July 10, 2008

Hilton Students named Excelsior Scholars to attend math and science summer programs

Hilton students, Jeffrey Beauvais, Joshua Kinde, Elena Quigley, Alison Cerone and Taylor McHenry, soon-to-be eighth graders at Hilton's Merton Williams Middle School, have been named Excelsior Scholars by NY State Department of Education and participated in mathematics and science summer camp programs funded by a grant from the NYS Education Dept.  Jeffrey, Joshua and Elena will attend the Fredonia Introduction to Engineering via Science, Math, and Related Technology week-long summer program at the State University of New York at Fredonia which emphasizes student problem-solving, critical examination of content-rich fields and hands-on study. Alison and Taylor will attend a summer camp at Rochester Institute of Technology to study Biotechnology Microelectronics Engineering.   

New York State Excelsior Scholars are students who have completed seventh grade and who maintained a grade point average of 90 or above in mathematics and science in grades 5-7, and scored at level 4 in state assessments in mathematics in grades five and six. The students were nominated by their school superintendents and join 45 nominees from the Rochester area who were selected for participation. Students who complete the summer program were named as New York State Excelsior Scholars by Governor David Paterson.

The Rochester Area Colleges Center for Excellence in Math and Science assisted in coordinating the grant proposal with RIT.