Program aims to erase gap in early education

Kevin and Kristen Remington knew that they wanted a top preschool education before their children began public school. But with limited preschool options in the Uintah Basin, they, like many parents in rural Utah, found their choices were limited.

That is until Kristen Remington discovered an at-home early childhood education program called Upstart. Now, three children later, the Remingtons say the Upstart program was crucial to their children’s current academic success.

The good news, they said, is that the program is free and available to Uintah Basin parents. That can be a tremendous benefit to parents in Utah, where a Pre-K education isn’t mandated.

Traditionally, students in rural areas have entered public school significantly behind students in more highly-populated areas.

The rural nature of Utah, where schools are literally few and far between, when compounded with the poverty prevalent in many areas of the Basin, means that rural children often start public school at a significant disadvantage.

That’s why Utah is taking steps to encourage in-home preschool education, especially for rural areas like in Duchesne or Uintah Counties, said Claudia Miner, program director for Upstart, a free at-home preschool education curriculum.

Children who are behind during the first years of school often tend to learn slower than students who begin ahead, according to research by economist James Heckman.

Heckman notes that the phenomenon creates a “Matthew effect” for reading skills, in which the academically rich become richer, and the academically poor become poorer.

Upstart is aimed at erasing that deficit by putting those pre-K opportunities into the home.

Kristen Remington said the program is free to parents because it is funded by a federal grant, can grow more as more people sign up. Uintah Basin Standard

Environmentally-friendly oil sands extraction technology

The International Resource Journal story focuses on MCW's breakthrough, oil sands extraction technology in an industry often criticized for its extraction processes by concerned environmentalists throughout Canada and the United States. The MCW story elaborates on the Company's proprietary, patent-pending oil sands extraction technology, which requires no water (a major benefit in desert locations), high temperatures or pressures. Included in this feature, are some candid comments from MCW's CEO, Dr. R.G. Bailey who expresses confidence in the future of MCW's unique technology in Utah where there's been no commercially-viable oil sands extraction technology to date. He also outlined the tremendous upside potential for worldwide licensing. Utah has over 30 billion barrels of oil (U.S. DOE) within 8 major deposits....representing a massive untouched resource.

MCW is now entering the assembly stage of its initial extraction plant on its lease location in Asphalt Ridge, Utah. It is expected that upon assembly completion, the Company will subsequently conduct a series of tests on the efficiencies and capacities of the unit prior to production. Azom

Awash in Oil, U.S. and Utah Set a New Course

When it comes to oil, a dramatic shift is under way in America, and Utah is playing a role.

Improved technology in both the oil fields and under vehicle hoods are big reasons why rising energy
production in the state and nationally is helping the country not only more than meet demand but also is putting it on course to reduce oil imports to historic levels.

Along the way, gas prices have fallen 50 cents or more in the state in the past month as oil stockpiles
grow, reducing the pressure on fuel costs, at least for the time being.

This year, Utah crude oil production is estimated to top 29 million barrels, marking a steady increase
since 1989. By comparison, the lowest output according to record-keeping going back 36 years came in 2003 at 13 million barrels, when drillers ran into a familiar boom-and-bust cycle common in the U.S. oil industry. Highs were registered in 1985 (41 million barrels) and in 1976 (35.4 million barrels).

"Historically, we’ve had more than one boom-and-bust cycle," said John Rogers, associate director of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. "But production has steadily been increasing recently, largely through better technology."

In fact, production is up in the country a whole to a level that the United States could overtake Saudi
Arabia to become the world’s biggest oil producer before 2020, and might be energy independent a
decade later, according to a recent forecast by the International Energy Agency.

The radical reshaping of the nation’s energy picture means that the U.S. could become a net exporter of oil around 2030, the global organization said. Salt Lake Tribune

Science learning explodes at USU-Uintah Basin day camp

Stuff exploding always makes learning more enjoyable.

Not that the middle school students at Utah State University – Uintah Basin’s summer science camp needed any extra motivation. They all came to the program to spend a few days learning about science.

But they still got to see stuff blow up.

Utah State University Professor of Chemistry Michael Christiansen hosted a workshop on chemistry, helping students use electricity to separate water into its two components – hydrogen and oxygen gases. A flick of a match showed the students just how flammable hydrogen is. But it wasn’t just about the flash. It was also about helping the students learn the joy of finding things out on their own.

Christiansen spoke with the students about the importance of discovery and experimentation, and encouraged them to continue learning throughout their life. Vernal Express