[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 28 (Thursday, March 6, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E405]]



                      TRUCKER BUDDY INTERNATIONAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JERRY WELLER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 6, 1997

  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a nonprofit 
organization known as Trucker Buddy International.
  Trucker Buddy International is a program that matches truck drivers 
with school classrooms as pen pals who share their respective 
experiences through regular correspondence and classroom visits. The 
program gives students a real world look at the country through the 
eyes of professional truck drivers who visit places and see things 
which they share with students through letters and picture postcards. 
By tracking routes and schedules, a teacher can incorporate important 
lessons in geography, history, math, and more into the existing 
curriculum. Students also improve their communications skills by 
writing back to their trucker buddy. As an extra tool to benefit the 
teacher of each class, Trucker Buddy has created the Literary 
Achievement Award. Each teacher will receive a Literary Achievement 
Award to present to the student who has improved his or her writing 
skills the most.
  The Trucker Buddy Program was created in 1992 by Gary D. King, a 
professional truck driver who first started corresponding with a fourth 
grade class in Williams Bay, WI. Today, Trucker Buddy has nearly 5,000 
drivers matched with classrooms throughout North America and in several 
foreign countries.
  I would like to commend the Trucker Buddy Program for taking a 
special interest in our children and their education.

                          ____________________