DATE: 10/29/07

CONTACT: Pam Bryant, (803) 553-7705; pbryant@clemson.edu

Denny's partners with Clemson to serve Spartanburg school

PICKENS – Today, the entire fifth grade class of Park Hills Elementary School from Spartanburg arrived at Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI) in Pickens. It’s no mystery what they are up to. The students are attending CSI: Clemson Student Investigators, a hands-on, forensic science field study program that allows them to become detectives, gathering evidence and clues and discovering how science, math and technology help solve mock crimes and mysteries.

Excitement overflowed as students unloaded the bus and headed toward the dorms to unpack. This is the first time many of them have been away from Spartanburg on a field study experience.

“I have been looking forward to this trip all year!” exclaimed Cornelius Freeman, Park Hills fifth-grader.

Park Hills’ participation in CSI is made possible by Spartanburg-based Denny’s, a corporate neighbor that adopted the school at the beginning of the academic year. The company announced a year-long partnership program with the school in August, including incentives for high grades, corporate lunch buddies and mentors and sponsorship of fifth graders to attend the three-day, residential, field study experience at YLI.

April Kelly, senior manager of Diversity Affairs for Denny’s, said, “This is a wonderful and exciting endeavor for Denny’s to show our commitment to education. Our partnerships with Park Hills Elementary and Clemson University demonstrate how much we care about young people succeeding in school and in life.”

CSI is for teachers too. While students are engaged in forensics activities lead by YLI instructors, teachers participate in professional development workshops developed and facilitated by YLI trainers. The workshops offer continuing education credits and provide resources the teachers can take back to the classroom. Courses like The Resilient Educator and Catalytic Learning, help teachers learn how to respond clearly and quickly under pressure, reduce the negative impact of stress, and use techniques that capitalize on students’ individual learning styles.

CSI curriculum aligns with the SC Department of Education’s standards for science, math and technology, using mock crime scenes to encourage young people to develop their skills of observation and creative thinking.

“Analyzing DNA samples, dusting for fingerprints, hair and fiber analysis and use of digital photography are just some of the activities that engage students in fun-filled activities that give them a firsthand experience of how detectives and forensic scientists do their real-life jobs of solving crimes,” said Jen Collier, YLI assistant director who developed CSI.

“Experiential learning is the key that unlocks the academic potential of many students, particularly kinesthetic learners,” added Collier. “CSI gets them actively participating in learning and making it fun makes it work.”

For more information about YLI academic programs, contact Greg Linke, director of program development, at glinke@clemson.edu or visit online at www.clemson.edu/yli.

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