Ensuring the Future Through Innovation, Science and Technology

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RECIPIENTS

• Monongalia County Schools Foundation, Inc.
• Monongalia Technical Education Center (MTEC), Monongalia County Schools
• Morgantown Public Library
• The EDVenture Group
• West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Rights

The CTC Foundation Regional Development Grant is being utilized by the Monongalia County Schools Foundation, Inc., (MCSF) to help fund the development of an educational walking/running trail around the Chaplin Hill Property.  The trail, which will be constructed using coal combustion by-products, will serve as a venue to educate the public about innovative energy technologies and usable energy by-products.

Chaplin Hill provides a wonderful community venue for fairs, festivals and other events.  It is anticipated that the proposed educational trail will attract thousands of citizens to the site.  Currently there is a baseball/softball complex on the Chaplin Hill property.  Future plans call for the development of an additional sports field designed solely for the disabled, a multifield athletic complex, a horse park, an amphitheater, a recreation center/natatorium, a social service complex and more.

MCSF is a private, 501(c)(3), nonprofit public entity dedicated to meeting otherwise unmet area needs in recreation, education, social service and cultural enrichment.  Through donation, outright purchase and lease purchase options, MCSF owns or controls over 300 acres of land available for development.  A five-year master plan calls for MCSF to develop over $25 million of facilities that will not only serve the region directly, but will also have a tremendous indirect economic impact.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Monogalia Technical Education Center (MTEC), Monogalia County Schools

The CTC Foundation Regional Development Grant is being utilized by MTEC, Monongalia County Schools for the Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge, a cutting-edge educational program that involves students in a real-world project converting a full-sized, gasoline-powered vehicle into a fully functioning, energy-efficient, nonpolluting electric vehicle.  Aside from actually converting a vehicle and testing it in range, design and auto-cross competition, students may also take advantage of opportunities to develop Web pages, perform oral presentations, conduct environmental research and write articles.  All students involved in the program will experience the combined application of technology, math, science and communication skills in a hands-on environment.  Monongalia County Technical Education Center students from multiple disciplines will be working together to design and build the vehicle.  The EV Challenge is a program that was jointly developed for West Virginia high school students by The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium and the National Research Center for Coal and Energy.

Monongalia County Schools is a school system that has over 10,000 students in three comprehensive high schools, four middle schools and 18 elementary schools.  The system is rated as one of the best public school districts in the United States by Offspring and Expansion Management Magazines.  Over the years many of the district's schools have been recognized as Schools of Excellence and Exemplary Schools.  For example, in recent years the Mongolia County Technical Education Center, which serves both high school students and adults, has been named a School of Excellence on two different occasions.  The Center's programming serves over 400 Monongalia County students and more than 4000 adults annually, preparing them for employment in a changing economy that is exploring with technology.

Over 20 percent of the school district's students receive support from an exemplary special education program.  In addition, Monongalia County has five federally-funded programs that serve children of all ages and needs, including Title I, Title II, Head Start, Even Start and Early Head Start.  Monongalia County Schools is also proud of the work that it does in the area of "pupil services", providing its children and students with many programs and services that are offered during and after school to enhance their educational experience and enrich their lives.  The school system is also engaged in numerous collaborative programs and services with West Virginia University, private service providers, and community agencies that permit it to offer varied and extensive programs for its children.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Morgantown Public Library

The CTC Foundation Regional Development Grant is being utilized by the Morgantown Public Library to promote public understanding and awareness of energy and environmental issues and for educational materials covering those areas.

Although a library has existed in Morgantown since 1926, it was not until 1962 that major growth began with the reorganization and construction of a new library.  By 1973, the expansion extended into Monongalia County, with 3 new branches being constructed in a span of 7 years, making the Morgantown Public Library System an organization that extends services to all citizens of the County.  A renewal of growth is occurring during this decade, as additional space is added at each site.  The library system is a center of community life, facilitating access to ideas, information and recreational reading, enhancing the quality of life of the County's citizenry.  Libraries within the system are a dependable source of reliable information and of challenging ideas that enlighten and enrich those who take advantage of their resources.  They offer materials in many formats that enhance leisure time and expand knowledge of current events.  The libraries also encourage the love of reading and the joy of learning, and they assist people in finding, evaluating and using the information resources that lead to successful fulfillment of their needs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________The EDVenture Group

The CTC Foundation has awarded two Regional Development Grants to The EDVenture Group, one for the EdVenture Kid Camps program and the other for the organization's Computer Cluster project.

Under the Kid Camps initiative The EdVenture Group will offer summer camps to students entering grades 2 through 10.  The camps will be divided into three categories: a Level 1 camp for students in grades 2 through 4, a Level 2 camp for those in grades 5 through 7 and an Advanced Web Camp for students in grades 8 through 10.  The Level 1 and 2 camps will cover basic computer skills, Internet safety, as well as use of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publishers, and the Internet.  These camps will be held in four-day sessions from 8:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. or from 12:00 noon until 3:00 P.M.  The Advanced Web Camp will include how to create and edit a Web site and how to include pictures, links, counters and guest books on a site.  The class will also teach students how to use Flash programming on a Web site for animation, sounds and links.  The Advanced Web Camp will be held from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. over a four-day period.

Through its Computer Cluster project, The EdVenture Group will work with partners to provide an opportunity for West Virginia students (grades 7 through 12) to begin learning and gaining hands-on experience with Super Computers.  This project will also emphasize the development of parallel programming skills by creating Computer Cluster Startup Kits.  The program will be piloted at a West Virginia high school or middle school.

The EdVenture Group is an organization that manages various education and technology programs, supporting new and growing educational and technology endeavors.  Projects focus on statewide K-12 initiatives and lifelong learning opportunities for individuals of all ages and economic backgrounds.  The mission of The EdVenture Group is to create innovative ideas and partnerships, provide learning opportunities, and strengthen economic development, thus, enriching communities.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The CTC Foundation Regional Development Grant is being utilized to establish the CTC Foundation Scholarship in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.  This scholarship will fund an in-state student who demonstrates financial need and meets academic standards for their Junior and Senior years.

The West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources is a national and worldwide participant in the engineering and computer science education arena with 156 faculty, approximately 120 staff, 2,300 undergraduates, 700 graduate students and $20 million annually in external funding.  The College is well known for its initiatives that are supported by industry and involve all engineering and computer science areas including biometrics, carbon products, automobiles, advanced materials and information technology.  Other areas that have gained national and international recognition include energy, mining, alternative fuels engine emissions, software development, environmental studies and image processing.

The College is comprised of several academic departments, including Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, Mining Engineering, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, and a Department of Extension and Outreach.

Many of the College's graduates have gone on to become the presidents and CEOs of major companies, leading researchers, prominent educators and inventors.  College graduates are working globally as engineers and computer scientists and are heavily recruited by industry.