I am excited to share with readers information from Gov. Gregoire about an exceptional learning experience for high school students in Washington.

The governor has announced a new statewide public-private partnership to support the Washington Aerospace Scholars' Program. Partners include the governor, the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) Foundation, the Museum of Flight, the NASA Johnson Space Center, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Boeing, Avista, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, and other Washington businesses and foundations.

The program provides more than 160 high school students and 26 teachers with a series of challenging exercises they will never forget. Young people who have a demonstrated proficiency in math and science will spend a week at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. They will work alongside teachers, astronauts, scientists, and engineers in hands-on projects related to Mars exploration activities.

The experience rewards students who have completed a math and science emphasis in high school by allowing them to apply their learning, and is an excellent way to encourage Washington students to consider careers in math, science, engineering and technology.

The first Washington Aerospace Scholars class will take place in summer 2007 after completing a NASA developed on-line curricula. The partnership has worked closely with OSPI and others to develop eligibility criteria. I will participate in the final selection of a student from our 33rd Legislative District.

Applications are available for students at my district office or on the Museum of Flight website: http://museumofflight.org.

The application deadline has been extended to January 12. Please do not hesitate to contact my district office at 206-824-5097 for more information about this exciting opportunity for our students.

Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, M.D.

Normandy Park