"This school, as envisioned, would be the first like it in the nation and would serve as a model throughout the country for preparing young people to embrace emerging technologies and fill the work-force needs these technologies create." stated John Wilson, NASA education program coordinator.

The Southwest Georgia Chamber of Commerce has been selected as the lead agency in the development of the NASA Project and is responsible for raising the almost $4 million dollars needed for the brick & mortar.

The Chamber covers a four county area that includes Clay, Quitman, Stewart and Randolph counties. "Our area is listed as the ninth most destitute district in the nation. NASA states that 20 years from now a person will be walking on Mars. They indicated that person is probably sitting in a first grade classroom somewhere in the United States today. Why can't that person be from Clay, Quitman, Stewart or Randolph counties. With the NASA program in our backyard, we could make it happen." stated Dave Eversman, executive director of the Southwest Georgia Chamber of Commerce located in Cuthbert, Georgia.

With employment opportunities scarce in the four county area, its young people have few options but to leave to find opportunities to better themselves. The NASA Project could change that pattern. They would bring not only encouragement but provide planning resource and partnership assistance as well. "Part of the goal is to improve the education infrastructure of the region as well as give our children an opportunity to stay at home and be able to work at home." said C. P. Redding, chairman of the Quitman County Commission.

Two years ago, Wilson was invited by Georgia Tech's, Paul Ohme to see how NASA's education program could help the poverty stricken region. Ohme is director for the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing. (CEISMC)

Eversman went on to explain, "The initial mission was to began to talk about ideas to increase the focus of the school so it is built around something beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead we see it as more focused on giving the children a sense of application."

The concept for the school was part of a federal Empowerment Zone application. Although the region did not get the multi-million dollar Empowerment Zone grant, the idea for the NASA Project still lived on. It was prepared through the help of the Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center in Columbus, Georgia. The RDC worked with local governments, agencies and organizations. Chamber directors Earl Thompson and Beryl Rigsby originally headed up the project team.

According to NASA's Deborah Jackson, education services manager, NASA can also steer Eversman and the Southwest Georgia Chamber to foundations, corporations and government agencies that could help provide funds to build and equip such a school. The NASA Project has national importance and interest. Recently, PARADE Magazine contacted Eversman at his Cuthbert, Georgia office to request more information for a possible story.

The second meeting with NASA was held at Andrew College in Cuthbert. Andrew College President Kirk Treible was one on many educators in attendance. "Economic development can occur in this region if we can strengthen the education system available to our young people. Making available these education resources is an opportunity for children to dream bigger dreams and see bigger possibilities."

Treible went on to say that not only must education improve, but graduates must be encouraged to invest their lives in the people of southwest Georgia by remaining in the area and using opportunities in local communities. "We must keep these students here. With the HOPE Scholarship and education resources, we will have the best education system in the United States in 20 years if we stick with it." said Treible.

Attracting and growing a qualified work force is a large challenge for the state, according to Carlotta Franklin, planning and workforce development representative with the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism. This type of school, Franklin said, could help attract high-tech industry to the region, providing jobs that would enable young people to live in the area Following graduation.

The NASA School would concentrate on geospatial technology industries in three major areas. Global Positioning Systems, Geographic Information Systems, and Remote Sensing.

Contact:
201 North Lumpkin Street - P.O. Box 31 - Cuthbert, Georgia 31740
Phone (912) 732-2683 / 732-2785 - Fax (912) 732-6590
Executive Director, Dave Eversman - E-mail deversman@alltel.net