ExplorNet Empowers Mississippi Students through Technology Education. (News)
Shay K. McKinley · T.H.E. Journal Technological Horizons in Education · 2003
When Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove said he wanted an Internet-accessible computer in every public elementary and secondary classroom in the state by the end of 2002, some wondered how he could achieve that goal. The answer was simple: go to the students. And that is just what the state did, as more than 400 Mississippi students came together last year to build nearly 6,000 computers for the state's younger children. A series of Blitz events were held throughout 2002, where students spent an entire day assembling and packaging computers to be sent to various schools throughout the By the beginning of December, they had helped the governor reach his goal--32,354 public classrooms each had an Internet-accessible computer. This made Mississippi the first state to ever accomplish this feat, according to the National Governors Association. The participating students were enrolled in the ExplorNet Computer Engineering program, which is active in about 40 Mississippi schools. The program is a hands-on class in which students participate as part of their regular curriculum. Its goal is to teach students how to assemble new computers from scratch, as well as how to upgrade donated or used computers by replacing parts with new components. Each student is taught everything about the machines, including how to build, troubleshoot, operate and repair them. It was a really exciting event, and for the governor to have that vision for his state and to actually do it was remarkable, says David Boliek, CEO of ExplorNet. It says a lot about him and the people of Mississippi who helped influence the future of their state. Governor's Dream The Governor's Task Force for Classroom Technology was created last year with the sole purpose of placing an Internet-accessible computer in every public elementary and secondary classroom in the The governor's aspiration was to achieve two objectives: to enhance the educational experience for Mississippi students and help bridge the digital divide for all Mississippians. Education is my No. 1 priority and the foundation to building a strong community and a strong state, says Musgrove. Providing the world's resources to our children makes learning better. Now any teacher or child in Mississippi public schools has every resource at his or her fingertips. This initiative improves the opportunities to learn for our children, and provides a stronger foundation for our children as they move into college or into a job. In addition to working with ExplorNet on the Blitz Builds, the governor's office requested vendors to offer aggressive discounts on technology, creative pricing arrangements, and value-added products and services to help make his dream a reality. Everyone who participated in the project had nothing but praise for it. Student volunteer CedrickJames, from Humphreys High School, was glad his efforts at the December Blitz Build would assist younger children. [ExplorNet] is a great project because it teaches us about computers and lets other students use computers to do their schoolwork at the same time, he says. …