OCVTS teacher cited
by Science Foundation

Tina Held of Point Pleasant, an instruc­tor in the Ocean County Vocational Tech­nical School’s (OCVTS) Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), is one of six New Jersey teach­ers named as finalists in the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching competition, spon­sored by the National Science Foundation.

Held was one of three New Jersey science teachers selected after they sub­mitted applications to the foundation. Two representatives from each state will be se­lected to attend a Washington ceremony in March, when the national winner will be named.

Each state winner will receive a $10,000 grant and a certificate signed by President Bush.

The theme of Held’s submission was "Can the Age of a Fish Be Deter­mined by Less Invasive, More Efficient Field Methods."

Her experiment, both in the classroom and at Cattus Island State Park, in Dover Township, was carried out by 11 high school freshmen and sopho­mores.