sealPurdue Story Ideas
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July 1, 2002

JOURNALISTS: Here are story ideas of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks.

Purdue led educators study in Honduras

Jerry L. Peters, interim dean of the School of Education, and seven secondary agricultural science and business teachers will return Tuesday (7/2) from an eight-day international learning and engagement program in Honduras.

They are scheduled to arrive at Indianapolis International Airport at 9:04 p.m. on Continental Airlines. Journalists will be able to interview the educators on their return.

The group has spent three days visiting the educational systems and rural development projects in the small towns and villages around Zamorano University. Zamorano is a Pan American center of higher education whose mission is to prepare leaders for the Americas in sustainable agriculture, agribusiness, agroindustry, natural resources management and rural development.

Peters said this program was designed to educate teachers on issues pertaining to international development and the globalization of agriculture.

"No greater challenge faces Indiana's educators today than the commitment to prepare students for responsible roles in an increasingly shrinking world," Peters said. "If Indiana is to continue to keep abreast of changes taking place in the global dimension of agricultural education programs, diligent effort must be made to continue providing opportunities to internationalize our teachers."

Below are names and contact information for educators who took part in the program:

Greg Curlin, Switzerland County High School, Vevay, Ind., (812) 427-2578, gcurlin@switzerland.k12.in.us.

Grace Gochenour, Tri-County High School, Monticello, Ind., (219) 583-2179, GochenourG@trico.k12.in.us.

Duane Huge, Cloverdale High School, Cloverdale, Ind., (812) 879-4847, dhuge@cloverdale.k12.in.us.

Elizabeth A. McGuire, Madison High School, Dupont, Ind., (812) 273-0776, EMcguire@madison.k12.in.us.

Travis Park, Tri-County High School, Wolcott, Ind., (219) 279-2554, parktravis@hotmail.com.

Susan Peters, Klondike Middle School, West Lafayette, Ind., (765) 743-6667, speters@tsc.k12.in.us.

John H. Schut, Lowell (Mich.) High School, Belding, Mich., (616) 794-4030 (work) (616) 897-4125 x 605 jhschut@aol.com.

CONTACT: Jerry L. Peters, (765) 494-2336, Peters@purdue.edu.

Summer Start preps new Purdue students

Journalists can find out what it's like for incoming first-year Purdue students and what the university is doing to prepare them to begin college and keep them pursuing their degrees.

Running from June 5 to Aug. 3, Purdue Summer Start is a residential summer school program designed to orient students to college life before their first year on campus.

It is part of the Lilly Endowment Retention Initiatives project dedicated to preparing incoming undergraduate students for their college experience and in retaining them.

In 1997 the Lilly Endowment awarded Purdue $5 million to enhance the university's retention efforts and to meet a goal of increasing Purdue's six-year baccalaureate completion rate by 5 percent at each campus.

Journalists can talk to students and program advisors listed below to arrange interviews and photo opportunities of various activities that enhance retention. In addition to offering students six to nine hours of course credit, Purdue Summer Start also introduces participants to areas and services that will help them in their pursuit of a degree. Students have opportunities to interact with faculty and staff and take part in out-of-class social activities, which also can provide photo opportunities.

Research findings indicate that minority students participating in Summer Start have higher initial retention rates than comparable students who do not participate in the program.

Of the 42 students participating in this summer's program, there are 28 males and 14 females; 28 Caucasian and 14 non-Caucasian students; 20 students from out of state, 19 from Indiana and three from other countries.

For further information, the following individuals are available to speak with journalists about the summer experience and the long-term benefits to the state's educational and economic advancement.

Contact: Andrew K. Koch, Purdue's Lilly Endowment Retention Initiatives senior project officer, (765) 496-3618, akkoch@purdue.edu; Alicia N. Deckard, Purdue Summer Start supervisor, (765) 496-3754, adeckard@purdue.edu; Ashley Brawner, Summer Start student, (765) 495-3565;Susan Campbell, Summer Start student, (765) 495-3565; and Jonathan Vernon, Summer Start student, (765) 495-3572.

National Youth Sports Program at Purdue

Approximately 240 children from Greater Lafayette and White County will be on campus each day through Wednesday, July 24, for the National Youth Sports Program. The children will take part in recreational activities such as swimming, tennis and scavenger hunts. They also will participate in health classes, which will cover such topics as self-esteem, friendship and the perils of drugs and alcohol. The program, which is free for the participants, is funded in part by a $55,000 federal grant. Several photo opportunities will be available.

CONTACT: Tom Templin, NYSP program administrator, (765) 494-3178, ttemplin@purdue.edu.

Purdue professor leads efforts to resolve the Yugoslav controversies

In an attempt to dispel the myths that divide the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, an international "Scholars Initiative" will meet July 7-9 at the United Nation headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia, to examine the evidence behind the great controversies of the past decade.

Funded by the United States Institute for Peace, the Soros Foundation and the Citizen's Pact for Southeastern Europe, the project has brought together more than 100 leading authorities from 18 countries. Charles Ingrao, professor of history at Purdue University, has been invited to lead the initiative.

Ingrao can talk to journalists about the issues surrounding the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts. He has authored three books on Central European history and is a regular consultant for national and international media, including the Voice of America and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

CONTACT: Charles Ingrao (765) 463-9658, (765) 494-8383 or (765) 494-4122.

For more information visit the web site.

 

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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