Chadron State to be honored at national convention

On Wednesday, Chadron State will be presented the Exemplary Practices/Programs Award given by the association. CSC will be recognized for collaborating with Mid-Plains Community College in starting a program at North Platte that allows students who have earned an associate degree to receive a bachelor of science education degree that allows them to become teachers. Most of the students can complete the program in 2 1/2 years. Ten students in the program graduated in 2003, 12 more are student teaching this semester and will graduate in December and approximately 20 more are taking courses in the program.

Dr. Joyce Hardy, CSC senior vice president for academic and student affairs, will accept the award on behalf of the college. She said Linda Heath, administrative assistant for the School of Professional and Graduate Studies at CSC, prepared the application for the award.

Also on Wednesday, Chadron State professor of education Dr. Clark Gardener will receive the NREA's Service Award for 2004. He has been a member of the association for at least 20 years and serves on the Executive Committee.

Gardener has many years of experience in rural and small school education. He worked at the Educational Resource Information Center's Clearinghouse for Rural and Small School Education while earning his doctorate at New Mexico State University and wrote his dissertation was on rural school issues.

In addition, he established the Panhandle Center for Rural and Small Schools Education at CSC in 1990. The center produces an annual newsletter and contains books, articles and video tapes on rural education.

He teaches a course called "Rural School Education" that addresses leadership in rural schools. It is believed to be the only course of its kind in the nation.

The following day, a Chadron State graduate, Moni Hourt of Crawford, will be recognized as the NREA's Teacher of the Year. She teaches at Sioux County District 2, the Glen School, west of Crawford. Numerous projects that her students developed have won state and national awards.

One such project was renovation of the Danish Lutheran Cemetery near the ghost town of Glen. Most people in the community didn't even know the cemetery existed. The National Historical Society placed the video that was developed on the renovation work in its Unknown History section. Hourt and her students also renovated another cemetery that is located three miles from the school and is accessible only by foot.

Two of Hourt's former students developed projects that placed second at the National History Contest. One was by Quinn Johnson on pioneer photographer Solomon Butcher and the other was developed by Tabitha Lux on the impact that the Rural Electrification Administration had on America. Lux's research showed that the life span of rural Americans increased 10 years after REA reached their homes.

Hourt's travel costs to Indianapolis were covered by the John Deere Co., which is also presenting her with a $2,000 award and is contributing $1,000 to the Glen School.

This Saturday during Homecoming at Chadron State, Hourt is one of six CSC graduates who will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards.