NetDay97 is Multicultural Success!

[Sharon Centanne]

PRESS RELEASE -- St. Petersburg, Florida  October 26, 1997

Students from around the world worked together with their English 
teachers and other staff members Saturday October 25th to wire their 
school for the Internet.  Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in St. 
Petersburg hosted NetDay97 to put the infrastructure in place to
get connected to the Net and enable the school to reach out to a 
world of information.

This volunteer effort was shared by adult students representing four 
continents, three racial groups and four major religions, all working
together as a team toward a common goal.  The team measured and 
cut the necessary wiring, installed the drop boxes and ran the wires 
through the ceilings to create an ethernet for the school and it's
library  This ethernet will soon enable Internet access for twelve 
computers in the library and twelve computers in other areas of the
school
..
English was the only common language of the group, but when necessary,
some team members spoke in their native Spanish to co-ordinate their 
efforts in group projects.  A team of Venezuelan young men installed 
the drop boxes with help from a young Chinese man from Vietnam, a 
team of Asian ladies from Indonesia and Thailand worked with a lady 
from Bulgaria to cut the wire molding, install face plates. Wires were 
measured and cut by students and teachers from the United States,
Uruguay, Thailand, Bulgaria, and Indonesia.  Blacks, whites and 
Asians all worked together in harmony and along the way had 
opportunities to share with each other about their cultural heritage.
They discovered that the team had members that were Buddhist,
Muslim, Catholic and Protestant, that they represented Europe, Asia, 
South America and North America and most important of all, that
folks from around the world, no matter what their cultural background,
can work together for the common good.  This was a shining example 
of how people can Think Globally and Act Locally.  

Tomlinson Adult Learning Center is especially grateful to all the 
volunteers and their cooperative spirit.  The school, it's current 
students and it's future students from around the world will all benefit 
from their efforts.

Sharon Centanne
Library Information Specialist
Tomlinson Adult Learning Center