News from
The Adjutant General's Department

CONTACT:
Sharon Watson
Director, Public Affairs Office
Work: (785) 274-1192
Cell: (785) 806-4063
http://www.Kansas.gov/ksadjutantgeneral

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       December 13, 2007

No. 07-193

KANSAS STARBASE RECEIVES GRANT FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Kansas STARBASE has been appropriated an additional $240,000 in funding from the Department of Defense to help promote math and science skills to youth. As a result of the additional funding, the Kansas STARBASE program now has the most academy locations with a total of four: Kansas City (2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry), Salina (235th Regiment), Topeka (190th Air Refueling Wing) and Wichita (184th Air Refueling Wing). This brings the program’s total annual funding to $720,000 for fiscal year 2008.

“We’d like to thank our entire congressional delegation for the work they did to ensure legislation was passed to approve funding for the Kansas program and to ensure the Salina and Kansas City offices were fully funded as two separate additional academies for the state,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas adjutant general.

"The Kansas STARBASE program has been at the forefront in offering this unique youth educational program emphasizing math, science, technology and engineering,” said Brig. Gen. Deborah Rose, director of Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas, Kansas Adjutant General’s Department. “Our primary goal is to provide this great program to as many Kansas children as possible. Kansas STARBASE provides an outstanding opportunity to the most children at the least cost per student. The additional funding from DOD provides the necessary resources needed to enhance our program and provide these great opportunities."

The academies target at-risk students in the 4th through 6th grades by encouraging interest in science and math through demonstrations and a variety of hands-on projects. More than 200 Kansas National Guardsmen volunteer their time and expertise at the academies, which run throughout the school year. Summer academies are also available to the general public at the primary sitesand also in Garden City, Great Bend, Hays, Hutchinson, Liberal, Pittsburg and Pratt. Since 1992, more than 30,500 Kansas children have graduated from one of the five-day academies.

“The children of today are the scientists, mathematicians, engineers and leaders of tomorrow,” Bunting said. “We have a saying in STARBASE: Dreams plus action equals reality. STARBASE sparks the interest of these kids and gives them tools they can use to succeed.”

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