03/09/12 kb

HAYS, Kan. -- The 28 students in the third class of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science, who have dubbed themselves the Voyagers, will continue a KAMS tradition Wednesday and Thursday, March 14 and 15, when they travel to Topeka to present to the education committees of the Kansas House and Senate and visit the Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas Supreme Court.

However, unlike the two classes before them --the Pioneers and the Trailblazers -- they won't have to leave Custer Hall on the FHSU campus at oh-dark-30 for the trip to Topeka. Instead, they will travel the night before and arrive at the Capitol fresh and rested at 8:30 a.m.

The first stop, at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, March15, will be at the House Education Committee meeting room for a presentation by Fort Hays State University President Edward H. Hammond, KAMS Director Ron Keller and several KAMS students. FHSU is the institutional host of the academy.

At 10:30, the class will visit the Regents, then have lunch with selected legislators before arriving at the Kansas Senate Education Committee meeting at 1:20 p.m. Hammond, Keller and KAMS students will again make presentations before being introduced to the entire Kansas Senate in the Senate chamber at 2:30 p.m. KAMS parents and invited guests will be able to watch from the East Gallery. The students will be seated in the VIP section on the Senate floor.

The Senate will present a resolution to KAMS.

The final visit of the day will be to the KansasSupreme Court for a presentation by and Q&A with Justice Marla Luckert. A tour of the Kansas Judicial Center will follow.

KAMS was created by an act of the Legislature in 2006 to promote mathematics and science education, to reduce the "braindrain" in which many of the best and brightest young Kansans go to out-of-state universities and never return, and to promote economic developmentby providing a well-educated workforce. Thirteen of the 14 students in thefirst KAMS graduating class went on to Kansas universities.