Provost Academy Launches Georgia's New Virtual High School to Open This Fall

/PRNewswire/ -- Provost Academy, a free public online high school, announced that it is opening its virtual doors to Georgia students, starting this August. Backed by global education service provider, EdisonLearning, Provost Academy's unique individualized learning experience combines a rigorous curriculum with a personal high-touch approach to help students achieve their goals.

Provost Academy Georgia expects to begin enrolling students in grades 9 through 12 for the school year starting this August. Since spaces are expected to fill quickly, interested families are encouraged to learn more by calling the toll free number: 866-517-5582, or by visiting: www.ga.provostacademy.com.

As a new state-authorized public online school, Provost Academy Georgia is free of charge to residents of Georgia. Students work toward their regular public high school diploma - recognized by colleges and employers - as they would in a traditional school, but in the convenient, safe environment of their own home through computer-based educational programs.

Provost Academy Georgia offers more than 100 highly engaging online classes, developed in collaboration with faculty of Stanford University's School of Education; including A.P. and honors courses with a particular emphasis on high demand subjects, such as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

"Georgia high school students deserve an alternative high-quality educational opportunity that matches the way they learn and live, yet also challenges their true skills," said Sherri Brown Breunig, a long-time Georgia public school educator and chairman of the Provost Academy board. "Provost Academy provides students personalized learning plans adapted to meet their schedule and specific academic needs, and inspires them to achieve the highest levels of success."

In contrast to other online learning programs, Provost Academy Georgia uses a proprietary modular curriculum design so courses can be adapted to fit a student's individual needs, and content can be rearranged and customized for individual learning paths. Further, parents and students can easily monitor learning progress, assignments, and grades at a glance on their own personal home page. For those needing additional help, Provost Academy also offers on-demand tutors that keep students on track and on pace for progress.

"Online learning goes beyond the computer and the internet connection to bring students, parents and educators together in a community that is focused to drive academic success," said Jeff Wahl, President & CEO of EdisonLearning. "Our organization has been a leader in new and innovative approaches to learning, and we welcome the opportunity to provide parents a new choice for their children's educational future at Provost Academy Georgia."

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Will changing course on math lower curriculum standards?

Rigor will remain high, more students will have more options.

By John D. Barge

Two years ago, our current 11th graders entered high school taking the Georgia Performance Standards in math. The standards are much more rigorous than the old curriculum, which I applaud. However, at the same time we raised the rigor, we created the perfect storm.

We had a major shift in the way the curriculum was delivered — from a discrete approach to an integrated one. Then, the economy took its sharp decline, providing few resources for teacher professional development. A group of teachers from each school district received a few days of training, and then were expected to go back and train all of the teachers in their own district. That is not the ideal way to roll out a brand new curriculum.

While I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way for the delivery of our math curriculum, I do believe students learn differently and should be given the option of learning through a different teaching method. The integrated approach is not working for all of our students, and we are responsible for preparing all of them!

That’s why I applaud the action our State Board of Education recently took to give local school districts the flexibility to choose what is best for their students. They know their students much better than we do at the state level. With either delivery model, the rigor of the current mathematics standards will not be compromised.

The State Board also allowed students who have struggled under this math delivery to receive core academic credit for the support courses that go along with Math I, Math II and Math III.

Some would say we are retreating from the rigor by allowing credit for these support classes because our graduation rule requires students to complete at least through Math III. I can certainly see why some may think that; however, I would say this is a recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach to mathematics and graduation is counterproductive to the expectation that we prepare students to lead successful lives when they leave us, regardless of their postsecondary paths.

Our current graduation rule requires that all students earn four units of math to graduate, including Math I through Math III, and a fourth math course. On our current integrated delivery model, Math III is the equivalent of trigonometry and statistics. So, even students with learning disabilities in mathematics must complete trigonometry and statistics in order to earn a diploma. Rigorous expectations? Absolutely. Realistic expectations? No.

We currently have thousands of students in 11th grade who have one or no math credits toward the four required to graduate. Without allowing these students to earn credit for their support classes, many of them will ultimately give up on high school, simply because they couldn’t grasp the concepts of math in an integrated fashion.

Our current GPS math curriculum is far more rigorous than our previous curriculum, meaning a student who graduates with Math I and II, as well as Math I and II Support, is far better prepared in mathematics than he or she would have been under our old curriculum.

