Native Americans Lacking Information Resources (rpt)

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Also This story,

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/Jan99/EvergreenPr.asp

Microsoft Awards Grant to Distance-Education Program For Native Americans in
Washington State

Program Will Integrate Computing and Communication Technologies Into Tribal
Education

REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 12, 1999 - Microsoft Corp. today announced a $75,000
cash contribution to The Evergreen State College (TESC) to enhance its
reservation-based degree program for Native Americans in Washington state. The
grant, which will include Microsoft® software in addition to the cash support,
will help TESC establish a pilot computer lab at the Skokomish tribal
reservation, one of the college's five reservation-based distance-education
sites. The lab will give students better access to curriculum and content
resources and is the first step in TESC's Technology Augmentation Pilot
Project, which will use computing and communications technology to improve
undergraduate teaching and learning.

Over an 18-month period, the new effort will integrate the latest computer
technology with Evergreen's existing degree program on Native American
reservations. In addition to the five-station computer lab at the Skokomish
tribal reservation, which is expected to be fully operational for the fall
1999 quarter, the program will provide training and consultation for tribal
project staff and cover some hardware and connectivity costs. Tribal students
will have the opportunity to learn to communicate and exchange documents by
e-mail, use the Internet for research, post information to Web sites, and
manage scanned images and documents. The lab will also be available to other
Skokomish community members.

"Evergreen already has an impressive reservation-based degree program," said
Barbara Dingfield, director of community affairs at Microsoft. "We're hopeful
that our grant will

increase access to education for the Skokomish people and, potentially, other
Washington state Native American communities."

According to Gary Peterson, an instructor in the program and member of the
Skokomish Tribal Council, "We are fortunate to have the unbeatable combination
of TESC's established reservation-based program, which recognizes tribal needs
and culture, and leading computer technology from Microsoft. By using this
technology, we can overcome challenges such as the independent nature of
distance-learning degree programs and the remote location of tribal sites."

For over nine years, The Evergreen State College has operated the
Reservation-Based, Community-Determined Degree Program for Native Americans
living on remote reservations who want to obtain a bachelor's degree without
leaving their tribal community. The program has awarded more than 70
bachelor's degrees since its inception and currently serves several
reservations in western Washington through program sites in Shelton, Taholah,
Neah Bay, Puyallup and Port Gamble.

For more information on Microsoft giving, see
http://www.microsoft.com/giving/.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software
for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and
services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of
making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full
power of personal computing every day.

David Lewis
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Department Of Anthropology
University of Oregon