The detective (Elliott Keller) and football coach (Matt Bertrand) try to solve the mystery of the missing cat in the Kendall production of the play "Learn to Earn." The play was written to help students understand the state's learning standards and inspire students to achieve them.

Kendall's Studio K drama club is helping their fellow students learn about the New York State Learning Standards now, so they can earn a good living later. "Learn to Earn" is a play written by James Morey of Wyoming, NY to help students understand the importance of the learning standards and how they relate to the expectations and demands of employers.

"The higher standards that students must meet in order to graduate are the same ones they'll need to become successfully employed," said Morey, a member of the Genesee Valley BOCES Board of Education and vice chairman of GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wayne) School-to-Work Partnership, an organization of volunteers committed to helping students and educators understand the employment needs of businesses.

Kendall is the first school to put on a full-scale production of "Learn to Earn." Its seven humorous scenes illustrate the value of each of the seven learning standards. In the opening scene, a football coach seeks the services of a detective to find his missing Persian cat. The detective uses technology to gather evidence and the scientific method to develop various theories on the kitty's whereabouts. But before any of the theories can be tested, a six-year old neighbor confesses to borrowing her to occupy the girl's Barbie bed.

Knitting the scenes together are two narrators, a wisecracking male played by Cody Rath and a serious female played by Sarah Hill. Nineteen students make up the cast.

The Kendall production was recently featured in the New York State School Board Association's (NYSSBA) On Board magazine, which is sent to all school board members in New York. The cast also hopes to be able to stage a scene or two at NYSSBA's annual convention. In addition, the cast adapted their stage production to a television production at Genesee Community College's television studio. The video version will be sent to school boards throughout the state to promote the use of the play to inform students and communities about the learning standards.