While this isn’t an ideal situation, I would rather these students have options for careers and/or another form of postsecondary education or training when they leave us.

Let me be clear, I don’t believe in just giving out a high school diploma to students that haven’t earned it. But, many of these students have shown in multiple ways that they deserve it.

The intervention we provided this week for our high school students doesn’t lower the rigorous bar we’ve set; it simply gives them other opportunities to be successful. Without this intervention, the door to the future for thousands of our young people will be closed.


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Emory Named Bicycle Friendly University

Emory is one of 20 universities to be selected as a national Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists.

The Bicycle Friendly University program recognizes colleges and universities that create exceptional environments where bicycling can thrive and provides a roadmap and technical assistance to create great campuses for bicycling. Emory is one of only two universities to be selected in the Southeast.

“This award demonstrates, on a national level, that Emory is committed to supporting cycling as a healthy transportation choice,” says Jamie Smith, director of the Bike Emory program. In 2007 Emory launched the program to encourage students and staff to choose bicycles as their primary form or transportation.

The League noted that the “programs for students and staff to ride at Emory University” among other accomplishments are what made Emory stand out.  


Some incentives noted in Emory’s winning application for the award include:

Students, faculty and staff are eligible to buy new bicycles and accessories at a discount (10-15 percent off).
During orientation students can pre-order new bicycles from Bike Emory at a deeper discount with a free helmet, u-lock, in-room delivery and 90 days of free maintenance.
Bicycle commuters are eligible for a parking pass that allows them to park a car 20 days a year and are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home program: a reliable ride home if an unexpected event occurs during work hours.
A “mobile” repair center to campus twice a week. The repair center is staffed by professional mechanics, provides discounted bicycle repairs and free deliveries of parts and accessories.
Bike Emory was created to create an exceptional environment for cycling at Emory and the surrounding community. Bike Emory is the charter school of the Fuji University program, a partnership between Emory University, national partner Fuji Bikes and local partner Bicycle South. This partnership allows Emory to provide its cyclists with extraordinary incentives and advocacy support. To learn more visit www.bike.emory.edu.

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The league represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.

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UGA's Griffin Campus hosts open house for prospective students on April 12

Prospective students interested in learning more about the University of Georgia’s academic offerings in Griffin are invited to attend the spring open house that will be held on April 12 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Griffin Campus Student Learning Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Academic affairs staff, including advisers and faculty, will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the educational opportunities available at the Griffin Campus. The undergraduate programs, first offered in Griffin in 2005, are degree-completion programs for transfer students or those seeking a second bachelor’s degree. Eight undergraduate majors are now offered, plus graduate programs in agricultural leadership and mathematics education.

The open house also will feature campus tours, information about student affairs, and student club displays. Current UGA students will be in attendance to talk about their campus experiences.

For more information about the open house, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at the Griffin Campus at 770/412-4400 or email griffin@uga.edu.

For more information about the degree programs offered at UGA’s Griffin Campus, see http://www.uga.edu/griffin.

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Deal signs Enduring HOPE

Joined by a bipartisan group of legislators, Gov. Nathan Deal today (March 15) signed the Enduring HOPE legislation.

“With today’s signing, we have closed a $300 million shortfall in the next year, we have pulled HOPE and Georgia Pre-K from the brink of bankruptcy and we have preserved our state’s elite status for having the most generous benefit programs in the nation,” said Deal. “Georgians are blessed to have legislative leaders who put aside politics to craft a new law of generational importance.”



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State Board of Education Approves Math Changes

The State Board of Education today approved the recommendation by State School Superintendent Dr. John D. Barge to allow four discrete math courses to be taught to students who may be struggling with the integrated math curriculum. The four new courses – GPS Algebra, GPS Geometry, GPS Advanced Algebra, and GPS Pre-Calculus – are taught with a more traditional delivery. The board’s actions also allowed Math I-III Support classes to count as core credit rather than just elective credit.

"We have many students who are currently struggling with the integrated approach to the math curriculum,” said Superintendent Barge. “I applaud the State Board’s action to approve my recommendation to give students more options to master our rigorous math standards. We are seeing that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t in the best interest of all of our students. Our systems need the flexibility to teach in the manner that best meets the needs of their students and local system leaders are best positioned to make those decisions. However, I want to be clear that this is not a retreat from the rigor of our Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). This is simply a restructuring of the GPS in a discrete fashion.”

