School SCRABBLE Program

Since September 2013, Hasbro has administered a School Scrabble program. Please visit their website to find out more about its activities, including the annual North American School SCRABBLE Championship (NASSC).

NASPA Supports School Scrabble Players

NASPA has up until Summer 2016 supported School Scrabble players in the following ways:

• NASPA gives NASSC competitors six free months of NASPA membership, along with gifts from the NASPA Store.
• NASPA provides experienced tournament staff to run the NASSC, and works closely with Hasbro and MSI in the planning of that event.
• NASPA annually updates the School Scrabble Rules and compiles the official School Scrabble Word List (SSWL).
• NASPA maintains a School Scrabble Rating System, used to seed teams in the first round of the NASSC.
• NASPA makes study word lists available through the special School edition of NASPA Member Services.
• NASPA offers free school memberships to teachers and coaches interested in using NASPA Zyzzyva to train their students and adjudicate their word challenges using SSWL.
• NASPA encourages its members everywhere to help teachers and coaches run School Scrabble clubs and tournaments, and will put them in touch with each other on request.

As of Fall 2016, we have been asked to cease this support. For further questions, please email us at school@scrabbleplayers.org.

NASPA continues to support youth Scrabble with resources, recognition, and grants.

History

In 2003, Hasbro and the then National SCRABBLE Association developed a School Scrabble Program including classroom materials, regional events and an annual North American School SCRABBLE Championship. The system of play involved simplified rules, the use of a word list consisting of age-appropriate words from the Official Tournament and Club Word List (OTCWL), and most importantly, competition in two-player teams.

From 2009 to 2015, the National School SCRABBLE Champions appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show to challenge the host to a game.

In 2012, the word reference was changed from a cumbersome combination of the printed OSPD4, MWCD11 and published errata and addenda to the equivalent word list as contained in Zyzzyva.

In mid-2013, Hasbro brought the administration of the program in-house, contracting with MSI and NASPA for the execution of the 2014 Championship.

In 2014, the word reference for longer words was changed from MWCD11 to OTCWL2.

In 2015, the first complete, official School Scrabble Word List (SSWL2015) was edited by our Dictionary Committee.

In 2016, we published SSWL2016.

In 2019, we published the NASPA School Word List (NSWL) 2018 Edition.

In 2021, we published NSWL2020.