STUDENTS, TEACHERS IN APPALACHIA CAN VIE FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2004

Columbus, OH -- State Development Director Bruce Johnson today announced that the application deadline is approaching for high school students and teachers in Ohio’s Appalachian region wanting to apply for an all-expense paid two-week math, science and technology educational program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. This year’s application deadline is March 22, 2004.

“I encourage math, science and technology students and teachers in Ohio’s Appalachia region to apply,” said Johnson. “This is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to work with research scientists on relevant math, science and technology topics facing the world in the 21st century.”

Applications were recently sent to all high schools in Ohio’s 29 Appalachian counties urging students and teachers to apply for this competitive opportunity. The Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA), a division of the Ohio Department of Development, is accepting and reviewing applications.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is collaborating with the ORNL and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) to provide this opportunity. The ORNL is one of the largest U.S. Department of Energy research facilities in the United States, located near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Participants of this year’s program will be housed at a hotel in Oak Ridge, near ORNL and ORISE facilities. Student participants will be chaperoned 24-hours a day by experienced teachers who have worked with ORNL programs for several years. Teacher participants will not be responsible for chaperoning students. In addition, all major expenses, including meals, lodging, transportation to and from the participant’s home base and local transportation, will be covered for participants. Teachers participating will receive a $750 stipend.

For more information on the program, please call (614) 644-9228. Applications can be submitted to Wanda Hairston in the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, 77 S. High St., 24th Floor, Columbus, OH 43216.

The GOA facilitates economic and community development in the 29 Appalachian counties of Ohio. The Office, involved with both short- and long-term planning, also serves as an advocate for the region by developing policy and promoting specific projects and proposals that originate from the region's residents.