Five years ago, Republican Congressman Lou Barletta visited Panther Valley Elementary School to see an after-school program called SHINE, where children were doing projects emphasizing science and math skills and having fun in the process.

In the ensuing years, Barletta has become a champion for the program in his district and in Washington, helping expand the program, which now operates eight centers in three counties, serving children at all grade levels.On Thursday, SHINE opened its most ambitious center yet, serving students at an elementary school in Hazleton. After attending that opening, Barletta decided to stop back in Nesquehoning to see the progress the program has made. He watched and encouraged fourth-graders as they built and tested wind-powered cars they made out of household items."I was so impressed that it was really the inspiration for me and Sen. John Yudichak to bring it to Luzerne County," he said. And today, on this big day of the opening of SHINE in Hazleton, I wanted to come back to where it began for me."SHINE is an after-school program founded in Carbon and Schuylkill counties that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Started at the elementary school level, they now have programs serving 800 students in Carbon and Schuylkill County, from early childhood through high school. As director Rachel Strucko says, the program supports students from "cradle to college."But she said that wouldn't be possible without Barletta's support on the federal level, which is where much of the funding for SHINE comes from."Congressman Barletta literally stood up on the house floor and fought for that funding. It not only impacted Panther Valley and our other seven centers, but every after-school program across the United States," she said. "He fought for all children."A loss of funding could have been devastating to the program after the Pennsylvania budget crisis. SHINE, like many social programs, was awaiting state funding for much of the year, causing them to temporarily shutter some of their sites. But in the past month, all SHINE sites have opened. And with Hazleton and another site coming on next week, SHINE is now serving more students than ever."We believe in our program, and it changes lives. So we will do whatever it takes to keep going regardless of the state funding," Strucko said.Barletta said he believes in the program too, inspired by the progress that he first saw five years ago visiting Panther Valley Elementary."This is a proven model of success - this is where we should be investing our money for education," he said.