Good grades and good behavior definitely pay off, and the students who attend Young Scholars Institute each year can attest to that.
YSI is a program that has been held for the past 39 years in Warren County, taking the best of the best students in behavior and academics on daily field trips that are educational and fun. The program started on Monday and will last for two weeks.
Jasmine Evans, a teacher at Irving College Elementary, said she has been involved with YSI for several years and thinks the world of the program. “This is our 39th year of YSI, and we are excited about next year for our 40th. YSI is a program that was designed for students who have had good behavior and good grades,” Evans said.
Homeroom teachers at the schools decide which students get to attend based on those criteria. “We just try to do fun activities,” she said. “So this week my group is doing activities in town and we try to do one out of town as well.”
A theme is chosen every year, and this year’s theme was “YSI Goes Wild.” Evans said deciding a theme helps with coordinating activities that work in conjunction with the theme. “It keeps it fun and different every year. It also keeps the students that have been before coming back.” Evans said that this was her 13th or 14th year working YSI, and also attended as a student when she was in school.
Riley Hubbard, a fourth-grade student at Bobby Ray Elementary, expressed her enthusiasm for the program. “I am going next week too,” she said. Many students only attend one of the two weeks, but some stay within the program for both weeks that are offered.
“I like this program,” stated Hubbard. “I am also very excited about going to the trampoline park next week!” Hubbard said the trampoline park in Murfreesboro is what she anticipates most about the experience.
On Tuesday, the YSI students attended Hot Wheels Skate Center and enjoyed a day at the rink. The students learned many interesting facts about skating rinks and spent the rest of the day skating, eating snacks and playing arcade games.
The first roller skating rink was opened in 1866 and now over 11.3 million people roller skate in America. The YSI students are now part of that massive number of roller skaters as they had a wild time on wheels with the YSI program.
