Program reaches milestone

FLORENCE — Thursday will be remembered as a major milestone for ScienceSouth as the organization dedicated to inspiring, educating and entertaining students through science and technology reached its 100,000th participant.

“Since we began offering programs in 2003, ScienceSouth has been focused on improving opportunities for the young people,” Hood Temple, chairman of ScienceSouth, said. “By implementing the mobile laboratories, ScienceSouth has been able to leverage its resources to bring its standards-based science programs to large numbers of students and teachers.”

Andrew Dempewolf, a student at Southside Middle School, was ScienceSouth’s 100,000th participant. Dempewolf was participating in a microbiology lab at the school when the 100,000th participant was announced.

Instead of counting down to the 100,000th participant, ScienceSouth asked students participating in the lab to write a letter explaining how they see themselves as the next generation of scientists, engineers or technicians.

The student with the most exciting essay was selected as the 100,000th participant.

Dempewolf wrote about being an aeronautics engineer and for that he received an Alpha 60 Ready-to-Fly airplane training set.

“Andrew Dempewolf sees science and engineering as a part of his life,” Perry Gauthier, project manager for ScienceSouth, said. “We want to support his vision of becoming an aeronautics engineer.”

While ScienceSouth was celebrating its 100,000th participant, Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, and Pamela Lackey, president of AT&T South Carolina, recognized ScienceSouth’s efforts to improve the educational learning experience for students and teachers in the Pee Dee by presenting the organization with a monetary award.

Leatherman presented ScienceSouth with a $500,00 award to continue inspiring students through its mobile labs.

ScienceSouth is ensuring the future of young people, Leatherman said, through its innovative and educational programs.

“Every time I visit ScienceSouth, I’m truly amazed,” he said. “They’re not just building robots, they’re building the lives of young people.”

Lackey presented an award of $24,850 to ScienceSouth through the AT&T Excelerator technology grant program, which will be used to establish a wireless network in the organization’s new facility on Jeffries Creek in Florence.

“I understand the importance of giving our children a firm foundation in math, science and technology, particularly at an early age,” Lackey said. “In today’s fast-paced world, technology is a vital component to the success of nonprofit organizations such as ScienceSouth, that don’t always have the funds to properly use cost-saving technologies.”

The AT&T Excelerator program provides technology access to organizations working to strengthen underserved communities.

The program helps nonprofit organizations integrate technology into their operations and community outreach.

“With the involvement of AT&T, ScienceSouth will present challenging and entertaining learning opportunities designed to provoke and inspire young people to achieve scientific and technical skills,” Temple said. “ScienceSouth’s new facility will offer highly engaging learning programs in a unique atmosphere.”