"Today is a great day for these students and families in Johnson County," Governor Fletcher commented. "The No Child Left Offline program affirms Kentucky's continued commitment to technology and education."
No Child Left Offline is an innovative project that brings together public and private partners to help all Kentucky households join the Information Age. The program is the most comprehensive initiative of its kind undertaken by any state in the nation. The program ensures that thousands of computers will be saved from landfills and used for the benefit of Kentucky families.
"When our state computers no longer meet the requirements of the professional user, instead of dumping them in the landfill or selling them for pennies on the dollar, we are giving them to children of Kentucky. The return on investment is priceless," Governor Fletcher stated.
According to Education Secretary Virginia Fox, "Giving students their own computers to take home will not only help them do better in school, it will open doors to information and education for the whole family. Technology enables countless opportunities to improve the standard of living for Kentucky families."
Tim Adams, Johnson County Middle School Principal, is excited to see students directly benefit from the No Child Left Offline program. "For these eighth graders to take home quality hardware for free reinforces the importance of technology in their lives. At school, the students use state- of-the-art technology; now, they can extend their learning to the home with their families."
Furthermore, several organizations in Johnson County have come together to leverage community resources and provide recipients and their families with computer training. Johnson County Public Library, the Mayo Campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College System, and Johnson County Middle School's Gear Up Program are collaborating to provide computer courses for basic skills and office applications. The four-hour course will be taught for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings every week in January and every other week in February. Participants will receive course certification from Big Sandy Community and Technical College upon completion of the two classes. Information regarding the computer course will be posted on the following website: http://www.connectkentucky.org/projects/nclo
Today, nearly 80 percent of Kentucky families with children own a computer at home. No Child Left Offline is intended to close that gap for the remaining 20 percent and provide access to technology where there is the greatest need. Approximately 215,000 children in Kentucky do not have computer hardware in their home. Families unable to access the Internet often cite computer ownership as a major barrier.
ConnectKentucky plans to distribute 2,000 refurbished computers to Kentucky eighth graders in 2006. Groups interested in participating in the No Child Left Offline program can submit requests online at http://www.connectkentucky.org/
