Students at the National Academy Foundation Travel and Tourism Class at Murry Bergtraum High School in New York City took part in a roundtable discussion with some other notable participants, among them U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They were also joined at the June 3 event by Citigroup Foundation President Charles V. Raymond, American Express Executive Vice President Tom Schick and National Academy Foundation President John J. Ferrandino.
The discussion focused on the status of the travel and tourism industry and the roles American businesses can play in helping prepare young people for future careers.
Secretary Evans cites the National Academy Foundation (NAF) as a prime example of corporate citizenship at its best. "Through this program," Evans says, "private-sector companies are partnering with schools to open limitless doors of opportunity for young people across the country, and in the process, preparing the next generation of America's entrepreneurs and business leaders."
"We are delighted that Secretary Evans and Mayor Bloomberg recognize National Academy Foundation career academies as a vehicle for corporate involvement as well as school improvement," NAF President Ferrandino responds. "The more businesses that get involved across this city and country, the greater impact we can have on improving student outcomes, providing opportunities and impacting lives."
American Express Executive Vice President Schick expresses his company's commitment to giving back to the community and calls the NAF Academy program an important part of that commitment. "When our employees mentor and supervise these students in their internships, they are helping to develop the future of our industry," Schick says.
The National Academy Foundation is a nonprofit intermediary organization that supports career academies in finance, travel and tourism, and information technology. The academies, which are targeted to urban centers but are also located in suburban and rural school districts, represent business/school partnerships that feature school-based curricula and work-based experiences such as internships.
The Academy of Travel & Tourism, a member program of NAF, was established with funding from American Express. For more information, visit www.naf.org.
The Solarbrate Education event held at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado centered around a theme of tapping the power of the sun. Middle school students, teachers, parents and coaches attended the May event that offered a number of activities and student competitions, including the First Annual K'NEX Solar-Powered Model Construction Contest sponsored by K'NEX Education.
In the K'NEX competition, students were challenged to harness the power of the sun through the construction of a solar-powered model. They used the K'NEX Education Solar Energy System Sets that utilize concepts such as renewable energy, solar radiation and photovoltaics while developing students' critical thinking and design skills.
For the 12th Annual Junior Solar Sprint, students designed, built and raced vehicles powered only by the sun. Each team started with a motor and a silicon solar cell, which converts light into electricity. Students racing Bell Middle School's car, "Self-Explanatory," took home the trophy for the fastest car. There were also five trophies awarded based on technology, craftsmanship and innovation, with the first-place trophy going to Moore Middle School.
As part of the Home Energy Investigation Contest, the student teams rated the energy efficiency of homes in their neighborhoods and created posters detailing their findings. The students with the team from Adams City High School submitted the winning entry and each received $100 for their efforts.
For more information about the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, visit www.nrel.gov. For more information about K'NEX Education, visit www.knexeducation.com.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) will be offering its full complement of certification tests for repair professionals and parts specialists over the course of three evenings this fall.
The tests will be given at more than 700 locations in the United States and Canada on November 7, 12 and 14.
Registration information can be obtained by writing to ASE, 101 Blue Seal Drive, S.E., Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20174. You may also call for information on ASE's toll-free information line, 1-877-ASE-TECH,
or the ASE Customer Service number, 703-669-6600, or visit www.asecert.org.
The registration deadline is September 27, 2002.
The dedication to educational excellence and community service of our career and technical education students was again illustrated by the selection of two FFA members as Toyota Community Scholars.
On May 10, Toyota awarded 100 high school seniors with $1.12 million in scholarships. The winners were chosen from a group of 11,000 students nationwide who were nominated by their schools based on their proven leadership both in the classroom and in their communities.
Ryan Quarles from Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky., was one of the 12 national winners receiving a $20,000, four-year scholarship. Among his accomplishments are organizing activities to benefit a children's hospital through the Kids Holiday Craft Fair, managing an annual FFA food drive and directing the FFA Safety Expo for 500 elementary students and their parents. This outstanding young man also served as class valedictorian, senior class president and regional president for the Bluegrass FFA Region.
As a Toyota Community Scholars regional winner, Matt Fryar of Lake Hamilton High School in Royal, Ark., received a $10,000 scholarship. His work included the development of a nursing home visitation program and the renovation of an old cemetery. Fryar served as Arkansas FFA state secretary for 2001-2002.
"These students are reflections of everything that is good about this country," says James E. Press, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales. "Their dedication to community service is an encouragement and inspiration to all of us."
For more information about FFA, visit www.ffa.org. To learn more about the Toyota Community Scholars program, visit www.toyota.com/communityscholars.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on April 30 that it is considering funding six new science and technology centers (STCs) nationwide. The NSF describes STCs as critical national resources conducting innovative research and exemplary educational activities.
Among the research topics at the new STCs are new water-purification techniques and new materials for information technology. NSF has agreed to a $115 million commitment over five years.
Dragana Brzakovic, staff associate in NSF's Office of Integrative Activities, says, "The range of awards NSF plans to make reflects the enormous diversity of fundamental research that NSF funds, and we expect that these centers will make important strides in advancing knowledge in these fields and in communicating that knowledge to the public."
The centers consist of a lead institution and partners that may include other academic institutions, industries and national laboratories. The lead institutions for the new centers are expected to be:
- Boston University (to build a comprehensive physics-based numerical simulation model that describes the space environment from the sun to the earth)
- University of California, Davis (to study biophotonics, or the use of light to visualize biological materials)
- University of California, Los Angeles (to design embedded networked sensing systems for various applications, including seismic and environmental monitoring)
- University of Illinois (to study new approaches to purifying water supplies)
- University of Minnesota (to develop and refine the processes that sculpt the Earth's surface)
- University of Washington (to examine innovations in materials to aid in advancing computer and telecommunications research)
The NSF Science and Technology Center program was established in 1987 to fund research activities that also create educational opportunities and is designed to encourage technology transfer and provide innovative approaches to interdisciplinary research challenges. For more information, visit www.nsf.gov.
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