Nov. 29--Students at Heritage High School will head for Boppin' Bo's Malt Shop & Grill to load up on grease.
Now, don't get the wrong idea: Operators Larry "Bo" Bowman and his wife, Betty, offer plenty of tasty meals and snacks, frying only with non-transfat vegetable oil that is changed out virtually daily.
But, that used oil is precisely what students in Heritage's popular biodiesel fuel program covet.
This week, the Bowmans and Heritage sealed a deal for the Vancouver Plaza eatery to supply its used oil and grill grease. It becomes the first private, dedicated supplier for the school program.
Until now, all oil has come from various Evergreen district school kitchens and from helpful donors.
"We really like supporting the schools," Betty Bowman said as Heritage teacher Jim Neiman and about a dozen students showed off filtering and production equipment outside the shop on a recent afternoon.
"It's hard to help (the community), when you're a small business. This is something we can do," she said.
Students explained how they extract fuel from used oils.
Several hundred Clark County students sitting for tough Advanced Placement exams this week had one less worry: Money.
Thanks to private donors and other assistance, steep exam fees that deterred test-takers from struggling families won't be an issue, educators say.
Advanced Placement tests represent one of the most powerful success stories in American public education. By taking AP courses and passing year-end exams, students earn advanced placement in college disciplines. They also can earn college credit. This forms a dual jump-start for students who are anxious to pursue careers in many of the most complex professional fields.
The good news: 10,500 jobs in Clark County use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, and it is likely 400 new positions will open up each year for the next decade that use these skills, said Scott Bailey, regional economist for the Washington Employment Security Department
The bad news: high-tech companies fear a dearth of qualified candidates to fill these new positions.
Two Seattle high schools are among seven statewide that will lose a chance to add and strengthen Advanced Placement courses in math and science because a $13.2 million grant that Washington state won last year has been scrapped.
From the Vancouver Business Journal:
Vancouver-based Mentoring Advanced Placement non-profit has received a $13.2 million grant from the Exxon Mobile Foundation to participate in the National Math and Science Initiative...
Press Release from Senator Patty Murray:
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that she has included $200,000 for the Vancouver, WA based Mentoring Advanced Placement (MAP) program. The MAP program helps to build a competitive workforce in Southwest Washington by teaming local students with mentors in local businesses that show them the real word applications of their studies...