Sports are not the only place where Deaf students compete on a national stage. Every year, Gallaudet University hosts a quiz competition that puts the brightest Deaf and hard of hearing high schoolers in the spotlight.
What Is the National Academic Bowl?
The National Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing High School Students is a question-and-answer competition run by Gallaudet University. It promotes academic excellence, sportsmanship, and lasting friendships among students from schools around the United States.
How It Works
Teams answer questions across nine categories:
- History and government
- Language and literature
- Science and technology
- Geography
- Mathematics
- The arts
- Deaf studies
- Current events
- Pop culture, leisure, and sports
Twenty teams from across the country take part. They qualify through five regional competitions, and the first- through fourth-place teams from each region advance to the national tournament.
The 2025 Tournament
The 17th annual tournament was held March 9 to 12, 2025, at Elstad Auditorium on Gallaudet’s Kendall Green campus in Washington, D.C. The results:
- Maryland School for the Deaf (Frederick), its fourth straight national title
- University High School (Irvine, California)
- Tucson Area Public Schools (Arizona)
- Indiana School for the Deaf (Indianapolis)
Maryland School for the Deaf senior Ethan Sonnenstrahl was named Most Outstanding Player.
Why It Matters
Academic competitions give Deaf students a chance to shine in a fully signing environment, where questions, answers, and cheering all happen in their own language. The inclusion of a Deaf studies category also celebrates knowledge of Deaf history and culture, topics that many students do not get to study in a standard curriculum.
The Takeaway
The Academic Bowl is a reminder that Deaf excellence takes many forms. Schools and families who want to take part can find regional and national information on the Gallaudet Academic Bowl page.
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