More than 100 honor replica of campus last night at ribbon cutting ceremony

Elementary school students unveiled a scale model of the UA campus at a celebration yesterday evening.

University of Arizona administrators and about 150 attendees honored the model - which was created by fifth graders at Wheeler Elementary School students - in a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception at the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium.

The UA Pomline, band and mascots also took part in the event by celebrating the project with the parents and students.

The students presented their creation of a miniature UA campus, which is built to the scale of approximately one centimeter for each meter.

The measuring and formula application involved in this three month long project helped to improve the students' math skills, said Wheeler student Jeff Amlee, 11.

Students also learned the value of education in terms of their future careers.

"We learned that we'll have more opportunities if we get a college degree," said Stephanie Slocum, 10.

Students also constructed miniature floats representing myriad career opportunities, to parade around their replica of the UA campus.

Some of the professions represented in the floats include archeologist, astronomer, artist, veterinarian, musician, nurse, lawyer, psychologist and geologist.

Majorie Letson, the Wheeler Elementary teacher who organized the project, called her students "architects of the future" and thanked the UA for making the project possible.

Provost George Davis hosted the reception and cut the ribbon to the miniature metropolis. He discussed what he called "the importance of dreaming about and imagining the future careers of students."

"This project brought all the core curriculums together," Letson said.

In the completion of this project, students used various aspects of their knowledge to work cooperatively toward a common goal.

One Wheeler fifth grader said the project brought her peers and herself together as a team.

"Doing this project taught us that a group can do much more than an individual," said 11-year oldTerra Harding.

In their construction of the miniature UA, the students researched the buildings and examined their histories.

"We learned that we save old buildings to study the past," Slocum said as she presented the model of Old Main.

Jeff Amlee, 11, said the project was fun, exciting, and educational.

"We got to learn what we can do here in the future," Amlee said.

Pam Jarvis, parent of a Wheeler fifth-grader supported the project despite its difficulty.

"I think it was a great experience for the kids and the families, but it was challenging for them to put it to scale and put it all together," Jarvis said.

The students were assisted in their research by UA faculty specializing in engineering, architecture, law and fine arts.

Kathleen Brewer, a program coordinator with University Advancement, set up tours and activities for the students on the UA campus.

"It's been wonderful. Arranging the tours was a lot of work, but it was worth it. These are very talented kids," Brewer said.

The presentation ended with a show of optimism from the students of Wheeler Elementary.

"Hopefully this is not the end of the project but the beginning of Wheeler students setting their goals high and continuing their education," said Hannah Jarvis, 10.