One hundred and forty-five Beaufort County eighth-graders have met the qualifications for being named Junior Scholars by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The number of qualifying students in 2012 was 10 more than in 2010 and a dramatic increase from the 88 students who qualified five years ago.  Of Beaufort County’s 145 honorees, 144 were students in district schools and one was a home-schooled student.

The Junior Scholars Program was developed by the South Carolina Department of Education to identify eighth-graders with exceptional academic talent and to develop strategies for inclusion into special programs.  The program includes a process for screening, identifying and recognizing students with high scholastic achievement and intellectual ability.

Eligible students include those who score 50 or higher on the PSAT (preliminary SAT) in verbal, math, or writing or those who participated in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) during their seventh-grade years, who met the eligibility requirements as outlined by that program and were identified and recognized by Duke TIP.

Students who qualify as Junior Scholars receive an award of merit from the South Carolina Department of Education as well as information regarding summer academic experiences sponsored by South Carolina colleges and universities.  They can use that special recognition to bolster their applications to colleges and universities.

The 145 students and their parents were honored at an annual Junior Scholars Banquet sponsored by the Beaufort County School District.

“It’s wonderful to see so many students earn this kind of statewide academic recognition,” said Acting Superintendent Jackie Rosswurm.