Key player: Rick Sharpe

TITLE: Huntington High School science teacher.

HOMETOWN: Paris, Ky.

HIGH SCHOOL: Bourbon County High School.

COLLEGE: Eastern Kentucky University, economics degree; Marshall University, master's degree in general science.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING: 21st Century Learning Institute, G.L.O.B.E. Protocols through NASA, Differentiated Instruction Cadre, Health Science Technology Academy.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Health Science and Technology Academy teacher/mentor; 15 years as board member for River Valley Child Development.

MENTOR: Mother-in-law, Dorothy McQueen; Dr. Cissy Isaacs of Marshall University.

FAMILY: Wife, Kathy; daughter, Suzie; dog, Rosie.

OUTSTANDING QUALITIES: warped sense of humor, strong sense of intellectual curiosity, willingness to learn and change.

FAVORITE WEB SITE: GLOBE.gov and sciencespot.org.

FAVORITE BOOKS: "Amelia Peabody" series by Elizabeth Peters, "Richard Sharpe" series by Bernard Cornwell.

WHAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT IN THE CLASSROOM: "I use GPS for implementing the aforementioned GLOBE protocols. GLOBE is a database for environmental observations taken around the world by elementary, middle and high school students.

"It is used by scientists, students, educators and anyone else who wants to use the data for any reason. These protocols include atmospheric, hydrological, biological, phenological and soil data collection. GPS is used to locate each observation site and to find it again when necessary."

"I was selected to go to Belize because an opportunity arose through my involvement in HSTA. This trip is a workshop conducted by climatologists for science teachers in the Anglican School District in Belize and science teachers from the U.S. This will allow for collaboration between our students and Belizean students in hydrology and atmospheric data collection and testing. I was also selected because of my commitment to 21st century technology, relevance in the curriculum through GLOBE protocols and because of the school board's commitment to preparing Cabell County students to function in a rapidly changing international economy."