There is no method of education more productive than learning by observation.

Saturday, February 17, 2001

There is no method of education more productive than learning by observation.

Between now and June, a total of 29 county high school students will get a hands-on look at the democratic process as they travel to Washington, D.C. to take part in the Close Up program.

During their one-week stay, the students will not only have the opportunity to see government in action, but they will also visit world-renowned landmarks and take in cultural sites such as museums and theaters.

As can be expected, the trip is not cheap. There’s airline tickets, hotel accommodations, meals and, of course, entertainment.

Helping ease this burden is the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and several area businesses. Through their generosity and support, students have been able to take advantage of this program for the past 14 years.

Sponsors for this year’s Close Up program include: Aristech Chemical; Armstrong Chemical; CME; Dow Chemical; Firstar Bank; Foundation Tri-State Community; Holzer Clinic; Marathon-Ashland Petroleum, LLC; McSweeney’s, Inc.; and Superior Marine.

Without the support of these businesses, most of these students wouldn’t be presented this opportunity.

We encourage other businesses to consider investing in this program so that, in the future, even more students can experience this productive program.