FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact: Yvonne Marie Andres Phone: 760.635.0001

Global SchoolNet Wins $500,000 Microsoft Grant to Connect Kids Worldwide!

[San Diego, July 15, 2005] Global SchoolNet Foundation has announced today that it is a recipient of a $500,000 grant from Microsoft Corporation. The grant is part of Microsoft’s $6,000,000 U.S. Partners in Learning initiative, a program that helps further develop groundbreaking educational programs that have a track record of helping students and teachers create the 21st-century learning environment necessary in today’s knowledge economy. In addition to Global SchoolNet, ten other educational organizations will also share in this funding.

Global SchoolNet (GSN) has been supporting local San Diego schools, as well as the international education community for the past 20 years. The Globalschoolnet.org website is a one-stop online destination that provides content, tools, resources and a supportive community to help educators implement globally focused and internationally rich lessons that are standards-based and meet local learning requirements.

”When the kids of today become tomorrow’s workers and leaders, it will be very important they have a global perspective,” stated Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres, Executive Director and co-founder of Global SchoolNet. “Our programs allow San Diego students to learn from -- and with -- other students across the globe. As an example, San Diego students studying coastal water pollution can come to our website and connect with groups of students from other parts of the world who are exploring similar issues. They can compare notes and collaborate on possible solutions.”

Global SchoolNet programs have always been free to schools. “This generous grant from Microsoft will allow Global SchoolNet to offer a richer and wider variety of programs, as well as expand to more schools,” says Greg Fitzgerald, Director of Business Development for Global SchoolNet. “Bill Gates validated our focus on collaboration and project-management, when he described how workplace trends such as the shift from manufacturing- to services-based economies are shaping technology innovation, as is the growing need for people to collaborate across organizations and time zones.” Gates said, “companies thrive when their employees can effectively collaborate, visualize and act on business intelligence and prioritize scarce time and resources."

To help schools across the nation and around the world adopt methods and practices from Partners in Learning projects, Microsoft is documenting the process and creating publicly available resources such as discovery briefs and training materials. ”The education community is facing an enormous challenge in developing and delivering 21st-century teaching methodologies to keep pace with today’s knowledge economy,” said Linda Zecher, vice president of the U.S. Public Sector at Microsoft.

 

More information can be found at:
www.microsoft.com/education/partnersinlearning.aspx

More information about Global SchoolNet Foundation can be found at:
 www.globalschoolnet.org

Or contact Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres at:
yvonne@GlobalSchoolNet.Org, PH (760) 635-0001