THE CENTER FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

2009 ROGERS EXPLORERS PROGRAM
June 7-9 at University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg
June 10-12 at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia

“Leadership is what our future is all about so I encourage each and every one of you to be original thinkers, problem solvers and explorers!”
– Congressman Hal Rogers

Program Overview

The Rogers Explorers program is an intensive three day, two night program focusing on developing skills in leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, and community service.  It is developed, coordinated, and supervised by The Center for Rural Development in partnership with The University of the Cumberlands and Lindsey Wilson College.  Students from The Center’s 42-county service area may apply during their eighth grade year. If selected through a competitive process, they will attend the program in either Williamsburg or Columbia during the summer before their ninth grade year.  All lodging, meals, and program expenses (with the exception of transportation to and from the program) are free to the student.  Activities throughout the program are both educational and fun.  Classroom activities are very hands-on, so don’t expect to be bored!  Explorers are able to participate in hands-on college courses, fine tune leadership skills and develop a network of friends and resources throughout our Southern and Eastern Kentucky region. 

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Rogers Explorers program, you must:

• Be a current eighth grader located within The Center’s 42-County Service Area.
• Have a strong interest in developing skills in leadership, technology, math, science and community service.
• Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4 point scale). If your GPA is less than 2.5, you may submit a letter from your guidance counselor explaining any special circumstances that may have affected your GPA and/or why you should be considered for the Rogers Explorers program regardless of your GPA.

Selection Process

A total of 60 students from the identified counties will be selected for the program in 2009-30 students participating on the campus of University of the Cumberlands and 30 students participating on the campus of Lindsey Wilson College. A selection committee consisting of staff from The Center for Rural Development will be established.  In order to ensure fairness, applications will be numbered and applicant names removed prior to distributing copies to the selection committee.  The committee will review and score all of the applications according to the criteria and point values established for each section.  The applicant with the highest score in each county will be selected as that county’s representative.  After those 42 selections are made, the highest 18 scores of the remaining applicants will also be selected as Rogers Explorers.  As a result, some schools and/or counties will have more than one representative.  Every applicant remaining after the first 60 selections will be considered an alternate, and will be ranked from the highest to lowest score.  If a selected scholar is unable to attend the program, the alternates will be contacted in order of their rank until the open spot is filled.  For this reason, all applicants are encouraged to keep the program dates and the possibility of selection in mind as they make their plans for the summer.  If there is a specific campus that you would prefer to attend, please make note of that on your application.