Local High School Students Travel to Seattle to Discuss Glouster Coal Mine Project

Contact: Jess Goode, (740) 593-1043 or Michelle Wilson, (740) 593-9341

ATHENS, Ohio (April 20, 2001) -- Several Federal Hocking freshman traveled to a national education conference in Seattle, WA last week to present research based on community reaction to the new Glouster coal mine.

The students addressed the national convention of the American Education Research Association, the most prominent international professional organization focusing on advancing educational research.

The students were eighth graders when the coal mine project started more than a year ago. It was assisted by the College of Education's Creating Active and Reflective Educators for Democratic Education program, a partnership between the College of Education and the Federal Hocking Local School District that encourages young people to be active community citizens.

The students, with CARE teachers as facilitators, compiled their research by going out into the Glouster community and interviewing citizens, coal miners, politicians and environmental activists.

The presentation, "Impulses of Consciousness and the Having of Wonderful Ideas: 9th graders' story of their Coal Mine Expedition Project Spring '00," was submitted to the conference by Ohio University professor and CARE coordinator Rosalie Romano.

Reaction to the mine reopening depended on the individual asked, Romano said.

"The research did not yield a conclusive answer to the conflict over the opening of the coal mine. Every answer and opinion was different based on the perspective and experience of the person being asked," said Romano.

Romano said the students learned a valuable lesson about how differing opinions affect decisions in a democratic society.

"In a democracy, regardless of one's position of power and socioeconomic class, gender or race, your opinion and your political position deserves to be valued and it must be heard especially when dealing with issues that affect the entire community," stated Romano.