September 21, 2007

SCSDB News

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

• A Palmetto Gold School • For Immediate Release

Media contacts:

Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505 sgoolsby@scsdb.org

Katie Rice, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7506 krice@scsdb.org

SCSDB Science Teacher Selected for Galapagos Island Study Tour

Spartanburg, SC – The students in Preston Lewis’s science class at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) won’t have to wait for his return from a study tour of the Galapagos Islands to learn about these unique islands.

Thanks to technology, Lewis will electronically send photos and news to his students back in Spartanburg so they can follow his tour on the school’s web site. Lewis’s students will bid him bon voyage during a special assembly in Robertson Hall at 11:40 a.m. on Thursday, September 27.

Lewis is one of 24 teachers selected nationwide from more than 400 applicants to participate in the two-week (Sept. 30 – Oct. 12) Toyota International Teacher Program study tour of the Galapagos Islands. Applicants were selected by a national screening panel for the quality of their ideas and interest in international study and environmental themes.

“This opportunity to study the remarkable ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands will provide me with great resources to help our students learn about the human impact on the environment and the potential for positive human intervention,” said Lewis. “My goal is for our students to share the importance of the protection of all ecosystems with their families and friends.”

The Galapogas Islands are located off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. While on tour, the study group will learn about environmental projects, speak with environmental experts and community advocates, and participate in group learning activities.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C., administers the Toyota International Teachers Program on behalf of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. IIE is a private, not-for-profit organization.

The SC Department of Education named SCSDB a Palmetto Gold School for its

academic accomplishments and a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer service. SCSDB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the SC Department of Education. SCSDB offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, sensory multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary education students, as well as a variety of outreach services through regional centers located throughout the state. The main campus is located in Spartanburg. The school’s web site address is www.scsdb.org and its toll-free telephone number is 1-888-447-2732.

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