[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 139]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AND THE STEP ONE 
                               CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, January 6, 2001

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, today I speak not only as a member of the 
House of Representatives, but as a proud member of a very important 
organization that is making a difference in my district. The Science 
and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) was recently established to 
inspire students to pursue careers in science, math, engineering and 
technology throughout the Riverside community, the state of California 
and the nation.
  On November 3, 2000, STEP sponsored ``STEP One: The Congressional 
Conference on Science and Technology Education.'' This wonderful 
conference allowed local students, teachers, community and civic 
leaders, scientists and high-tech entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet 
and discover the importance of math and science education.
  It was inspiring to see the faces of nearly 1,000 students light up 
with excitement during the conference's student program which included 
NASA Astronaut Vance Brand, chemical experiments and a `life in space' 
space science presentation.
  I was honored to present National Teachers Hall of Fame inductee, 
Jaime Escalante, with the inaugural STEP Award. The panel discussion 
focusing on the gap between math and science education and the needs of 
the high-tech sector was an enlightening finale to the conference.
  On behalf of everyone involved in the STEP Conference, I would like 
to give a special thanks to those who sponsored the event including: 
Complas, The Business-Press, Bourns, DynCorp, Naval Warfare Assessment 
Station, General Atomics, California Space and Technology Alliance, The 
Gas Company and Vertigo.
  Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to give praise to those who 
volunteered their time and energy to get the STEP foundation up and 
running. My fellow board members of the STEP foundation have all 
greatly contributed to this effort, they include: Steve Berry, Dave 
Bernal, Linda Burk, Dr. Damon Castillo, Troy Clarke, Dr. James 
Erickson, Dr. Susan Hackwood, Dr. Joseph Norbeck and Brian Wagner.

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