THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 5, 1996 TAG: 9604050478
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Take 400 computers, install high-speed fiber optic cable for instant access to worldwide information, and mix in a partnership involving government, education and business.
For students at Ruffner Middle School, that's a formula for a new era in learning. And, officials say, it will speed the city and Hampton Roads into a ``smart'' age, placing a vast array of information at people's fingertips as it sparks growth and economic development.
City, school and business officials Thursday announced a $1.3 million gift from Cox Communications that will outfit Ruffner with top-of-the-line computers and direct access to the Internet.
The officials said Ruffner, built three years ago as a technology school, will become one of the few public schools in the nation with such advanced technology, which is on par with the most sophisticated equipment now used by the businesses that eventually might hire the school system's graduates.
Principal Pamela Hoffler-Riddick said 80 of the 400 computers will be installed in city libraries, youth centers and media centers at all of the city's schools. She said she decided to do that so that students, and residents, could tap into databases at the school, such as encyclopedias, other CD-ROMs and perhaps the Internet, on weekends and after school.
Other schools will benefit, too, because they'll receive from Ruffner more than 300 computers that are being replaced by the new ones, said schools Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr.
During a news conference at Ruffner, officials demonstrated the possibilities: a live video conference with students and teachers at Norfolk Academy, which is one of the few local schools wired for the advanced technology.
Cox has designated Ruffner a ``model technology'' school, only the second in the country. A middle school in San Diego, which will become an interactive partner with Ruffner, is the other one.
Ruffner students think the development is pretty cool. They'll be using personal computers that, with their Pentium processors, are among the fastest available, plus Windows 95, CD-ROM, and other software and features.
``It's going to help us a lot,'' said sixth-grader Emily Corbin, among several students who came in during their spring break to participate. ``It's going to really challenge us and prepare us for the 21st century.''
Princess Anne High also has similar capabilities, and other Virginia Beach schools soon will be so equipped, a Cox official said.
``This may be one of the most important public-private partnerships in the history of the city, and it has broad implications for our entire region,'' said Franklin R. Bowers, vice president and general manager of Cox.
Through the technology links, students ``can experience a symphony orchestra, watch NASA probe the universe, share complex graphics programs and access powerful databases filled with useful information.''
City Manager James B. Oliver Jr. said it was the ``first time a technology gift like this has occurred'' and would ``narrow the gap between the `haves and the have-nots.' ''
Many students at Ruffner live in nearby public housing neighborhoods, and a goal of Hoffler-Riddickis to equip them with the skills needed to compete in the global economy.
Cox's donation grew out of preparations for a national conference the city is hosting later this month - ``Transforming Local Government'' - for the International City Management Association. Norfolk is planning what it calls the largest-ever Internet workshop, which will include training 400 people.
Ruffner, being a technology school, seemed an ideal match. Officials said more than a dozen local businesses contributed about $3 million in employee hours and equipment, including Cox's $1.3 million gift, to prepare for the conference, expected to attract about 600 participants from across the country. The U.S. Navy also was singled out for providing labor and technical support.
``The magnitude of this initiative truly demonstrates the power of public and private partnerships,'' said Superintendent Nichols. ``Cox Communications and the other businesses and organizations who are making this all possible truly demonstrate that education is everybody's business.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK, The Virginian-Pilot
At Ruffner Middle, students came in during spring break to
participate in Thursday's announcement. Cox Communications' $1.3
million gift of top-notch computers and programs is a partnership
whose benefits - education and access - will ripple through the
area, officials say.
by CNB