For release:            Immediately

 

Contact:            Carrie Tatman Schwartz (414) 778-3364

 

Date:               28 December 2000 

 

 

FPEF establishes Key High School designation—
Names two schools

 

Milwaukee, WI—The Fluid Power Educational Foundation (FPEF) has announced that it has established a new Key School designation for high schools. On 8 December 2000 in separate ceremonies, both Toledo Technology Academy (TTA) in Toledo, Ohio and Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan were named Key High Schools and presented recognition plaques by several members of FPEF’s Board of Trustees.

 

“We believe that these awards acknowledge the need for going beyond our traditional college involvement in supporting the introduction of advanced technology into our middle and high schools,” said John Groot, FPEF President.

 

The Foundation currently has 18 other Key Schools across the country. These technical schools and universities have recognized fluid power programs that offer two- and four-year engineering degrees. After 40 years of supporting Key Schools, FPEF turned its attention to high schools in an effort to influence students to consider careers in engineering, particularly fluid power, at an even earlier age.

 

As Key High Schools, TTA and Seaholm will receive the same benefits as other Key Schools—scholarships for students enrolled in fluid power courses; complimentary certification testing through the Fluid Power Society; free resume posting at the FPEF web site—www.fpef.org; access to hardware and software specific to the fluid power industry; and the sharing of information through the Key School network.

 

“The number of people enrolling in fluid power engineering programs is very low because kids in high school have never heard of fluid power,” said Groot. “We hope that by using TTA and Seaholm as models, we can influence other schools to encourage their students to go into technology.”

 

 

The Fluid Power Educational Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation that, with the support of the fluid power industry, coordinates, supports and promotes education in fluid power. The foundation strives to raise the level of competence of young people entering the industry and improve visibility for fluid power technology.

 

 

* * *