Contact: NHS Facilitator,
Telephone 501-682-5305 / Fax 501.682.4310
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2005
New Horizons Scholarship Winner Announced
Little Rock - The New Horizons Scholarship Council, a public-private partnership, today awarded a $40,000 scholarship to an Arkansas EAST Lab senior. The scholarship, up to $10,000 per year for four years, will help the student obtain an information technology bachelor's degree at a public Arkansas college or university. The scholarship winner is Joshua Dunn of Fayetteville High School. Dunn plans to attend the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and major in computer science.
"This scholarship program is designed to help bridge the gap for EAST Lab students who want to pursue their higher education in Arkansas," said Claire Bailey, New Horizons Scholarship Chairman and Agency Director for the Department of Information Systems. "'Brain drain' is a real problem for highly recruited IT positions, so corporate interest in retaining Arkansas' Arkansas talent is strong and our communities benefit from their skills."
Governor Mike Huckabee was instrumental in creating the New Horizons Scholarship Program. "It is gratifying to see that we are graduating students of this caliber who will make major contributions to our state," Governor Huckabee said. New Horizons, a public-private initiative, provides EAST students the opportunity to further their education and training to better equip them to gain employment in the IT sector. Their four-year IT scholarship to an Arkansas state institution includes an internship with a public or not-for-profit entity where the recipient will be serving as he learns.
The scholarship program is managed by the Arkansas Community Foundation. Sponsors include SBC, ALLTEL, and Information Network of Arkansas. Other organizations involved in the council represent Arkansas Department of Information Systems, Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Arkansas Department of Economic Development, the EAST Initiative and Sells/Clark Advertising Agency.
Ed Drilling, president - SBC Arkansas, "We've served the state for more than 125 years and have 1,600 Arkansas employees. We use various information technologies everyday. So, we're very pleased to help support IT education through this scholarship."
"The EAST program is an excellent tool to provide Arkansas students with hands-on experience in using technology to improve their communities," said Natalie Gentry, vice president of retail services. "Alltel is proud to support the New Horizons Scholarship and a deserving EAST lab graduate."
Over 10,000 Arkansas students are participating in some of the most innovative and relevant educational experiences offered in schools today through the Environmental Spatial Technology Labs (EAST, see www.eastproject.org). EAST connects kids to the most advanced applications offered in school and provides opportunities to research and solve community problems in diverse teams. Students become active participants in their local communities and develop knowledge and skills that make them competitive and sought after in the work place. For more information, visit. www.newhorizonscholarship.org
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