Well, more than 20,000 students from across the country will be arriving in Louisville next month for the National BEDA Convention.

It's the first time in 12 years Louisville has been chosen to host.

I sat down with the National Beta Council's Kentucky chair to find out what it's all about.

Well, hi, Donna.

Where thank you for being here.

Council chair for Kentucky's Veda Group.

So tell us, what is BITA and how is this connected in schools.

By the is the world's largest organization for youth?

We have we have divisions and it's the junior and senior and the elementary divisions in beta.

And we are an organization that promotes achievement, leadership, character and service for students in grades four through 12.

You have to have the grades to get in and course to do service in your community, which is so important.

And we have a lot of leadership opportunities for students, which is so important in their growth.

And then, of course, you know, building character, that's what we're all about.

That's what schools are all about.

That's right.

And so the convention, though, the national convention being here in Louisville, this is a big deal.

It really is.

This is the first time in 12 years we've been here.

We have a national convention somewhere every summer.

But it's normally in some, you know, Savannah, Orlando, Nashville.

But this year, it's going to be here.

And it is just amazing.

As I said, 12 years ago, we had it here.

So in Kentucky, we have a lot.

But Kentucky, Kentucky's about a state.

It really is.

We do we do very well in the competitions.

We do very well in the in all of the aspects of it, because we believe about it in our administrators and our different schools and our teachers support our children through.

So, you know, we have over 31,000 students who are just students in Kentucky and over 600 clubs.

So it's just it is just a wonderful organization for young people.

It just helps them, you know?

And then I just tell you, we have a great scholarship program this year by the guy, 40 to $1000 scholarships to different seniors throughout our state.

And then we have two students who are getting larger scholarships and one's getting 2501 is getting 6000.

Wow.

It's such a great way to recognize achievements of the kids, you know, that are really doing well in school and contributing to their community and and really give them that opportunity to be recognized and in a national way.

So what kind of competitions happen at the national convention?

Well, right now, students are taking online their academic contests, and that's, of course, all the discipline areas may science, English, social studies, but it's also speech.

And and in our Spanish foreign languages, it also encompasses agriculture, spelling, all you know, all of those different ones but one.

And then they're also sending in submissions for arts and crafts.

And we have everything from jewelry making to recyclable art, all kinds of painting and drawing.

And it's it is amazing for someone who is not an artist at all.

It is amazing to see what young people can do.

And it's great is great.

Then when they get to the convention, we have a lot of talent, our students.

It is again, I use the word amazing, but it is amazing how talented they are in music and instrumentalists and and dancers.

All of those people, all of those young people strive to be the very best in just to watch them get in front of two or three or 4000 at a session and be able to do what they do is just absolutely great.

And then we like the officers, we have national officers.

There are eight national officers, four three at the senior level, three at the junior level and two at the elementary.

And I'm proud to say that right now, Kentucky has four of those eight were listed last year.

Oh, very well, Representative.

Wonderful.

Well, thank you so much, Lynn.

Competitive.

That's right.

That's all right.

Nothing wrong with that.

With this year's National Beta Convention in Louisville is coming up June 15th through the 26th at the Convention Center.

And Lexington hosts the state Beta Convention, which is coming up in January.