The Computer Learning Foundation is pleased to be a partner in NetDay and to bring you information on this exciting grassroots effort to wire America's schools throughout Computer Learning Month this October. It's a wonderful way to celebrate Computer Learning Month in your community!

As anyone can attest who has explored the Internet and World Wide Web, their resources offer tremendous value to our children's learning. However, very few of our children have access to the benefits of the Internet's vast resources in their schools. For all children to have access at school to the Internet, we must address several needs. First of all, we must connect each school to the Internet. Second, we must provide adequate computers in all of our classrooms and network them throughout the schools. In addition, we must provide adequate training for teachers on how to integrate Internet resources into the curriculum.

What is NetDay?

NetDay is a nationwide grassroots effort to address just one of these many needs--wiring schools' classrooms. Begun in California in March 1996, the effort was expanded nationwide during Computer Learning Month 1996. National NetDay is October 25, 1997 during Computer Learning Month again this year.

NetDay has been described as a modern day barnraising--volunteers help their local schools "pull wire" throughout their buildings to connect five classrooms and a library or computer lab to a central point in the school. The concept is simple, but the results can be significant.

Organizing a NetDay in your school is easy.

First of all and very important, you don't need to be a technical person to organize a NetDay in your school. All you need is a commitment to providing students with access to the benefits of the Information Highway and lots of enthusiasm. You might be a parent, an educator, a school administrator, or any other local caring adult that wants to help our children gain the benefits of technology in their classrooms. You may want to order the NetDay How-To Guide and Video to help you with your planning. The first thing you want to do is talk with others in your school and help them see the benefits of a NetDay in your school. It's human nature to be a little uncomfortable with the idea of strangers descending upon your school, even if you know they really just want to help. Rather than fear their help, we suggest you do a little planning, so that you can embrace their willingness to help and gain the benefits NetDay can offer.

Second, assemble a small group of volunteers to help with the NetDay planning. At least one person on your planning team should be from the school to ensure that their needs and concerns are fully addressed. Keep in mind that the purpose of NetDay is to help the schools, not to tell them what to do, so it is very important to work with and listen to the people who know education and our schools the best.

Third, divide the following activities among your planning group:

• Meet with your school's administrators and technology coordinator to understand the technology plan for your school. By working closely together, you can ensure that NetDay activities are consistent with plans they have. If your school does not have a technology plan, help start a committee to develop one. (The Computer Learning Foundation offers several resources to help you.) You'll want to have at least a basic technology plan before you start wiring classrooms.
• Determine if your school's insurance covers volunteers and what steps you need to take to protect both the school and volunteers. Develop releases or forms you need.
• Register your school's participation in NetDay at the NetDay Web site and monitor the site for volunteers and information to help you plan your NetDay activities. If no one on your planning committee has access to the Internet, identify someone in your community who can do this for you and download the NetDay site information.
• Identify at least one technical volunteer to oversee the development of the wiring plan, to supervise the pulling of wire on NetDay by volunteers, to "punch down" the wires at the central location, and to test, troubleshoot, and certify the connections at the end of your NetDay installation. You may already have someone in your school who can fill this role. If not, ask parents, companies that do cabling or networking, or local businesses that use computers. Also check the NetDay Web site to see if anyone has already volunteered to help your school.
• Round up the tools and supplies you'll need. If your technical volunteers don't have all the tools, find people who will lend them to you. Make sure to mark the tools (you might use masking tape with the person's name and phone number), so they get returned to their proper owners at the end of NetDay. The tools you'll need are: a ladder, drill and bits, wire snips, wire strippers, needle-nose and adjustable pliers, punch tools, a utility knife, slotted and Phillips screwdrivers, and a saw (keyhole, drywall, jigsaw, or reciprocating). You'll also need the following supplies: safety glasses, pull string, electrical and fish tape, screws, screw anchors, tie wraps (regular, adhesive or holey), and a permanent ink marker.
• Secure funding for a NetDay wiring kit. NetDay wiring kits include all the materials you need to wire six locations to a central site, including instructions, 2,000 feet of Category 5 cable (state-of-the-art cable that most businesses use for networking high-speed networks), 12 jacks and face plates for the six rooms (where the computers will connect), and a 24-port patch panel for attaching the wiring at the central site. NetDay wiring kits are available from several suppliers for under $500 (we've been told they will probably be as low as $350 per kit). You can locate suppliers of NetDay kits on the NetDay Web site. You might find a local business willing to donate a kit to your school, you might approach several businesses to contribute to a kit, or you might hold a general fundraiser to raise the funds to order a kit yourselves.
• Promote NetDay in your community and solicit at least ten volunteers to pull wire (no experience required), carry tools, serve refreshments, clean up, etc.

Fourth, hold at least two planning meetings for all involved--school people, volunteers, technical experts, and your planning committee. One of the first things you need to decide is which classrooms you will wire first. Rather than trying to wire the entire school all at once, take just one step by wiring five classrooms and the library or computer lab to a central connection point. Next, you'll need to decide where you want the central connection to be in your school. If some of your classrooms are already connected, you'll already have this site selected. If not, make sure it is centrally located, can be secured, and is free from traffic, dust, and temperature extremes. The technical volunteer then needs to survey the school site and draw up a wiring plan for the volunteers to follow.

Next, you'll want to discuss logistics for NetDay--when volunteers should arrive at the school, who will bring what, who will do what, safety issues, etc. You'll also want to train your volunteers. You find lots of information and a video to help you in the NetDay How-to Guide and Video Kit.

Enjoy NetDay

Finally, have fun and enjoy the new partners you bring together on your school's NetDay. To continue these relationships, we suggest you host other Computer Learning Month activities to help everyone in your community learn more about technology.

With just a few hours of volunteerism in your community and a modest donation for a wiring kit, your school could receive tremendous benefits from NetDay. We hope you will join in and make NetDay one of your Computer Learning Month activities this year.

Order a NetDay Planning Guide & Video

To order a complete NetDay planning guide and video for your school, just mail or fax the mail order form or order the kit online with a credit card.

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