The Berks County Intermediate Unit’s (BCIU’s) Office of Professional Learning hosted the annual Academic Challenge, a high-energy, Jeopardy-style competition for high school students (grades 9-12). Throughout the event, teams competed in a series of rigorous matches covering history, geography, literature, current events, math, and science. The challenge consisted of two rounds—one requiring quick responses as students raced to buzz in before opponents and another where teams collaborated to submit their answers.
Serving as the BCIU’s longtime “Quizmaster,” Bill Riedel, a retired Kutztown Area School District teacher, kept the competition engaging as he presented each question to participating teams.
The 2024-2025 Academic Challenge saw 15 school districts competing in four matches throughout the school year. The participants were: Antietam SD, Berks Catholic High School, Boyertown Area SD, Conrad Weiser Area SD, Daniel Boone Area SD, Exeter Township SD, Fleetwood Area SD, Governor Mifflin SD, Kutztown Area SD, Oley Valley SD, Reading SD, Schuylkill Valley SD, Twin Valley SD, Wilson SD, and Wyomissing Area SD.
The competition culminated on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, with playoffs featuring the top six teams vying for the Berks County regional title. Schuylkill Valley School District, led by academic coach Tod Witman, emerged as the 2024-2025 Academic Challenge champions. Daniel Boone Area School District and Wilson School District also delivered impressive performances, making for a closely contested finale.
Schuylkill Valley will now represent Berks County at the Pennsylvania State Academic Competition on May 2, 2025, at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, where they will compete against top teams from each of the 29 intermediate units across the state. This year’s event is hosted by Representative John Lawrence.
For more information, please contact Jillian Darlington, Assistant Program Administrator, Office of Professional Learning, at jildar@berksiu.org.