5.24.2000 ET

(CSRwire) Intel Corporation today announced the addition of high-tech industry leaders IBM and Toshiba as corporate supporters of the Intel® Teach to the Future teacher training program. With corporate support from companies such as Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company and Premio Computer, the Intel Teach to the Future program is the world's largest private effort to ensure technology is used effectively in education.

To ensure teachers have the latest technology for professional development and for use in the classroom, IBM and Toshiba America, Inc. will each supply 200 Intel processor-based mobile computers to Master Teachers who participate in the first sessions and, in turn, deliver the classes to 60 teachers in their districts. Each participating school district also has committed to provide an Internet-connected classroom PC for each of the participating teachers.

"We are proud to support this program to provide teachers with the technology training they need to help improve student learning," said Sean Rush, general global manager, Global Education Industry, IBM. "These mobile computers will allow teachers to prepare our future workforce for the jobs of the future."

"Toshiba is committed to bringing innovative technology solutions to schools, and our participation in the Intel Teach to the Future program is a prime example of how we are helping teachers harness the power of mobility for their students," said Steve Andler, vice president marketing, Portables, Toshiba CSG. "Toshiba is giving teachers the freedom to use technology for training and in their classrooms, anywhere, any time."

Intel Teach to the Future classes will begin this month in Arizona, Texas, California and Oregon. A total of 10,000 teachers in the United States are projected to participate in the program by the end of 2000, with a goal of reaching over 100,000 U.S. teachers by the end of 2002.

"Technology has transformed the workplace," said Wendy Hawkins, Intel director of Teacher Development. "Intel wants to support teachers with the same opportunity to transform their classrooms and enliven their lesson plans through the power of technology. We're pleased to be working with this prestigious group of industry leaders that share our commitment to education."

High-Tech Leaders Bring Latest Hardware and Software to the Classroom
As announced in January 2000, each of the classroom teachers and Master Teachers will receive a free copy of Microsoft* Office 2000 Professional and Microsoft* Encarta* Encyclopedia 2000. Microsoft also is donating software and licenses for each of the labs and providing master teachers a lab kit with software and licenses for their districts. Microsoft will provide similar support to the Intel Teach to the Future program worldwide.
Hewlett-Packard Company will provide each regional agency with computer systems to establish labs for Master Teachers. A total of 20 partner agencies in the United States will receive these labs to help them deliver the curriculum on time and with state-of-the-art equipment.

Premio Computer will provide teacher/student labs to 20 of the school districts participating in the United States. These labs will include 25 Intel® Pentium® III processor-based systems, printers, scanners, software and other multimedia equipment.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will focus on increasing the training and resources available to Master Teachers through a supplementary three-day seminar. The seminar will focus on developing curriculum to meet the new national and state educational standards. Additionally, Master Teachers will receive a $7,000 grant intended to bring the student-to-computer ratio down to 4 to 1.

In addition, through the Intel Teach to the Future program, districts also have the opportunity to purchase steeply discounted systems for each teacher trained. Computer manufacturers will offer an Intel® Pentium® III processor-based system for $750 and may provide additional system configurations at different price points to meet a variety of needs. Participants in the discount program include Acer, AST, Bold Data, Caliber, Hewlett-Packard, Mitsuba, Omnitech, Premio, Quantex and Tangent.

Evaluating Program's Impact on Student Learning
To evaluate the effectiveness of the Intel Teach to the Future program, the Intel Foundation has provided a grant to the Educational Development Center's Center for Children and Technology (EDC/CCT). Key research findings will be incorporated into curriculum improvements. Research will focus on the impact of the training on student learning in the classroom and results will be used to improve the curriculum and teacher development program.
Intel Innovation in Education Effort
Intel Teach to the Future is part of the Intel Innovation in Education initiative, a global, multimillion dollar effort to help realize the possibilities of math, science and technology in education. The goal is to prepare today's teachers and students for tomorrow's demands. Intel develops and supports education programs that help meet the needs of students and communities worldwide through: improving science, math, engineering and technology education; improving education through the effective use of technology in classrooms; and broadening access to technology and technical careers. For more information, please refer to www.intel.com/education

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.