FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 7, 2008
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
 

About 180 high schools students to attend ‘Fun With Science’ at MU

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – About 180 rising ninth- and 10th-grade students from throughout West Virginia will visit Marshall University’s Huntington campus July 13-18 to take part in the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) Summer Institute.

HSTA is an internationally recognized, community-based program that provides academic enrichment for the participating students. It is offered in 26 West Virginia counties. The students take part in the program throughout the school year by being involved with clubs in their high schools.

The opening ceremony and dinner for the summer institute at Marshall, which is titled “Fun With Science,” is at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 13 in the Don Morris Room, located on the second floor of the Memorial Student Center.

David Cartwright, program director of the event at Marshall, said other summer institutes are at West Virginia University and West Virginia State University. The goal of HSTA is to increase the number of underrepresented and minority students who complete a postsecondary education in the health professions and remain in West Virginia as primary caregivers. The program was established in 1994 with 45 students from two counties.

Cartwright said the number of participating students attending “Fun With Science” is expected to more than double from last year’s total of about 80 because rising 10^th graders are included this year. Previously, the summer program was for rising 9^th-graders only.

The emphasis this year, Cartwright said, is on diabetes.

“West Virginia is the number one state for diabetes,” he said. “ ‘Fun With Science’ will expose the students to the dangers of diabetes. They will learn different things that can be done to prevent diabetes and then be able to teach their family members what they learned.”

In addition, Cartwright said, “Fun With Science” will help students develop  critical thinking skills and study skills that will help them as they advance through high school and college. Their days on the Huntington campus are important as they get closer to deciding where they will attend college, he added.

For more information, contact Cartwright at (304) 696-6024.

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