East Grand Forks Students Advance to State Knowledge Bowl Competition

District expands program to middle schoolers with grant funding

Apr. 6, 2026 at 12:10pm

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A team of five East Grand Forks Senior High students will be advancing to the state Knowledge Bowl competition, the first time a team from the district has done so since 2014. The Knowledge Bowl is an academic quiz competition that tests students' knowledge across a variety of subjects. The district also recently expanded the program to middle school students with the help of a $4,500 grant from the Brockman Feldman Endowment.

Why it matters

The Knowledge Bowl program provides East Grand Forks students with an opportunity to showcase their academic talents, build critical thinking and teamwork skills, and connect with peers and teachers in a unique extracurricular setting. Expanding the program to the middle school level also creates a potential feeder system to strengthen the high school team's competitiveness.

The details

The Knowledge Bowl competition consists of a written round with 60 multiple-choice questions, followed by four or five oral rounds where teams of four students (plus one optional substitute) are asked 45 questions and must buzz in before discussing and submitting a final answer. This year, the East Grand Forks Senior High team of five students will be one of 48 teams advancing to the state-level competition on April 9-10. The district was able to start a middle school Knowledge Bowl program this year thanks to a $4,500 grant from the Brockman Feldman Endowment, which allowed the district to offer the program without requiring student activity fees or budget approval.

  • The East Grand Forks Senior High team will compete at the state Knowledge Bowl meet on April 9-10, 2026.
  • The district expanded the Knowledge Bowl program to middle school students in January 2026.

The players

Donovan Hanson

A teacher at East Grand Forks Senior High and the Knowledge Bowl team coach.

Leah Massmann

A junior at East Grand Forks Senior High and one of the students advancing to the state Knowledge Bowl competition.

Brockman Feldman Endowment

A grant program that provided $4,500 in funding to help the East Grand Forks district expand the Knowledge Bowl program to middle school students.

Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Region

The organization that distributes the Brockman Feldman Endowment to support academic extracurricular programming in the region.

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What they’re saying

“I think the more things that we can get our kids involved in, obviously, the better that is for our students. They'll have a better, more rounded education.”

— Donovan Hanson, Teacher and Knowledge Bowl Coach

“We just have fun. And I think that's the main thing that helps us win — just not taking everything so seriously.”

— Leah Massmann, Junior Student

“It's important to mention just how much our success is not just because of who we are. It's because of our teachers and the way they teach things to us.”

— Leah Massmann, Junior Student

What’s next

The East Grand Forks Senior High Knowledge Bowl team will compete at the state-level competition on April 9-10, 2026.

The takeaway

The expansion of the Knowledge Bowl program to middle school students in East Grand Forks, supported by grant funding, demonstrates the district's commitment to providing diverse academic extracurricular opportunities that foster critical thinking, teamwork, and a love of learning among its students.