The All-State Academic Team Program, launched in Mississippi and Missouri in 1994, offers the unique opportunity for each All-USA nominee and nominating institution from participating states to receive statewide recognition regardless of the nominee's ranking in the All-USA Academic Team competition.

The program has been an effective tool to help college presidents view Phi Theta Kappa not as another "club " but as a tremendous resource to promote the quality of programs and instruction offered by their institutions. Additionally, the program provides the community colleges unprecedented media attention and statewide recognition from public leaders and has created a partnership among corporations, community colleges and Phi Theta Kappa to promote excellence in education.

Through sponsors, universities and other financial resources, several states have secured stipends and scholarships for their All-State Academic Team members in addition to other scholarship opportunities available to all Phi Theta Kappa members.

Examples of scholarship opportunities and stipends offered through All-State Academic Team Programs for 1999 include:

• All-California Academic First Team members transferring to California State University in the fall of 1999 will receive a scholarship of $5,000 per year for a maximum of two years. CSU will also award Second Team members a scholarship of $1,800, the current system average of the State University Fee and campus fees. In addition to the CSU scholarships, the Community College Foundation will award stipends of $200 to each First Team member and $50 to each Second Team member.

• All fifty-eight 1999 All-Arizona Academic Team members will receive a full-tuition waiver to attend the Arizona university of their choice. In addition to the tuition waivers, First Team members received a stipend of $1,000, Second Team members a stipend of $750, and Third Team members a stipend of $500 during the February All-Arizona recognition ceremony.

• 1999 All-Kansas Academic Team members received a $300 stipend presented by the Kansas Community Colleges during their February ceremony. A matching grant of $300 or more will also be offered to All-Kansas team members by the state-supported Kansas universities and several private colleges.

These are just a few examples of the additional scholarship opportunities available to All-State Academic Team members. Most of the other participating states also provide scholarships and stipends.

Having been nominated to the All-USA Academic Team, a student is automatically eligible for the All-State Academic Team, and the rankings from the All-USA judging process are used for the All-State rankings. Therefore, no new application process is required to conduct the All-State Program. The most important concept to remember is that every student from a state nominated to the All-USA Academic Team is included in the All-State Team and receives recognition.

The All-State Academic Team Program was modeled after the successful All-USA Academic Team Program, and in turn, has contributed to increased participation in the All-USA Program. "The All-USA Team Program's growth is certainly reflected in the growth of the All-State Academic Team Program," said Rod A. Risley, Phi Theta Kappa's Executive Director. "Prior to the launch of the All-State Academic Team Program, 717 students were nominated to the All-USA Academic Team in 1993. Six years and 33 state teams later, the number of students nominated to the All-USA  Academic Team for 1999 totals 1,390."

The coordination of the All-State Program is a joint effort of Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters and the state community college association and/or presidents' council.

For information about the All-State Academic Team Program, contact  Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship Programs  at 800.946.9995, Ext. 560.