More than 40 Eden Prairie High School students who were part of the Rotary-sponsored STRIVE mentoring program this school year were recognized at a breakfast ceremony today. Rotary emblem The program was held in the Cambria Room of the Eden Prairie Community Center. (To learn more about this great facility, see Scott Neal’s “The Blog from City Hall” entry at http://edenprairieweblogs.org/scottneal/post/1514/. Scott is the Eden Prairie city manager and a member of the Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary Club.) Students who volunteer to be part of the STRIVE program are mentored one-on-one by members of the A.M. and Noon Rotary clubs in Eden Prairie, as well as a few community members. The mentors try to be a positive influence on the students and get them more focused on academics and their post-high-school plans. Many great speakers appear at the every-other-week STRIVE meetings, including guidance counselors, college officials, and former STRIVE students. Several of the students who participate are awarded scholarships, and matching money is available from institutions such as Normandale Community College. It’s a fantastic program, and it gets larger each year. Mentors and the students who commit to improvement are to be lauded for their efforts. For more information about STRIVE, contact the high school’s Kathy Palmer. (Rotary Rooter focuses on the activities of the Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary Club, which meets at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Biaggi's restaurant at Eden Prairie Shopping Center. Guests are welcome. You can learn more about the club by visiting www.epamrotary.)