From a Cabool School District Press Release

As part of the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers program the Cabool School District is proud to announce our first class of "Cabool 21st Century Scholars" for the 2007-2008 school year.

This group of 5th through 12th grade students qualified as Cabool 21st Century Scholars by attending over 30 after school learning sessions funded by the 21st Century program this school year.

While the new class of Cabool 21st Century Scholars has not been announced yet, these students will be recognized at a special assembly to be held in the Cabool High School new gymnasium (720 Peabody Ave, Cabool, Missouri) on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. The featured speaker (and the person announcing the 21st Century Scholars) will be Congresswoman Joann Emerson (R- 8th Congressional District).

At this assembly Congresswoman Emerson will also make a surprise announcement that all students who are named Cabool 21st Century Scholars will qualify for an all expense paid trip this summer to Washington, DC in order to take part in expanded learning opportunities.

The students and community do not know about this trip and we ask all news media to withhold this information from their publications or broadcasts until after the assembly on May 9 at 2:15 p.m.

In addition to the historic sites in the nation's capital, the students will also visit the Lincoln Presidential Library and burial site in Springfield, Illinois, Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the home of George Washington at Mount Vernon, and the home of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. The trip will be from June 25-30, 2008 and it is estimated that approximately 50 students and teachers from Cabool Schools will participate in the trip.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is funded by the United States Department of Education and administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant is funded for five school years and the total amount of federal funds awarded to Cabool Schools is approximately $885,000. Cabool received the award in October, 2007. The grant was authored and is administered by Dr. Jon Turner, Cabool Schools coordinator of federal grants.

While in Washington, DC the students will be staying at the 4H National Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland.