- President Clinton to unveil Gateway's Teach America! program today
- Teach America!(SM) will impact more than 15 million students nationwide
by providing teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to enhance
learning through the effective use of technology
SAN DIEGO, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its drive to help bridge
the Digital Divide in education, Gateway, Inc.'s (NYSE: GTW) Gateway
Foundation today launches Teach America!, a program that will provide
75,000 teachers with online computer training during the next five years.
President Clinton will officially unveil the program later today on the first
stop of the President's New Markets Initiative Tour on Digital Opportunity in
East Palo Alto, Calif. The Teach America! program has the potential to impact
the lives of more than 15 million students during the next 10 years by giving
educators critical skills and proficiency to help them realize the full
benefits of technology in learning.
Research shows the growing availability of technology in K-12 schools, the
increased use of the Internet and multimedia applications to enhance
curriculum, and the government's increased funding of technology in K-12
schools are all driving the need for teacher training on new technologies.
The Teach America! program will provide training to ensure technology is
relevant and useful in educating tomorrow's leaders as PCs and Internet access
become even more available in U.S. classrooms.
"When teachers have the knowledge and power needed to use technology
properly, they can captivate their classes and really change the way students
learn," said David J. Robino, vice chairman of Gateway, Inc. and chairman of
the Gateway Foundation. "Putting new technology in the classroom is a good
step, but teacher training is an essential element in ensuring the technology
is connected to the learning experience. Teach America! provides this crucial
training, moving us closer to bridging the Digital Divide in education."
Through the Teach America! program, grant recipients will have access to
hundreds of web-based courses that enable educators to take classes and
refresher courses at their convenience. Teachers can learn how to effectively
navigate the Web for supplemental materials, develop extranets for sharing
information with parents and students, and utilize popular applications such
as Encarta(R) Encyclopedia and Microsoft(R) Power Point, Word and Excel.
"Training is the key to unlocking technology's potential to make a real
impact on student learning," said Dr. Ginger Hovenic, Ed.D, President and CEO,
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation Business Roundtable for
Education. "Studies show that student achievement increases substantially
when teachers receive the appropriate computer and application training.
Gateway's wide range of course offerings gives teachers the skills they need
with a flexible web-based delivery method that allows them to take advantage
of the program at their convenience."
Gateway education customers have already benefited from the company's
previous training programs. According to Paul Carter, student and community
services administrator, Omaha Public Schools, "Gateway's training and support
have helped our teachers understand and use technology as an effective tool in
educating our students. We applaud Gateway for their excellent products,
service and continued support of important initiatives that help our students
succeed."
The Teach America! program is the latest in a number of efforts and
initiatives by Gateway and its founder Ted Waitt to help bridge the Digital
Divide. The company's alliance with the National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) brings technology, scholarships and
job opportunities to members affiliated with 119 Historically Black Colleges
and Universities. Empowering economically challenged communities to
participate fully in the digital information age, The Waitt Family Foundation
funds numerous charitable initiatives including PowerUp, which brings
50,000 computers and Internet access to children through community
organizations. In addition, the Gateway Foundation is sponsoring the opening
of four new PowerUp sites where youths can learn to use computers and the
Internet with the supervision of trained volunteers in San Diego, Salt Lake
City, Hampton, Va. and Sioux City, Iowa. Helping to bridge the Digital Divide
in the Latin American community, Gateway also became the first PC manufacturer
last year to launch a major marketing and service initiative in Spanish and
took an equity stake in quepasa.com.
For more information about applying for the Teach America! grant, schools
can visit the Gateway Foundation's web site at http://www.gateway.com/teachamerica/.
The Gateway Foundation accepts requests via email at
gateway.foundation@gateway.com or by fax at (605) 232-1729.
About Gateway
Gateway (NYSE: GTW), a Fortune 250 company founded in 1985, focuses on
building lifelong relationships with consumers and businesses through complete
technology personalization. Gateway ranked number one in U.S. consumer PC
revenue in 1999 (1) and was rated among the top ten best corporate reputations
in America according to a survey conducted in August of 1999 by Harris
Interactive and the Reputation Institute and published in The Wall Street
Journal. Gateway employees worldwide provide clients with services and
built-to-order computers that consistently win top awards from leading
industry publications. Gateway had total global revenue of $8.65 billion in
1999 and shipped 4.68 million systems. For more information, visit our Web
site at http://www.gateway.com.
(1) According to GartnerGroup/Dataquest US PC Quarterly Statistics.
Gateway and the Gateway stylized logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Gateway, Inc. All other brands and product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
SOURCE Gateway, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.gateway.com
CONTACT:
Media: Lisa Emard of Gateway, Inc.,
949-609-4496, lisa.emard@gateway.com
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