LAKE PLACID — The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) joined U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's Healthy Childhood Summit on Monday at the Crowne Plaza Resort to promote ORDA's Scholastic Sliding Challenge (SSC).

The Scholastic Sliding Challenge is a program for students in grades 3-6 that will help develop the awareness of the Olympic sliding sports (luge, bobsled and skeleton) and expose the students to sports that they may not be familiar with.

The interactive educational opportunity begins with a package containing information for that particular school to "adopt" a country that will be participating in one of two World Championships taking place in Lake Placid in February.

The package includes a light lesson plan, details on how to communicate with the newly adopted country, and fun "souvenirs" for each student.

Each classroom can then expand the program as they see fit, and it concludes with a special trip to see the World Championships in Lake Placid in February of 2009.

At the World Championships, the students will get to watch their "own" athletes compete in luge, bobsled or skeleton and participate in interactive sports stations.

There are currently over 4,000 students signed up for this program from schools across Northern New York and Vermont.

Schools interested in signing up for the Scholastic Sliding Challenge are encouraged to reach out to Brad Clark, Sports Development Director, at 523-1655 ext. 250 or email bclark@orda.org.

Scholastic Sliding Challenge

School Adopted Country Draw

41st FIL Luge World Championships

Australia — Cornwall School, Cornwall, Vt.

Austria — Bolton Central School, Bolton Landing

Bulgaria — Crown Point Central, Crown Point

Canada — Beekmantown, Beekmantown Middle School, West Chazy

Czech Republic — Saranac High School, Saranac

France — Lawrence Avenue, Potsdam

Great Britain — Clifton-Fine Central, Star Lake

Germany — Warrensburg Elementary School, Warrensburg

Italy — Orwell Village School, Orwell, Vt.

Japan — Lowville Academy Central School, Lowville

Latvia — Seton Academy, Plattsburgh

Moldova — Indian Lake Central School, Indian Lake

Norway — Saranac Elementary School, Saranac

Poland — Mountainside Christian Academy, Schroon Lake

Romania — Stillwater Middle School, Stillwater

Russia — Chateaugay Central School, Chateaugay

Slovenia — Keene Central, Keene Valley

Switzerland — Seton Catholic Central, Plattsburgh

Slovakia — Minerva Central, Olmstedville

Ukraine — Lyme Central, Chaumont

United States — Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs

Venezuela — Adirondack Christian School, Wilmington

Bobsled and Skeleton

World Championships

Australia — Petrova Elementary, Saranac Lake

Austria — St. Joseph's Elementary, Malone

Canada — Mannsville Manor Elementary School, Mannsville

Czech Republic — Abram Lansing Elementary, Cohoes

France — Whitehall Elementary School, Whitehall

Great Britain — Lake Placid Elementary, Lake Placid

Germany — Flanders Elementary, Malone/St. Mary's, St. Alphonsus Catholic Schools, Glens Falls

Virgin Islands — Poultney Elementary, Poultney, Vt.

Italy — Ferrisburgh Central, Ferrisburgh, Vt.

Japan — Harrisville Elementary, Harrisville

Korea — Flood Brook Union School, Londonderry, Vt.

Latvia — St. Regis Mohawk School, Akwesasne

Monaco — Cumberland Head Elementary School, West Chazy

Netherlands — Parishville-Hopkinton Central School, Parishville

New Zealand — Moriah Central School, Port Henry

Romania — Lake Avenue Elementary, Saratoga Springs

Russia — Peru Intermediate School, Peru

Switzerland — Harold T. Wiley Intermediate, Watertown

United States — Chester Andover Elementary, Chester