FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications, 304-696-7153
 

About 80 high school students to attend ‘Fun With Science’ at MU

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – About 80 rising 9^th grade students from southern West Virginia will visit Marshall University’s Huntington campus July 12-17 to participate 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 kickoff dinner for the summer institute at Marshall, which is titled “Fun With Science,” is at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 12 in multipurpose room BE5, located on the lower level of the Memorial Student Center.

David Cartwright, program director for the event at Marshall, said a similar “Fun With Science” camp for rising 9^th graders is taking place later this summer at Shepherd University.

“The ‘Fun With Science’ camp at Marshall University this year will expose the students to a style of learning that we find in college,” Cartwright said. “It also will prepare the students for college life in some degree, and for classes similar to those they will take in their beginning years of high school.”

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.

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.

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

“West Virginia is the number three state for diabetes,” he said. “Through ‘Fun With Science,’ we want to give these kids tools to not only help themselves, but their family members as well. They will learn what can be done to prevent diabetes and then have the knowledge to teach their family members what they have learned. 

For more information on the HSTA summer institute, contact Cartwright at 304-696-6024.

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