You don’t normally associate a leisurely paced boat ride on the river with graduation requirements but a Model High senior is linking a leisure passion and her academic goals to earn an honor seal on her diploma.  Lauren Carroll, a senior at Model High School, has organized a benefit paddle on the Etowah River to raise funds for the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI) and also satisfy requirements for her Honors Prep senior project.  The event will be held on Saturday, March 17 and will raise money for local river preservation while securing an Honors Prep seal on her diploma when Carroll graduates in May.

The river trek will begin near the YMCA soccer and baseball field complex located on the Rome bypass near the Etowah River.  The ride will end at the landing behind the levee in Downtown Rome.  Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event at the starting point of the river ride.  Registration is $5.00 for the paddle.  If a participant would like a t-shirt for the event, the registration will be $10.00 to include a regular t-shirt in the registration and $15.00 for a tie-dye t-shirt.  You must pre-register by February 29 to get a t-shirt.  The ride will last from 10:00 a.m. until around 12:00 noon.  Lunch will be available for purchase at the landing site.  Some boat rentals are available.  For more information contact Lauren Carroll at www.facebook.com/ssigrl.  Registration forms are available at Model High School, the CRBI offices or Blue Sky Outfitter.

All seniors in the Honors Prep program are required to complete a senior project to qualify for the Honors Prep seal to be added to their diploma.  This advanced program of study for students in Floyd County Schools is among the top college preparatory programs in Northwest Georgia.  The Honors Prep program was developed to provide students in the Floyd County with courses designed to prepare them for the rigors of the most demanding college or university.  The program consists of advanced level courses, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses that students may take for college credit.

According to the CRBI website, the Coosa River Basin Initiative is a grassroots environmental organization based in Rome with the mission of informing and empowering citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America's most biologically diverse river basin.

Pre-registration Form for HP senior project