THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 28, 1996 TAG: 9609280275
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 112 lines
Karen Trible Szypulski was roaming the Information Highway one day when she spotted something familiar - her alma mater, the Currituck County Public Schools.
The school system, like most others in North Carolina, was searching for help on North Carolina NetDay '96 - billed as an electronic barn-raising by bringing communities together to build better schools.
Szypulski, of Raleigh, signed on to help bring her former hometown into the 21st century.
On Oct. 26, she'll be joined by thousands of volunteers in all of North Carolina's 100 counties who have will help wire classrooms and media centers for future Internet use.
``You could call it `High-Tech Earth Day,''' said Palmer Holt, who chairs the public relations committee for North Carolina NetDay '96, organized by the non-profit Explornet, which promotes school technology.
Holt works for BellSouth in Charlotte, one of the major corporate sponsors of the state program expected to take place in almost all 119 state school districts.
Sprint Telephone another big sponsor, is providing 500 volunteers statewide, coffee and donuts locally and $10,000 to the Explornet Foundation for the project.
Among the aims, NetDay is expected to help level the playing field for remote and low-wealth school systems throughout the Albemarle area.
The event will provide wiring and patch panels. But classrooms still will need an Internet service, router, computers, software and training before they can make full use of the work being done next month.
Still, it's a start, school officials said.
``Funds are limited in the state budget. But the need is still there,'' Holt said. ``This is a way to meet that need without burdening the taxpayer.''
If state officials wired all 63,000 public school classrooms through the bidding and contracting process, the cost would be about $141 million - or $2,250 a classroom, Holt said.
Wiring five classrooms and a media center in each school - the goal of this year's NetDay - should cost about $880,000. The funds primarily will be paid for through $300 kits purchased by private industry and citizens. The state also will save millions on labor because it's all volunteer, he added.
NetDay reduces the burden on taxpayers and creates a greater awareness of the importance of computers in the classroom -
something that has not always been an easy sell in some communities of the agrarian Albemarle.
``One of the things that the Information Highway has done is even out some of the opportunities for rural schools, as compared to those in more urban settings,'' said Victor Eure, the technology coordinator for Perquimans County schools.
Among the advantages are expanded class offerings and collaborative learning and teaching worldwide.
``It's the kind of education people have talked about and wanted. And this is going to make it possible - finally,'' Eure said. ``It's breaking down the walls.''
Perquimans County High School students now can sign up for five classes offered through the Internet. Four are advanced courses offered through the North Carolina School of Mathematics and Sciences. Hoggard High School in Wilmington also offers German 1 through remote classrooms.
``Normally, our high school would be limited to one language. Because of distance learning, we have three,'' said Eure, who was named the state's top technology educator in 1995 by the North Carolina Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Perquimans County High School will show off its technology with two ``Net Nights'' this month. A session from 3 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 is intended for PCHS parents. The other from 4 to 8 p.m. the following night is for the general public.
Other school systems are planning open house sessions to demonstrate schools' advances and needs in technology. Lt. Gov. Doug Wicker was in Chowan County last month to push NetDay in that area. And the weekend wiring project was a topic at last week's Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Board of Education meeting.
This week, Camden High School held a NetDay '96 luncheon and, like a lot of schools, erected a hand-painted thermometer on school grounds to advertise fund-raising needs.
Currituck schools are raffling a computer system and a Florida vacation to raise money for their equipment.
Like surrounding school systems, Currituck also is promoting community outreach through free computer classes the week of Oct. 21 at the Currituck County Public Library.
Monday, Oct. 21: ``Kickoff: Get to Know the Net'' at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 22: introduction to buying your first computer at 4 and 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24: ``Promoting Your Organization on the Net'' at 7:30 p.m.
The NetDay project is attracting parents, public officials and even preachers. It's also received the blessing of many local businesses.
``This is an opportunity for the community to come together and for the businesses to provide financial support for the kids,'' said Tim Ladd, technology coordinator for Currituck County schools. ``I think businesses are probably more aware of the requirements for technology than some of the people in the county may be.''
But, he added, that doesn't mean folks in rural areas like Currituck are behind the times.
Of 175 Currituck County High School students surveyed this year, 87 have computers at home and 48 of them are hooked up to the Internet.
``I think that's indicative of the level of technology that's in this county,'' Ladd said.
NetDay was inspired by a similar project in California last year that used 30,000 volunteers - including President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore - to wire 3,500 schools.
In addition to awareness, NetDays tend to provide momentum to continue improving schools' technology.
``Not only are people able to wire the schools, but people will continue to do things for the schools after that day,'' Holt said. ``This is just the beginning.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
About the event
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