Under the new rule, students struggling with the integrated curriculum will now earn core credit for support classes. Students must receive four units of math in order to graduate. Many struggling students are taking multiple math courses and, thus, not able to take other elective courses. Mathematics Support I, Mathematics Support II, and Mathematics Support III will now be counted as a core credit, giving students the opportunity to get the necessary credits needed to earn their high school diploma.

“We have approximately 17% of our current juniors that have one or no math credits, putting them at risk of not graduating,” said Superintendent Barge. “I see no harm in giving these students the opportunity to learn the math curriculum in a more traditional delivery, without compromising the rigor of the standards.”

Georgia, along with 43 other states, has adopted the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts. This transition will allow the education community and the public to evaluate the delivery method of our math curriculum for the long-term.

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Emory University's School of Nursing Surpasses $20 Million Fundraising Goal - Campaign Continues

Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has exceeded its $20 million fundraising goal nearly two years ahead of schedule. To date, the School of Nursing has raised more than $20.4 million to support student scholarships, faculty research, service learning projects, and academic programming.

Emory trustee Dr. J. David Allen and his wife Beverly Dew Allen (Class of ‘68C), both Emory alumni, are proud to be leading the fundraising efforts as chairs of the School of Nursing’s campaign. “To have early success is thrilling, but more than anything it is a call to continue our work. Nearly 80 percent of our students need financial aid to pursue an Emory nursing degree. As long as there are initiatives in the School of Nursing that need additional resources — and there are — we have a job to do,” says Dr. Allen.

“This fundraising milestone is a reflection of the School of Nursing’s upward trajectory as an internationally recognized nursing program,” said Linda McCauley, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. “We are immensely grateful to our extraordinary donors whose gifts are having a meaningful impact on the School of Nursing. Because of generous support from these donors, the school is able to invest in key strategic priorities that advance our mission to educate nurse leaders and scholars, generate new knowledge, and improve health and health care—all in service to the global community.”

The School of Nursing’s fundraising success is tied to broad-based support from more than 3,000 individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Since the launch of the campaign in 2005, the School of Nursing has attained a number of notable accomplishments:

Increased the Fuld Segue Program, which provides critical financial aid to Emory nursing students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than nursing who want to become nursing leaders. This program was created with generous support from the Helene Fuld Health Trust;
Received an $8.1 million grant—the largest donation in the nursing school’s 106-year history—from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a 2 ½ year project designed to improve maternal and newborn survival rates in rural Ethiopia. This historic donation has enabled Associate Professor Lynn Sibley and a team of Emory investigators to create a community-oriented strategy to improve maternal and newborn health care services in rural Ethiopia and position the approach to be expanded throughout the country; and
Raised $100,000 from 265 alumni and friends to create the Elizabeth Mabry Scholarship in honor of longtime faculty member, Elizabeth Mabry. This scholarship provides aid to deserving undergraduate students each year.

“We deeply appreciate the overwhelming support of our alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends,” says Amy Dorrill, associate dean of development and alumni relations for the nursing school. “We also continue to count on their generosity, because although we have reached our overall fundraising goal in terms of numbers, some of our most important priorities—including student scholarships, faculty support, and service learning programs—still are not fully funded. As the School of Nursing continues to seek support for these initiatives, we look to private philanthropy to fuel our work and advance Emory’s legacy of excellence in nursing education and research.”

The School of Nursing’s fundraising campaign is part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fundraising endeavor that combines private support and Emory’s people, places, and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world. Campaign Emory is the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in Georgia.


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UGA graduate programs continue to rank among the best in the nation

University of Georgia graduate programs remained among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. The School of Law tied for 35th and the College of Education tied for 46th.

“Rankings such as these are satisfying because they are a reflection of the quality of the programs at the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As we begin to implement a new strategic plan with a focus on graduate and professional education, we do so knowing that the foundation on which we will expand is strong and the state of Georgia is well-served by these programs.”

Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School said, “UGA’s graduate programs do an outstanding job of preparing our students for success in the 21st century. The excellent teaching and research conducted by our faculty provide our graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to make an impact in our local and global communities as they drive the economic competitiveness of Georgia.”

While coming in at 35th overall on the list, the School of Law is ranked among the top 14 public law schools in the nation and among the top four public schools in the Southeast.

