U.S. Department of Education

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Family Involvement

Preparing Classrooms
for the Future:
Ensuring Access to the Internet
Tuesday, October 21, 1997
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (ET)

The October Satellite Town Meeting will look at how schools and communities can gain access to the Internet and use it as a tool for learning. The discussion will focus on the recent Federal Communications Commission ruling which will implement "universal service" for schools and libraries (E-rate), and make available up to $2.25 billion dollars in discounts in telecommunication services to schools and libraries in January 1998. U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and his guests will discuss:

  • What is the E-rate?

  • How can schools and libraries develop technology plans and otherwise prepare to apply for the E-rate?

  • What kinds of training will help schools and libraries use computer and online technologies to their fullest advantage?

  • What support do schools and libraries need to equip students with the technological skills for the jobs of the future?

  • What role do parents, communities and businesses play in supporting technology as a learning tool?
To participate, all you need is to locate a facility with satellite downlink capabilities. Or, call your local cable access station or school board channel and give them the satellite coordinates:

C-Band
    Galaxy 9
    Transponder/Channel 2
    Horizontal Polarity
    Downlink Frequency 3740 MHZ
    Orbital Location 123° West

 Ku-Band
    SBS-6
    Transponder/Channel 14
    Vertical Polarity
    Downlink Frequency 12043.5 MHZ
    Orbital Location 74° West

Audio subcarriers 6.2 (Spanish) and 6.8 (English)

Please note that satellite coordinates are subject to change. Register your participation to ensure you will be notified of any changes by calling 1-800 USA-LEARN.

Here's your chance to join an exciting conversation with people who are doing what it takes to improve American education...

Across the country, partnerships of concerned citizens -- parents, teachers, college leaders, child-care providers, business people, community leaders, and others -- have come together to improve their local schools and help children learn more. One way these hundreds of communities are sharing ideas and keeping up-to-date with the latest information is through a unique service from the U.S. Department of Education: the Satellite Town Meeting.

On the third Tuesday of each month during the school year, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley hosts the Satellite Town Meeting, a free, live, interactive teleconference about community efforts to improve teaching and learning. This is your opportunity to ask a question of the Secretary and his guests -- drawn from communities like yours -- on what works in schools and communities.

Your community can join the Satellite Town Meeting as easy as A, B, C!

Arrange for a site with satellite capability;

Bring together people committed to education, including parents, teachers, business people, community leaders and others; and,

Call your local cable operator to broadcast the program throughout your community.

Join the discussion! The Satellite Town Meeting is available at no cost. We just ask that you register your participation.

For the satellite coordinates, ideas on organizing your community, a registration form, and other materials, call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327). Our information specialists can answer your questions on how to create your own local meeting in coordination with the Satellite Town Meeting.

The Satellite Town Meeting is produced in partnership with the National Alliance of Business and the Center for Workforce Preparation with support from The Bayer Foundation, The Procter & Gamble Fund, and The SC Johnson Wax Fund. Broadcast and cable partners include Discovery Communications, the Public Broadcasting System, and Channel One. Use of the Satellite Town Meeting is free and unrestricted.


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Last Updated -- October 20, 1997, (smj)