What can you do to help?

Working with Your Children's Schools

In 1998, 89% of the U.S. schools had Internet access (although only 51% had Internet access in the classrooms). That's an increase from 70% in 1997. Yet, many teachers haven't been trained on Internet safety or how to integrate the Internet into the curriculum. They have to balance class sizes that are already too big with lack of tech support and computer maintenance. As more parents have had to work outside of the home, schools have also had to make due with fewer parent volunteers.

This Internet initiative can't be accomplished without the help of parents and the cooperation of the parents with the schools. If you can fit it into your schedule, volunteer to help. You can help design the school website or find great sites, even from home, by volunteering virtually.

Help Create Tech Center or get computers donated to lower income kids

It's also important that access be equitable. A recent study discovered that minorities were far less likely to have a computer in their home, even when the incomes are matched with non-minorities. The disparity is almost 100%. That's too great a disparity. The Internet is key to our children developing learning and job skills. Children who are disenfranchised from Internet access will find themselves disenfranchised from careers in the future. This is something that we, as a nation, can't afford.

As a member of the National Urban League's technology committee and of Children's Television Workshop's advisory board I am interested in how we can all work together for the good of all children, not just suburban upper middle-class children.

Help fund and find funding for projects

I'm also working with schools around the country on getting parents involved. I'm working with the Baltimore County School System, Maryland, in their Parents Internet Education project. I'm also working with the Norman Thomas High School in Manhattan. Both schools are very diverse and well-representative of all economic and ethnic groups. I'm looking for grants and corporate sponsorship to help fund a parent/student/teacher initiative to help integrate the Internet, meaningfully, into the classroom and into the families of these kids. I'd like to know what you are doing...and see if we can all work together to accomplish this goal.

Volunteer to join a watchdog group...like WiredSafety.

Drop by WiredSafety's site and see how you can help. You can volunteer online and even sign up online.

Share some of your success stories with me...We're all in this together!