First Denison Learners to Leaders® Class to Graduate
In spring 2012, the first high school seniors to complete the Learners to Leaders program in Denison, Iowa, will graduate. A partnership between Smithfield Foods’ subsidiary Farmland Foods, the Denison Community School District, and Iowa State University’s Science Bound program, Learners to Leaders grooms students for success in college beginning in 8th grade and continuing through high school.
As part of its mission of “inspiring minds to strengthen communities,” Learners to Leaders challenges participants to achieve excellence in science-related courses that go beyond their school’s curriculum. And students are rising to the occasion. For example, the program stages an annual science fair that has produced projects as advanced as solar cars and wind turbines.
Now in its sixth year, the program receives more applicants at the 8th grade entry level than it can accommodate. Of the over 60 current participants, many students are the first members of their families planning to attend college. Upon graduation, successful students receive scholarships to pursue a science-related degree at Iowa State University.
Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield, believes sound education is the bedrock for building strong communities. “Everyone deserves a fair shot to pursue excellence, but some students face extraordinary challenges that interfere with their dreams,” he says. “That’s why Smithfield will keep investing in quality education for the deserving youth of Denison and other communities.”
To learn more about the students in Denison, Iowa, visit http://www.sciencebound.iastate.edu/denison/index.html.
