The reigning Ms. United States Woman and morning news reporter for WCBS 880am News Radio – Sophia Hall, kicked off the event.  Sophia related her personal experiences of overcoming obstacles and expressed that “you can be anything you want to be.”     

Groups of students visited five booths each for interactive, exciting and fun experiences with companies ranging from Motorola, Inc., OSI Pharmaceuticals, Adelphi and Dowling Universities, Brookhaven National Lab and the Federal Aviation Administration.  Activities included science experiments, flight simulators, interactive technology, obstacle courses, and even dragonfly helicopters. 

Booth host Steve McGlynn of Best Buy said, “The best part of our day was the reaction the kids had to the technology.  They were amazed to see their pictures on a TV.  They were truly excited to take pictures and have fun.”  Jim McGowan, Adelphi University booth host said, “It was such a unique pleasure to see businesses, higher education and middle school students get together in a truly interactive way. The energy in the room was intense and the response from the students was fantastic. I am certainly looking forward to next year's event.”

“Students were able to see and experience for themselves how classroom curriculum connects to real careers.  Students found out the answer to the often asked question ‘why do I need to learn this’ and ‘where will I use this information,” stated LI Works Executive Director Cheryl Davidson. 

“Motorola is pleased and proud to have been a part of such a unique event for Long Island’s young students.  We are committed to helping them to understand the role their education plays in building a successful future”, said Beverly Lee-Wo, manager of community relations, Motorola, Inc.

For additional photos and information about the 2008 LI S.M.A.R.T. Expo, and other programs for students, please visit the LI Works Coalition’s website at www.liworks.org.

ABOUT THE LI WORKS COALITION
The Long Island Works Coalition is Long Island's first comprehensive effort to forge collaborative working relationships between employers and the educational community. It is an inclusive coalition that brings together employers, government officials, educators on all levels, parents, and students to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce. Key programs include creating Advisory Boards in 70 districts, and hosting 11 Internship Fairs connecting 13,000 students to 850 businesses.  For more information, visit www.liworks.org.