Ken Jennings, whose winning streak on television’s popular game show Jeopardy! made him a millionaire as well as a TV folk hero in 2004, will be guest speaker at the fourth annual “Partners in Education Celebration” on Thursday, April 3, at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center in Drexel Hill.

The region’s premier education event honors all Delaware County high school students who took part in the 2007-2008 Delco Hi-Q season. It will be presented by Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU) and the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. FMFCU is one of two primary corporate sponsors of the current 60th season of the nation’s oldest continuous academic quiz competition for high school scholars.

Delaware County Intermediate Unit co-sponsors the current season with The Foundation of the Delaware County Chamber. Valedictorian sponsor is Kimberly-Clark Corp., while supporters and contributors include the Delaware County Daily Times and Hilbush Foundation.

At the dinner, each Delco Hi-Q team will be recognized for its participation in this season’s competition. The first, second and third place teams will be awarded $3,000, $2,500 and $2,000, respectively, for their school. The top-scoring team also wins the right to keep the Donna Zerby Trophy at its school for a year.

Additionally, the gala event will include induction of worthy individuals into the Delco Hi-Q Hall of Honor. Chosen by nomination, previous Hall of Honor inductees include past Hi-Q participants, as well as supporters of the scholarly quiz competition that’s been a Delaware County tradition since 1948.

In announcing the special guest speaker for the “Partners in Education Celebration” in April, Delco Hi-Q Director Rick Durante, vice president of education for FMFCU, said, “Sixty years is a significant milestone in the history of Delco Hi-Q and we wanted to make this a special event for the Hi-Q students. Ken Jennings is a great supporter of education and one of the best quiz show players of all time. He’s the perfect speaker to address our Hi-Q players.”

Jennings, 33, earned widespread acclaim for his impressive six-month winning streak on Jeopardy! The TV show, seen locally at 7 o’clock weeknights on Philadelphia Channel 6-ABC, is hosted by Alex Trebek, who was guest speaker at the first “Partners in Education Celebration” in 2005. Before losing on the November 30, 2004 show because he didn’t know enough about H&R Block, Jennings had won 74 games and $2.52 million. Both are records for any American game show.

While at Brigham Young University in Utah, Jennings captained its academic competition team, which consistently finished in the top 10 at national quiz bowl tournaments. Since graduating, he’s written and edited questions for these tournaments. An awareness that game show winners were able to pay off student loans or buy luxury items led him to revive his childhood dream of appearing on Jeopardy!

Four years ago, while working as a software engineer for a Salt Lake City firm, Jennings learned by phone that his contestant audition was successful and he’d appear in June on Jeopardy! For a month, he made flash cards and crammed on familiar Jeopardy! subjects like U.S. Presidents, world capitals and “potent potables.”

Much to his surprise, his appearance on the show extended beyond a single game that June. That’s because a change in contest rules allowed winners to continue playing indefinitely, until they lost a game. Thus, because of his vast knowledge and the rule change, Jennings and Jeopardy! became inseparable for the next six months.

Jennings has been a guest on numerous national TV shows. Barbara Walters named him one of The Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year. The Christian Science Monitor called him “the king of Trivia Nation,” while Slate magazine dubbed him “the Michael Jordan of trivia, the Seabiscuit of geekdom.”

Following his long stint on Jeopardy!, Jennings’ product endorsements have included such companies as FedEx, Microsoft, Cingular and even his onetime nemesis H&R Block. He’s also co-created two trivia games soon to hit retail shelves: “Can You Beat Ken?” and “Quizzology.” His new book, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs, is about his bizarre Jeopardy! adventures and the phenomenon of trivia in American culture.

On college campuses and at corporate events, the all-time Jeopardy! champ speaks on the importance of learning. Thus, he’s a “natural” to address the April 3 gathering, since Delco Hi-Q participants consistently demonstrate their commitment to learning.

Dinner sponsorships are available for the event. Sponsors’ support allows Hi-Q students to attend the dinner at no cost. For information, contact Rick Durante at 610-325-5000.

Nominations are still being accepted for individuals to be distinguished with Delco Hi-Q Hall of Honor status. Submission deadline is February 28.