Dear Friends:
I would like to extend my congratulations to all of you gathered today for the chartering of the Technology Corps. I am sorry I can’t be there in person to recognize the beginning of this historic and important nation-wide effort. President Clinton and I are committed to encouraging local solutions to achieve the national goal of empowering students across the country to use the technologies of the 21st century to succeed. The Tech Corps volunteers will provide the needed local solutions to achieve this national goal.
I strongly believe that when people volunteer in their local communities to help connect classrooms and to train teachers and students to use the technology, it raises the quality of the education that our children receive. It is only through a local effort in all communities that we will be able to bring our schools into the 21st century.
I am pleased to see the vision of the Tech Corps go from a mere idea of a nationwide volunteer program in every community in the nation to its chartering today. I applaud all of you who were involved in creating the concept of Tech Corps, particularly Gary Beach, and all of the volunteers who will work in communities across the country. I look forward to hearing great success stories about this program. Best of luck.
AG/td