“Rankings continue to provide a snapshot look of an institution and only some of its programming,” School of Law Dean Rebecca Hanner White said. “At Georgia Law, we offer the whole experience—dedicated teachers who are productive scholars, a challenging and varied curriculum, numerous co-curricular opportunities via 12 clinics and four study/work abroad programs, a talented student body and a collegial atmosphere. Our goal, year in and year out, is to provide one of the finest legal educations in the country at an attractive cost.

“Additionally, we are pleased our graduates continue to be prepared for the practice of law as evidenced by the fact that five of our graduates have been selected over the past seven years to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court judicial clerk, the most prestigious appointment a new lawyer can obtain.”

The College of Education ranked 46th overall in a tie with Temple University, but was ranked 32nd among public universities in the nation. The college was ranked 3rd among public universities in the Southeast.

“These graduate program rankings confirm the college’s excellence across a broad range of academic endeavors, from K-12 teacher education to curriculum/instruction to counseling,” said Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, dean and Distinguished Research Professor of the College of Education. “Equally important, however, is what numerical rankings cannot measure: the University of Georgia’s profound commitment to expanding educational opportunities for every student and improving our communities in Georgia and across the nation.”

Among the 10 specialty rankings, five of the College of Education’s programs ranked in the top 10 in the nation: Vocational/technical education ranked second, counseling/personnel services tied for second, secondary education ranked fifth, higher education administration ranked fifth, and elementary education ranked sixth.

The doctor of veterinary medicine program tied for ninth. “We are pleased that the U.S. News and World Report ranking recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in recent years, reflecting the achievements of our great faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Sheila W. Allen, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The biological and agricultural engineering program, within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, ranked 12th.

The biological sciences program, within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, tied for 46th.

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program continues to be ranked 4th in the nation, and the 2nd best among public universities. SPIA also has four highly ranked specialty programs. Both the specialization in public finance and budgeting as well as the specialization in public management and administration continue to be ranked 2nd in the nation. The nonprofit management specialization is ranked 11th and the public policy analysis specialization is ranked 16th.

Other programs with current rankings include: clinical psychology tied for 33rd, master of fine arts tied for 37th, and psychology tied for 50th.

The rankings, with the methodology, are available online at
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools. Highlights of the graduate school rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, available April 5.

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Georgia State a go-to law school for nation’s largest law firms

 In its annual list of the top 50 “Go-To” law schools, the National Law Journal ranks Georgia State University College of Law No. 32 for its percentage of graduates who were hired as first-year associates at the nation’s top firms.

The National Law Journal’s survey shows that 22 of 162 Georgia State Law graduates who earned Juris Doctor degrees in 2010 – 13.58 percent – are working as first-year associates at NLJ 250 firms, the nation’s largest law firms identified in its survey.

The Go-To Law School special report ranks the law schools that the nation's 250 largest firms recruited from most heavily to fill their first-year associate classes. Tuition amounts were based on data for full-time, non-resident students obtained from the 2010 ABA/LSAC guide.

The average annual tuition at the 50 Go-To Law Schools was $40,167. The most expensive law school was University of Cornell Law School, which charged $49,020 and was ranked No. 2 on the Go-To list. Annual tuition at Georgia State Law is currently $11,568 for Georgia residents and $32,592 for non-residents (fall and spring semesters). Georgia State Law also recently was named the No. 1 Best Value Law School by The National Jurist.

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Deal to keep full-day Pre-K

Following bipartisan negotiations, Gov. Nathan Deal today announced his updated plan to preserve Georgia’s full-day prekindergarten program while still implementing the reforms necessary to prevent insolvency.

“From day one we have worked tirelessly to make sure Georgia’s youngest scholars continue to benefit from the Pre-K program,” said Deal. “It is so important that we keep Georgia Pre-K a priority in order to ensure that students are school ready and on pace to read on grade level by third grade. I appreciate the cooperative, can-do spirit of the Georgia Pre-K community. They have provided invaluable feedback over the last few weeks to help us improve our original proposal.

“Teachers, providers and parents understand the importance of reforms to maintain our excellent prekindergarten program for the next generation, but they emphasized a desire to keep the program full day. These discussions have yielded an improved product. Most important, this plan will serve our 4-year-olds well.”

