Students project highlights disabled veterans.

Students at Tyner Elementary School in Tyner, Ky., competing in a regional Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) in November, are on their way to Lexington, Ky., to compete for a shot at the national competition in San Diego as a result of their excellent work on a project about disabled veterans.

A score of 91 or higher at the regional competition is required to be invited to the state level competition. This is the first year for Tyner Elementary to compete and they are taking three showcases (projects), including "A Year to Remember," about disabled veterans, to the state competition where they will vie for top honors among 240 showcases. The best three in the state go on to San Diego in July.

An after school program, STLP provides fourth and fifth graders an opportunity to learn and share computer application skills. In "A Year to Remember," students apply their technology skills to learning more about the history of local citizens who are disabled veterans. The program includes a variety of computer skills, digital photography, video recording and interviewing at the school and veterans' functions. The students plan to complete a video as part of the project.

According to Lisa Brewer-Mills, STLP School Coordinator at Tyner and Technology Resource Teacher with the Jackson County Kentucky Public Schools, the program is highly successful at motivating the interest of fourth and fifth graders to develop technical and communication skills.

"It's like a computer club," she said. STLP is a project-based learning program that empowers students in all grade levels to use technology. It gets students involved in learning."

One of the DAV members interviewed by the students is Kernel L. Banks, Senior Vice Commander and Assistant Chaplain of DAV Chapter 165, McKee, Ky., who sees the program as a winner for all involved.

"The program is certainly good exposure for the DAV," Banks said. "It lets others know who we are and what we do and how we interact within our community. It also benefits the students technically and gives them a much better understanding of veterans."

Students participating in the program couldn't agree more, even though a couple of students had been a bit uneasy at first. But, like Rachel Hayes, they quickly warmed to the disabled veterans. "I just loved this project," Rachel said. "I learned a lot about veterans and what they went through and how hard it was. I understand the veterans better now and realize they deserve a lot more respect than they get. They're feisty men and very, very sweet."