, ESB aspires to help make Ethiopia known for literacy, academic excellence, and the limitless potential of its children.

This is bigger than ESB.
This is nation-building through education.

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Spelling Bee (ESB)
Ethiopia’s Leading Student Literacy Platform

“Community Pride Starts with Children.”