PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES MINORITY AND RURAL STUDENTS
TO EXPLORE HEALTH CARE CAREERS WINS AWARD

	CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 8 -- Gov. George Allen presented a
1997 Governor's Partnerships in Education Award to the University
of Virginia School of Nursing today on behalf of its Jefferson Area
Summer Health Care Institute.
	The annual award honors partnerships that focus on bringing
community involvement, business involvement and parental involvement
into Virginia schools to encourage students' academic achievement
and motivate them to achieve their full potential.
	U.Va.'s summer program is designed to encourage rural and
minority high school students living in medically underserved areas of
the state to pursue health care careers.  Since its inception in 1990,
about 140 students from Central Virginia have explored careers in
nursing, medicine and the allied health fields. 
	Here's how the program works:  For four weeks selected high
school juniors and seniors are immersed in classes related to health
and medicine, including clinical settings.  To further their
experiences, the students and their teachers visit other area health
care facilities.  Classroom teachers include faculty from Martha
Jefferson Hospital and Piedmont Virginia Community College as well as
U.Va. medical and nursing schools.  At the successful conclusion of
the course, the students are awarded $500 stipends. 
	"We are grateful for this recognition," said Susan
Kennel, director of the program and assistant professor of nursing.
"Our goal has always been to encourage minority students and
students from rural areas to pursue health care careers.  Each year we
are seeing more and more of our graduates applying to nursing programs
and other programs."
	The Jefferson Area Summer Health Care Institute is funded by
U.Va.'s Hospital Auxiliary, the School of Nursing and the Blue
Ridge Area Health Education Center.
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                                                         Dec. 8, 1997
	For more information about the Jefferson Area Summer Health
Care Institute, call program director Susan Kennel at (804) 924-0068.
Information about what's happening at the University of Virginia
can be found at U.Va.'s Top News site, updated daily:
http://www.virginia.edu/topnews/.