Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo joined NASA Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., and House of Representatives Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert in urging participants in the Oneida County Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to reach for the stars as they spoke at a closing ceremony held at Mohawk Valley Community College.

"The summer youth employment program helps our young people continue their education with a focus on their future as well as academics," Griffo said. "It is vital that our young people understand the career opportunities this area has for them, and the things that they can do even in high school to put themselves on the road to success. Oneida County is building a stronger and brighter future in which we want our young people to share We appreciate the support of Congressman Boehlert and Astronaut Curbeam to help these young people realize that they can reach for the stars."

"Job creation in the 21^st Century will only happen when we have a workforce equipped with a 21^st education," Boehlert said. "For our region to succeed economically, we need a technology-savvy workforce. Unfortunately, too few young people are choosing careers in science and technology, particularly minorities and young women. Today’s youth often lack positive role models. That’s why I am proud to bring Astronaut Curbeam to Oneida County to inspire our young people. I want our kids to know that they can achieve great things if they have the courage to follow their dreams."

"Career-based opportunity for disadvantaged youths is critical to the future of the Mohawk Valley," said Oneida County Workforce Development Director David Mathis. "Disadvantaged populations are under-represented in these careers. Through this project, we want the Mohawk Valley to become an incubator community for youth to become energized about the potential of science and technology careers. Students can't choose careers they've never heard of. This helps them know what they can achieve."

Mathis said the Summer Youth Employment Program serves about 300 young people in Oneida County between the ages of 14 and 18. Mathis noted that in Oneida County, 14- and 15-year-olds make up about half of the youths enrolled in the program, and that on average, almost half the students in the income-based program are minorities.

The SYEP is funded by federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds administered by the state. Summer components of programs funded by the federal Workforce Investment Act serve approximately 150 other students, Mathis said.

"Congressman Boehlert is a strong supporter of increased efforts to develop the science and technology workforce of the future," said Mathis. "We appreciate his efforts to bring Astronaut Curbeam here to inspire our Oneida County young people to reach for the stars and follow the path that can lead to great careers in science and technology."

This summer’s programs included a unique summer program funded by the Workforce Investment Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties to help introduce high school and junior high school students to careers in science and technology. Under a program operated by the SUNY Institute of Technology, students helped design plans to transform brownfields into green spaces.

"The needs of the work world are changing, and we are working to bring our young people enriching, challenging programs that will inspire them to take courses that will lead to high school graduation and, eventually, the kinds of science and technology careers that are growing here in the Mohawk Valley," said Alice Savino, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board. "This was a fitting conclusion to a summer program we hope will inspire out young people to take challenging courses, and achieve all their dreams."

"It doesn't matter whether you're playing football or soccer, or whether you're on a business team trying to close a big deal," Curbeam said. "You just want to do your best and live up to the standards which you hold yourself to and which your teammates expect of you."

Curbeam didn't always plan on becoming an astronaut In junior high, he and a friend spent hours after school designing airplanes, rockets, cars--mostly mechanical things. "We just loved science, and we thought the space program was just the most exciting thing in the aerospace field then. I never really thought that I would be the person climbing in someone else's design to go up to do the things I'll do."

Astronaut Curbeam received a BS in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Masters of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a degree of aeronautical & astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. Curbeam is a veteran of two space flights, STS-85 in 1997 and STS-98 in 2001, and has logged over 593 hours in space, including over 19 hours during three spacewalks. Currently, Curbeam is assigned to the crew of STS-116 and training for a launch scheduled in 2003.