Students Needed for 2024 iGeo Competition

By: Ben Woodward, International Geography Olympiad Alumnus
Canada’s qualifiers for the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) are just around the corner, and
Canadian Geographic Education is looking for Grade 11 and 12 students to represent Canada at 2024’s
iGeo in Dublin.

iGeo is an annual, international competition that brings together over 150 of the best 16 to 19 year old
geography students from over 40 countries. The competition consists of written tests, map and graphic
interpretation (the multimedia test), and a fieldwork exam. Each of these tests assess students’
knowledge of many areas of both human and physical geography. The week-long event also features a
day-long trip, a poster contest, and a chance to make lifelong friends from around the world.

Each year, Canada sends a team of four students to iGeo. Participation is completely free through the
generous support of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. The qualifiers for Team Canada are
similar to the iGeo tests above, consisting of a multimedia test, a written test, a build-your-own
fieldwork activity, and a round of interviews.

If you have enjoyed taking geography courses in school, love the outdoors, enjoy traveling, or have
participated in other competitions like the Ontario Envirothon or Canadian Geographic Challenge, you
should try out! The deadline to complete the multimedia tests is January 12th, and more information
about this exciting opportunity can be found here.

If you are not yet convinced, Xavier Spano attended iGeo in Bandung, Indonesia last year and had the
following to say about his experience:

“Participating in iGeo 2023 was a once in a lifetime opportunity to go places and meet people you’d
never get to otherwise, an event where no matter what happens with the tests, you get to share in
knowledge and global experience that seldom few ever could. From my experience last year in Bandung, Indonesia; I can tell you that it was mostly the memories of the sights and friends made along the way that I remember most, and not just the silver medal at the end (though it was pretty sweet!). As someone who’s been to Dublin, I’m positive that iGeo 2024 will bring the same amazing experiences that last year’s iGeo did.”