FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2003

First Netday Techday Held In Mississippi Delta
Students and teachers in West Bolivar School District showcase technology projects

Rosedale, MS. - - Elementary, middle and high school students in the West Bolivar School District in Rosedale, Mississippi displayed their technology projects at the first NetDay TechDay, providing them with the opportunity to “show what they know.”

NetDay CEO Julie Evans applauded the work of the students and acknowledged the contributions of the teachers and administrators in supporting the projects. “I am pleased to see the innovations and creativity of the students in Rosedale. They have clearly demonstrated how learning can be transformed through the use of technology. Congratulations to the teachers and administrators for nurturing and encouraging these outstanding examples of student work in technology. “

On May 15, 2003, students and classes competed for honors and recognition in this first ever NetDay TechDay in the Mississippi Delta. At the middle school and high school level, 72 students working in collaborative teams developed 32 technology-based projects to showcase how technology is being used to support curriculum standards in subject areas of science, history, math and English. At the elementary level, 23 classes submitted technology projects that demonstrated how they are using technology to support reading and literacy at their grade levels. A distinguished panel of judges including local business leaders, technology consultants and regional education technology coordinators reviewed each project with the student or class teams. Special recognition and prizes were awarded to the top three elementary classes and the top three student projects at the middle and high school level. The student and class prizes were possible because of generous support from Delta Pine and Land and the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. Parents and local community parents also visited with the project teams and gained firsthand knowledge about the technology expertise of the students in Rosedale.

Audrey Pearson, NetDay project director for West Bolivar, organized the TechDay working directly with the schools and community. “This has been an incredible experience for the students in Rosedale. I am impressed with how students at all levels, from kindergarten through high school, developed and completed these projects. ” she noted.

The TechDay is an outgrowth of NetDay’s work with the West Bolivar School District. Since the summer of 1999, NetDay has been implementing the Technology Enhances Student Success (TESS) Program in Rosedale which has achieved impressive results in terms of access to technology, teacher training, parent involvement, job skills development and community awareness:

• Student-to-computer ratio in the West Bolivar School District is now 3:1; similar high poverty communities in the Mississippi Delta average student-to-computer ratio are 9:1.
  
  
• Every classroom in the West Bolivar School District has access to the Internet for instructional purposes.
  
  
• Teachers are now using the Internet to improve education. 90% of the teachers were using email and the Internet at least once a week as part of their professional responsibilities. Almost 50% of the teachers were using email and the Internet daily. Over 90% of the teachers now visit education related websites at least once a week. Approximately 50% are using the Internet to find better lesson plans for their classrooms.
  
  
• Teachers are being assessed every 4 months for changes in attitude on technology integration and actual integration strategies.
  
  
• The TESS program has coordinated efforts with the Barksdale Reading Institute so that the reading achievements are supplemented by technology productivity gains.
  
  
• Teachers are being directed to specific educational software to complement and support school district curriculum goals.
  
  
• As a result of NetDay’s partnership with The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning, West Bolivar School District ExplorNet students were employed during the summer of 2002 to build computers for the Mississippi’s Governor’s Initiative. These computers were sent out to other area schools that lacked the governor’s goal of every classroom having at least one computer.
  
  
• With NetDay’s assistance, the West Bolivar School District has implemented “School Notes” to provide parents with online access to school information; parents have also been trained.

ABOUT NETDAY
NetDay's mission is to connect every child to a brighter future by helping educators meet educational goals through the effective use of technology. NetDay (www.NetDay.org), a national non-profit organization known for its successful school wiring programs, today manages community and web-based programs that promote enhanced student achievement through the effective use of technology.

ABOUT NETDAY COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
NetDay Community Initiatives are a comprehensive set of community-based, direct service programs impacting over 25,000 students in 25 schools in 5 underserved communities through two key programs.

NetDay Technology Enhances Student Success (TESS) program is a comprehensive initiative to help schools learn how to use technology to increase student achievement through teacher training, principal leadership development, community support and coaching and mentoring. This program is working in partnership with a selected school district in Mississippi, the West Bolivar School District.

NetDayAmeriCorps Bridge program recruits AmeriCorps volunteers to dedicate a year of service to bridge the digital divide by helping with technology integration projects within schools and building local capacity for school community engagement around technology. In its second full year of implementation the program is operating this school year in Oakland, CA, Detroit, MI, Rio Grande Valley TX and Santa Ana CA.

NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
949.609.4660
info@netday.org