About 60 Lawrence County students got a Jump Start on college by attending the week and half program at Ohio University Southern.

Jump Start is designed to prepare students in grades 7-10 for their continued education.The program, in its third year, consists of two separate grant programs-- Together We Can and GEAR UP, an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

"It is extremely important for them to start to get an idea about classes, to take extra steps toward their academic careers and give themselves a good foundation for school," said Carol Fugitt, coordinator for the programs."We want to bring them to campus and get them familiar with a campus environment. Today is the day they can show off what they have done."

An art exhibit, pinata bashing and a model rocket launch were the highlights of Thursday's closing event.

"I can't wait to come back next year," Conrad Douglas, 11, of Coal Grove, said. "This is probably the funnest place I have ever been."

All of the other kids agreed that the program has been great fun.

"It keeps our minds occupied before school, " Amber Hankins, 13, of Ironton, said. "It gives us something to do."

Hankins and Kelli Grove, of Coal Grove, crafted a pinata shaped like a lion fish and were kind of sad to see it destroyed.

"I don't really want to bust it," Hankins said. "We just finished it today."

Many of the boys launched model rockets high into the blue sky from the university's practice field.

"It was better than I expected," Nathan McKnight, 12, of Coal Grove, said of his first attempt to build a model rocket.

"I didn't figure it would go so high. I feel better now that it worked good."

The GEAR UP aspect is for kids in grades 7-10 from the Ironton School System. They attended summer in classes at the high school. Michael Caldwell/The Ironton Tribune