Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. and others letter to Ralph Regula and David Obey, May 3, 2002

с Congress nf ibe lliiiti'ii States Haalfington, HC 20515 May 3, 2002 The Honorable Ralph Regula Chairman Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee House Appropriations Committee 2358 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable David Obey Ranking Member Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee House Appropriations Committee 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Regula / Ranking Member Obey: We are writing to you today to request your support for a science enrichment program for children which operates in the context of an after-school program: the Hands On Science Outreach (HOSO) program. Although the program is only 22 years old, it annually registers over 30,000 students in 33 states across the nation. The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21s' Century noted in its report “Before It’s Too Late, ” (September, 2000), that America’s future standard of living and economic and military security will depend upon the ability of U.S. companies to participate in the global marketplace. Further, the report notes that an estimated 85% of all jobs are now classified as “skilled,” whereas 80% of jobs in 1950 were “unskilled.” It becomes clear that the future workforce needs a large number of employees who have a background in science. To achieve this goal, children must be inspired to pursue science courses at a young age. HOSO uses research-based best practices to stimulate an interest and awareness in science using experiments and projects, while also providing children with take-home materials that they can share with their parents. The HOSO program is for children from pre-K through sixth grade. Each program session lasts eight weeks and has its own sub-theme, such as anatomy, chemistry, earth science, physics of sound and flight, architecture and engineering or solar energy. Classes are taught by Adult Leaders who may be parents, teachers, researchers, business professionals, graduate students or retirees. While there is an increasing demand for HOSO programs across the nation, the current HOSO operation has limited resources to support these requests. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER