NEWS RELEASE

4/14/05

Contacts:

Tim Graham, Heartland AEA, (515) 270-9030 ext. 4326, tgraham@aea11.k12.ia.us

Steve Jones, Heartland AEA, (515) 270-9030 ext. 4317, sjones@aea11.k12.ia.us

HEARTLAND AEA STUDENT TECH FAIR APRIL 28 IN DES MOINES

JOHNSTON, Iowa – Students have entered more than 160 computer, video, Web and other projects in Heartland Area Education Agency’s Student Technology Fair, Thursday, April 28, at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn. About 260 students will present their projects.

Entries will be judged between 9 a.m. and about 11:30 a.m. Afterward judges will award blue, red or white ribbons to the entries and “Judges Choice” ribbons to the exceptional projects. Students from 36 central Iowa schools have entered projects in seven categories: multimedia, Web page design, computer programming, video presentations, graphics and publishing, CAD (computer-aided design), and music and sound design.

Student projects demonstrate a broad range of technology expertise and subject matter. Project topics this year include red-eyed frogs, Michael Jackson, NBA dunks, forest fires and a number of others on historical figures, animal species, the environment and geography.

Participating school districts (and the number of projects entered) are Adel-DeSoto-Minburn (8), Ames (1), Ankeny (23), Colfax-Mingo (5), Collins-Maxwell (25), Dallas Center-Grimes (6), Des Moines-Goodrell Middle School (5), St. Francis of Assisi-WDM (1), Exira (14), Glidden-Ralston (5), Johnston (6), North Polk (25), Ogden (1), PCM (4), Saydel (2), Southeast Warren (2), Twin Cedars (4), United (17), Urbandale (2), Waukee (2), West Central Valley (1), West Des Moines (8) and Winterset (1).

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Members of the news media are welcome to attend the Technology Fair. The entries are colorful and visual, and the students enjoy explaining their projects.