DC Urban League Gives Tech Award to Oracle
Oracle's Promise Receives Urban League Award for 'Bridging the Digital
Divide'. Oracle Expands Commitment to Washington, D.C., Schools, Pledging
Internet Computers for 10 More Campuses
WASHINGTON, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Washington Urban League on
Wednesday evening bestowed the 1999 Whitney M. Young Jr. Community Service
Award to Oracle Corp. for its dedication in providing Internet computers and
access to the district's minority and economically challenged
schoolchildren. As part of the Oracle's Promise initiative to boost
Internet access and computer literacy in schools, Oracle Senior Vice
President Marc Benioff also announced plans to equip and train 10 more
District of Columbia schools with an estimated 500 Internet computers in
1999.
"Our honorees have truly gone above the call of duty in their efforts to
bring technology to those in our communities who are most in need of the
training and skills to effectively compete in the 21st century," said
Maudine R. Cooper, president and chief executive officer of the Greater
Washington Urban League. "Oracle's Promise has had tremendous impact on the
students of Washington, D.C., opening up opportunities that computer
literacy will provide them throughout their lives."
In July 1998, Oracle volunteers-together with volunteers from Communities in
Schools and America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth-installed 100 Internet
computers in classrooms throughout MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C.,
an underprivileged public school in the heart of the nation's capital.
MacFarland's teachers have incorporated the computers into their daily
curricula, and officials say that the computer stations in the school's media
center are one of the most popular sources for student research. Over the next
year, Oracle's Promise has plans to extend its commitment to the district with
the donation and installation of roughly 500 additional Internet computers,
combined with teacher training and support for 10 new D.C.-area schools.
"Oracle's Promise is an initiative that has not only reached the MacFarland
students, but one that will reach the entire community as well," said Jim
Till, executive director of Strategies to Elevate People, a non-profit
organization that works with MacFarland and other area schools to provide
mentoring, tutoring and other volunteer services. "Oracle has given
MacFarland school tremendous resources and the school has planned many
future initiatives, including a 'Community Saturday,' during which parents
and community members will be trained to use the computer system."
Accepting for Oracle, Benioff said: "At Oracle's Promise, we have seen
first-hand the effect Internet access and computer training and literacy
have had with over 100,000 children in more than 88 schools around the
world. Oracle is grateful to be recognized by the Greater Washington Urban
League, and excited to have helped deliver on the promise of an Information
Age education to all schoolchildren."
Oracle's Promise (http://www.oracle.com/promise/
<http://www.oracle.com/promise/> ) is the world's largest corporate
philanthropy initiative designed to boost Internet access and computer
literacy for unconnected schools. Introduced in June 1997 in support of
America's Promise, Oracle's Promise is a $100 million commitment to provide
Internet computers, access and training to bridge what sociologists have
called "the digital divide." To date, more than 5,000 computers have been
installed and integrated into curricula at more than 88 schools worldwide.
Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of software for
information management, and the world's second largest independent software
company. With annual revenues of more than $8.0 billion, the company offers its
database, tools and application products, along with related consulting,
education, and support services, in more than 145 countries around the world.
For more information about Oracle, please call 650/506-7000. Oracle's Worldwide
Web address is (URL) http://www.oracle.com/
Forwarded from National Urban League
Susan Carter, edequity-admin@mail.edc.org
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