BURLINGTON, Vt. - Schoolchildren from four area schools and Champlain College computer technology students will come together on Tuesday, Nov. 11 to build computers and learn about computer animation in a new educational program led by Ali Rafieymehr, dean of the College's Division of Information and Technology and Sciences.

  The "Kids In Technology and Science" (KITS) program is designed to spark interest in technology and science among schoolchildren and provide Champlain College students with hands-on teaching experiences.

John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Winooski, Winooski Middle School, Edmunds Middle School and South Burlington Middle School will be participating in this first workshop, Rafieymehr said. Each school has been asked to send 20 students to work alongside Champlain College students and faculty to build new computers from new parts.

"As part of encouraging interest among female students, per our request, half of the students from participating schools will be female," Rafieymehr explained.

 The computers will be donated to the participating schools and some Champlain students will visit the schools to teach computer skills to the schoolchildren in following weeks, Rafieymehr said. The young students will be able to enter a computer animation contest using the same computers the students build during the workshop.

Champlain's Division of Information Technology and Sciences offers a wide range of areas of study and majors including, Computer and Digital Forensics, Game Programming, Software Engineering for Emerging Technologies, Computer Information Technology, Radiography, Web Development and Design, and Computer Networking and Information Security.

Champlain College, ranked 12th in the top tier of Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by 2009 America's Best Colleges, is a recognized leader in educating students to become skilled practitioners, effective professionals and global citizens. It offers undergraduate, continuing professional studies and masters programs in technology and information systems.

For more information about KITS, contact Ali Rafieymehr, 860-2751 or rafieymehr@champlain.edu. For more information about Champlain College, please visit www.champlain.edu or call 860-2727.