A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE: 9 a.m. EDT            Contact: Melinda Kitchell Malico    October 10, 1995                                   (202) 401-1008

Flanked by Vice President Gore, Education Secretary Richard Riley and corporate leaders, the President announced 19 Challenge Grants for Technology in Education. The awards, totaling $9.5 million, are going to community partnerships with matching commitments of more than $70 million in the first year and over $300 million during the five-year span of the projects.

"Everywhere we look, technology is changing the way we work and live," President Clinton said. "Now, more than ever, it is imperative that our nation's schools have the technology they need to prepare students for the 21st century.

"The recipients of these challenge grants and their partners are committed to developing creative responses to the Information Age requirements of all students, including those in inner cities and rural areas. These grants will support visionary educators, parents, business partners and community leaders who are working to retool their schools for the future."

The challenge grant partnerships -- local consortia comprised of school districts and 380 partners representing business, education, libraries, museums, the military, states and cities -- will help infuse powerful new technologies into schools, allowing students and teachers to join the information superhighway. The partners have made substantial commitments for equipment, software development, technical support, telecommunications services and other costs.

"Powerful new technologies and the information superhighway can create unparalleled possibilities for extending the time, place and resources for learning," Riley said. "By linking schools to homes, libraries, museums, community centers and the workplace, these partnerships will expand learning opportunities for all students. The challenge grant communities being announced today will make these connections a reality -- and open schools to the abundance of educational resources available around the world."

The 19 grant recipients have formed partnerships with more than 134 other school districts in 23 states in the first year of the grant cycle. The partnerships also include more than 120 businesses, 34 universities and colleges, 10 museums, five libraries, 10 state education departments, education offices in five national and a state park system, two regional education laboratories, an energy laboratory, a Naval base and an Army base, and state and local government offices.

"These communities are responding to an ambitious challenge," Riley said. "Classrooms should be modern information centers for learning, yet most instruction still takes place with black boards and chalk. The implications for education and economic competitiveness are enormous. Employers need well- educated employees who can use information technologies to gain knowledge and improve productivity. These grants will help schools and corporate partners make technology a part of effective teaching and learning."

First-year support for the projects comes from both fiscal year 1995 and 1996 funds; the grants announced today are funded with FY 95 funds. The Clinton administration is seeking Congressional support to fully fund the five-year grants at more than $85 million. Clinton requested $70 million for FY 96, but the House has recommended just $25 million and the Senate is considering funding of $15 million.

"At a time when hundreds of communities across the country are expressing their desire to meet the challenge of bringing their schools into the information age, it is tragic that Congress is considering cuts in this program, which would provide the resources they need for an effective response," Riley said. "Each federal dollar committed to this program is generating over $3 of additional local community investment in the future of our children. This is an investment in education and our future economic competitiveness that should not be lost."