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Students Participate In Presidential Classroom Held At The Pentagon WASHINGTON, July 21, 2004 (DeploymentLINK) - Students from as far away as Chile and across the United States traveled to Washington D.C., in June to take part in the Science, Technology and Public Policy Program of Presidential Classroom. Presidential Classroom takes high school junior and seniors behind the scenes of the nation's capital to observe the federal government and see the development of public policy. "The Science, Technology and Public Policy Program gives students a look at the political responses to scientific advances, environmental quality, space exploration, disease control and changing technology," said Honorable Jack Buechner, president and CEO of Presidential Classroom. "Students who are part of Presidential Classroom are exposed to stimulants that make them believe that they can change the world. After leaving Presidential Classroom students have a better understanding and appreciation of the skills that it takes to work for the federal government," said Buechner. "The Deployment Health Support Directorate provided the students with a replica of the medical threat briefing and operational briefing service members would receive prior to deployment," said Barbara Goodno, the director for deployment health outreach for the Deployment Health Support Directorate. Prior to arriving at the Pentagon, students were given a scenario and then asked to complete the pre- or post-deployment health assessment based on their deployment. Following a tour of the Pentagon, the students listened to the medical threat and operational briefings and met one-on-one with a doctor to evaluate their completed health assessment. Students learned if they were deployable and if any follow up care was necessary following their deployment. "We provide students with a first hand look of the medical and technological expertise that is being applied to protect the men and women in the service who go to war, and the concern we demonstrate when they come home," said Michael E. Kilpatrick, M.D., the deputy director of the Deployment Health Support Directorate. "The students take the information they learn from our briefing back to their homes and can tell people who have no contact with the military or the Department of Defense what is being done to protect the health and safety of our troops," said Kilpatrick. "Presidential Classroom gives students the opportunity to look into the Department of Defense for possible future involvement," said Goodno. Presidential Classroom, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization was founded in 1968 for President John F. Kennedy who challenged young Americans to be committed to public service. "The mission of Presidential Classroom is to prepare America's -
and the world's - best and brightest high school students for responsible
citizenship," said Buechner. |
