Inventive students make co-ops proud
Tower of Power
BURKESVILLE
The assignment: using straws and tape, build a tower that can hold a tennis ball for one minute. The competitors: fourth-grade students from Cumberland County Elementary School in Burkesville. The result: a successful project named the “Tower of Power” in honor of their local power company, Tri-County Electric.
“Community is so important to Tri-County Electric, and that is one reason we invest in these youth programs,” says Executive Vice President and General Manager Paul Thompson. “These young people are our future leaders and electric cooperative member-owners, and Tri-County Electric is pleased to provide our local students with these opportunities.”
App(lause)
PAINTSVILLE
Four students from Prestonsburg High School are winners of the inaugural Congressional App Challenge held in Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District. The app, called Kentucky College and Career Readiness Pathway, helps students think more effectively about milestones to college and career readiness.
“We are proud of our students in the Big Sandy region,” says David Estepp, president of Big Sandy RECC. “We are excited to witness their development of career skills that will unlock a bright future of unlimited potential in our region.”
The app will be featured in a display in the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for one year.
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, who represents the 5th District, notes that the winning app is in line with the mission of the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative to better prepare students for life after graduation.
“I applaud our educators for implementing STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) classwork and challenging students with the type of high-tech design that is transforming the way we live,” Rogers says.
The competition is open to high school students across the country. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, go online to www.congressionalappchallenge.us.
Debra Gibson Isaacs from the August 2016 issue