The following programmatic adjustments will be made:

• The school year will be shortened from 180 to 160 days.
• Class size will be increased to 22 students from 20. Since all Georgia Pre-K classes have a paraprofessional in the room, the student to teacher ratio will max out at 11 to 1.
• An additional 2,000 Pre-K slots will be added, bringing Georgia Pre-K enrollment to 86,000.
• Providers will receive 94 percent of the operating funds they currently receive.
• Pre-K teachers will receive 90 percent of their current salaries. (The original half-day proposal included a 30 percent reduction.)

Georgia remains a leader in early childhood education and is one of only four states in the nation to provide a high-quality, universal Pre-K program. The governor’s new proposal saves the necessary $54 million and was developed after listening to the concerns of the Pre-K providers, Pre-K teachers, parents, early childhood advocacy organizations and local school systems across the state.

ChildCare Education Institute Offers Online Music in Early Childhood Course at No Cost in Recognition of 'Music in Our Schools Month'

/PRNewswire/ -- ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), a nationally accredited, IACET CEU granting, distance training institution dedicated exclusively to the child care industry, offers the online course CHD100: Music in Early Childhood at no cost for the month of March, in honor of Music in Our Schools Month.

CHD100 was written by well-known author and national trainer, Rae Pica. This online course examines the role of music in a child's development. It addresses how quality and variety influence selection, music's impact on moods and behaviors, and the musical elements young children can and should experience. It also provides developmentally appropriate musical selections and activities. Go to www.cceionline.edu, select Click Here for Current Promotions, and follow instructions to take advantage of this promotion. There is no cost to set up an account and instructions are provided. This course is worth 0.1 IACET CEU and allows students to print a certificate of completion immediately.

"Music in the early childhood curriculum can have a tremendous impact on children's creativity and cultural awareness, as well as physical and social development. CCEI continues to work with experts in the field to bring educators high-quality, relevant continuing education options that they can use to improve their skills," said Maria Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI.

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2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge announced March 1 the finalists for 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The 10 finalists were chosen from a pool of 154 applicants who were selected as the Teacher of the Year in their school districts. The applications were read by a panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners and finalists, administrators, community leaders and others. The finalists were chosen based on the strength of their essay responses.

"This is a strong group of outstanding educators who would each make a terrific 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year," said Superintendent Barge. "Congratulations to the finalists and to all those who applied for consideration. I know the judges had a very difficult job choosing just 10 finalists from this group of applicants."

Over the next several weeks, a panel of judges will observe and interview each of the finalists. The finalists will also give a speech at a luncheon sponsored by Georgia Power on April 1. The winner will be announced at the Georgia Teacher of the Year banquet on May 6, 2011, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The banquet, paid for through donations from sponsors, will honor each local district Teacher of the Year. A reception hosted by United Healthcare will be held prior to the banquet.

The 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year will travel around the state and the nation, serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession. The winner will also be entered in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The 2011 Georgia Teacher of the Year is Ms. Pam Williams, a teacher at Appling County High School. To learn more about Ms. Williams and the Teacher of the Year program, click on the following link: http://www.gadoe.org/ci.aspx?PageReq=TOTY 

2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists (in alphabetical order by district)
Teacher, Subject, System, School

Jadun O. McCarthy, English Language Arts
Bibb County, Northeast Health Science Magnet High School

Ashlee J. Mitchell, Speech-Language Pathology
Bulloch County, Stilson Elementary School

Vicki Tarleton, Mathematics
Columbia County, Grovetown High School

Nancy Williams, Social Skills
Coweta County, Madras Middle School

Beth Sciarro, Reading
Houston County, Northside Elementary

Ivy K. Smith, Mathematics
Lowndes County, Pine Grove Middle

Christine W. Powell, Journalism, Art History and Literature
Muscogee County, Northside High School

Lisa Boyd, English Language Arts
Rockdale County, Salem High School

Melissa Webb, Second Grade
Savannah-Chatham, West Chatham Elementary School

Nancy C. Rogers, Literature
Thomas County, Thomas County Central High School

The Georgia Teacher of the Year Program is sponsored by United Healthcare.

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Gordon Adds English, History Degrees

Gordon College received approval Wednesday from the Board of Regents to offer two additional baccalaureate degrees.

Beginning with the fall 2011 semester, Gordon will offer a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Gordon currently offers baccalaureate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Mathematics, Biology and a RN to BSN completion degree as well as associate degrees in 40 programs of study.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer students two additional degree opportunities,” said Gordon College President Shelley Nickel. “Our excellent baccalaureate degrees in the core areas of biology, English, history, and mathematics will provide the regional workforce with employees with good critical thinking and communication skills and will provide opportunities for our students to move on to graduate and professional studies in a variety of areas including health services, medicine, and law. Further, since each of these majors includes a track that permits students to complete teaching certification, these majors will help address the growing statewide need of highly qualified teachers of biology, mathematics, history, social studies, and English.”

