La Porte ISD's Aryaman Jadhav will be among the area's top spellers competing in the HoustonPBS Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 26.  The event will be televised live on Channel 8 at 2 p.m.

The spelling bee will be broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting on the University of Houston Main Campus.  Aryaman, a Heritage Elementary fifth grader, advances to the Houston bee after winning the La Porte ISD spelling bee on Feb. 10.  He is listed as speller #24 in the competition.

The top 55 spellers from 1,070 schools in 42 counties, from East Texas to Austin, will compete for a chance to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation's highest-profile academic event.

The winner of the 2011 HoustonPBS Spelling Bee will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Washington, D.C. to represent Houston at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Last year's national champion won over $35,000 in cash and prizes. The purpose of the Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling, increase vocabularies and develop correct English usage that will help them all of their lives. Bee participation also provides valuable experience in developing poise, a necessary skill for public speaking, performing arts, and athletics.

More information is available at www.houstonpbs.org/spellingbee.