LAKE PLACID — The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) joined U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's Healthy Childhood Summit on Monday at the Crowne Plaza Resort to promote ORDA's Scholastic Sliding Challenge (SSC).
The Scholastic Sliding Challenge is a program for students in grades 3-6 that will help develop the awareness of the Olympic sliding sports (luge, bobsled and skeleton) and expose the students to sports that they may not be familiar with.
The interactive educational opportunity begins with a package containing information for that particular school to "adopt" a country that will be participating in one of two World Championships taking place in Lake Placid in February.
The package includes a light lesson plan, details on how to communicate with the newly adopted country, and fun "souvenirs" for each student.
Each classroom can then expand the program as they see fit, and it concludes with a special trip to see the World Championships in Lake Placid in February of 2009.
At the World Championships, the students will get to watch their "own" athletes compete in luge, bobsled or skeleton and participate in interactive sports stations.
There are currently over 4,000 students signed up for this program from schools across Northern New York and Vermont.
Schools interested in signing up for the Scholastic Sliding Challenge are encouraged to reach out to Brad Clark, Sports Development Director, at 523-1655 ext. 250 or email bclark@orda.org.
Scholastic Sliding Challenge
School Adopted Country Draw
41st FIL Luge World Championships
Australia — Cornwall School, Cornwall, Vt.
Austria — Bolton Central School, Bolton Landing
Bulgaria — Crown Point Central, Crown Point
Canada — Beekmantown, Beekmantown Middle School, West Chazy
Czech Republic — Saranac High School, Saranac
France — Lawrence Avenue, Potsdam
Great Britain — Clifton-Fine Central, Star Lake
Germany — Warrensburg Elementary School, Warrensburg
Italy — Orwell Village School, Orwell, Vt.
Japan — Lowville Academy Central School, Lowville
Latvia — Seton Academy, Plattsburgh
Moldova — Indian Lake Central School, Indian Lake
Norway — Saranac Elementary School, Saranac
Poland — Mountainside Christian Academy, Schroon Lake
Romania — Stillwater Middle School, Stillwater
Russia — Chateaugay Central School, Chateaugay
Slovenia — Keene Central, Keene Valley
Switzerland — Seton Catholic Central, Plattsburgh
Slovakia — Minerva Central, Olmstedville
Ukraine — Lyme Central, Chaumont
United States — Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs
Venezuela — Adirondack Christian School, Wilmington
Bobsled and Skeleton
World Championships
Australia — Petrova Elementary, Saranac Lake
Austria — St. Joseph's Elementary, Malone
Canada — Mannsville Manor Elementary School, Mannsville
Czech Republic — Abram Lansing Elementary, Cohoes
France — Whitehall Elementary School, Whitehall
Great Britain — Lake Placid Elementary, Lake Placid
Germany — Flanders Elementary, Malone/St. Mary's, St. Alphonsus Catholic Schools, Glens Falls
Virgin Islands — Poultney Elementary, Poultney, Vt.
Italy — Ferrisburgh Central, Ferrisburgh, Vt.
Japan — Harrisville Elementary, Harrisville
Korea — Flood Brook Union School, Londonderry, Vt.
Latvia — St. Regis Mohawk School, Akwesasne
Monaco — Cumberland Head Elementary School, West Chazy
Netherlands — Parishville-Hopkinton Central School, Parishville
New Zealand — Moriah Central School, Port Henry
Romania — Lake Avenue Elementary, Saratoga Springs
Russia — Peru Intermediate School, Peru
Switzerland — Harold T. Wiley Intermediate, Watertown
United States — Chester Andover Elementary, Chester