UGA College of Veterinary Medicine to host first VetCAMP in summer 2011

Twelve 11th and 12th grade students will be selected from a national applicant pool to participate in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine’s first VetCAMP, a nine-day program aimed at helping students experience veterinary medicine as a potential career path.

VetCAMP, or Veterinary Career Aptitude and Mentoring Program, will offer participants opportunities for observation and participation in the various services in the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, and the college’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories.Camp attendees also will go on field trips to the Atlanta Zoo and Georgia Aquarium for behind-the-scenes tours of each facility.

“We started VetCAMP as a way to expose young people to all of the opportunities available to them in a career in Veterinary Medicine,” said Dr. K. Paige Carmichael, the college’s associate dean for academic affairs. “Through VetCAMP, we hope to broaden the students’ perception of veterinary medicine while increasing their interest in the sciences.”

The students will learn about requirements for admission to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, research opportunities, study abroad opportunities, the college’s veterinary curriculum and underserved specialties in the field of veterinary medicine.

VetCAMP will be held Saturday, July 9 through Sunday, July 17.The students will be housed on the UGA campus.The $500 fee includes lodging, meals, instruction and social activities.Scholarships or financial assistance are available to students with demonstrated need.

Students who wish to be considered for the program must complete a registration packet that includes a registration form, a teacher/counselor recommendation form and an essay.The packet may be downloaded from the VetCAMP website at www.vet.uga.edu/GO/camp.

For more information about the program, contact Lakecia Pettway at lpettway@uga.edu or 706/542-8411, or visit the program’s website.

The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, to conducting research related to animal and human diseases, and to providing veterinary services for animals and their owners.Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock, and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share.The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 560 who apply.For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.

The current UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, serves more than 18,000 patients per year in one of the smallest teaching hospitals in the United States.The college is currently working to raise $15 million toward building a new Veterinary Medical Learning Center, which will include a new teaching hospital as well as classrooms and laboratories that will allow for the education of more veterinarians.The goal is to increase enrollment to 150 when the Veterinary Medical Learning Center is built.For more information, see http://www.vet.uga.edu/giving/campaign.php.

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Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare Announces Sweepstakes Winners

Kudos to Georgia teachers Susan Hogan and Lexie Phillips for caring about our students!

Two teachers in each state have been chosen to receive a prize of two hundred books each from the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. These winners will then donate one hundred of the books to a local charity and keep one hundred for their own school. Winners were picked from more than 35,000 entrants in the 2010 "Care Where You Are Sweepstakes," an annual highlight of the Scholastic ClassroomsCare program, which donates more than a million books to children in need each year.

The Care Where You Are winning teachers, whose names are posted at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/contests_home.htm#tcool will receive books and then can donate them to their local charity. In the past, Care Where You Are Sweepstakes winners have donated to children's hospitals, libraries, literacy centers and many other places that work with children in need. This year, Scholastic received more than double the number of entries from previous years.

According to Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, "We're so pleased that teachers are making time to help their students participate in the ClassroomsCare program. By entering the Care Where You Are Sweepstakes, teachers and their classes are showing their desire to help make a difference in their own community by reaching people most in need of quality books."

ClassroomsCare is an annual challenge to the one million classrooms that use Scholastic Book Clubs. Participating classes read for the cause, triggering a donation of a million books from Scholastic Book Clubs to ClassroomsCare's charity partners, such as Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and The Pajama Program. Books are then donated throughout the year to kids in preschool to middle school who in many cases wouldn't otherwise have books of their own. Since August 2010, more than 8,592,613 books were read as a result of the program in 100,000 classrooms.

By the numbers:

* 30,127,000* - kids have read for ClassroomsCare since 2001
* 10,000,000 - books donated to charities through ClassroomsCare
* 1,234,580 - classrooms have participated in ClassroomsCare
* 126,050,613 – Total Books Read because of ClassroomsCare


*The number of kids who have read for ClassroomsCare was calculated by multiplying the number of participating classrooms by 25.

Scholastic Book Clubs is a division of Scholastic (Nasdaq: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company.

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