What is ConneCT '96?
ConneCT '96 is a statewide community-centered endeavor to connect the schools 
and libraries of Connecticut to the Internet. Through collaboration with 
local business, community, and government organizations, ConneCT '96 will 
provide each school and public library with a Web site and a Connection kit 
that will include a high speed modem, cabling, adapters and an Internet 
access account. We hope that by fall, all schools and libraries will have at 
least one access account and an Internet presence. At this time we are 
extremely pleased to be able to announce that SNET has offered to donate one 
Internet access account for each participating school and library, including 
60 hours of access per month for the entire school year! 
On September 28, 1996, all schools and volunteers will come together in an 
"electronic barn-raising" to wire the schools and libraries for their 
connections. ConneCT '96 is only the beginning! As the excitement and 
interest grow, so too will the initiative to continue making computer-based 
learning accessible to everyone. 
Who is ConneCT '96?
ConneCT '96 is a conglomerate of leaders from the education, business and 
government communities. It is chaired by John Larson, Senior Fellow at the 
Yale Bush Center, and former Senate President for the state of Connecticut. 
The administration is handled by CCCY, Citizens for Connecticut's Children & 
Youth, who will coordinate and manage the collaborative efforts of the 
schools, businesses and government agencies. 
At the heart of the effort are local community planning teams, which will be 
established to initiate and coordinate local participation in ConneCT '96. 
Many communities have already established district technology planning groups 
in order to qualify for state and federal technology grants, but those who 
haven't can get assistance from this initiative. Local planning teams are 
truly "citizens in action" and ConneCT '96 will function as an organizational 
vehicle for all such collaborations. 
We need your help to make this project a success. Visit the site for specific 
information on how you can help, and sign up to become a volunteer and/or 
sponsor. 
At the site you will find:
School Sites
Here school officials can create a Web page for their school using custom 
'themes' so volunteers and sponsors can learn more about the schools 
involved. You can also search the index of schools to find an individual 
school's page.
Library Sites
Here you can visit Connecticut libraries that are already on-line. Soon this 
area will provide library administrators the ability to create Web pages for 
their libraries.
Progress Report
A constantly updated summary of ConneCT '96's progress. This includes 
volunteer and sponsor information organized by county, upcoming events and 
meetings, and press releases.
Educational Sites
Visit this area for links to some of the best educational sites on the 
Internet. 
Progress Report
Click on the map to get a listing of schools in each county
From this area, the general public can obtain current information about the 
progress of ConneCT '96. In addition, the Progress Report provides in-depth 
information on each school's computer equipment and how they are using 
computers in their schools. 
As ConneCT '96 progresses, the state map pictured above will be color-coded 
to indicate areas of need. This will ensure that all the schools of 
Connecticut gain the benefits of ConneCT '96. 
Clicking on a county on the map will bring the visitor to a listing of 
schools in that county, and from there he/she can go to the school Web page 
if one has been created. The school Web page will have the latest information 
regarding volunteer and sponsor activity. 
Finally, this area will also contain a listing of sponsors to date, including 
links to their Web sites, if available. Thus one can come here to have a 
quick look at who is involved at the sponsor level. 
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Gov. John Rowland Expresses Support
In a statement issued April 24, 1996, Gov. Rowland gives his endorsement to 
the ConneCT '96 initiative. "I'd like to express my strong support for the 
efforts of all those involved in the ConneCT '96 project." Gov. Rowland 
writes, "This is just the kind of public/private partnership that has become 
a key tool in the effort to expand our horizons as we approach the next 
century."
We fight, we laugh, we piss on each other, we back slap each other, we have 
fun, we suffer........what the heck, this is our hobby.
We could come together as a group in each of our respective towns one day 
this fall and do something that's pretty neat. It truly is for a worthy cause 
and won't cost you a cent.
To all (including everyone in Net 141, 142 and 320): Let's do this as a group 
and have some fun. It's a worthy endeavor.
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Announcing Connecticut's First Electronic Barn Raising 
Hartford, CT, April 24 -- Emphasizing the need for all of Connecticut's 
children to be able to access the Information Superhighway, a broad based 
citizen effort is underway to connect all elementary and secondary schools 
and public libraries to the Internet. This ambitious project was announced 
today at the State Library.
The effort is spearheaded by John Larson, former president of the Connecticut 
State Senate and currently a senior research fellow at Yale University's Bush 
Center on Child Development and Public Policy. When asked why he started such 
an undertaking, Larson stated, "This is an extraordinary opportunity to 
develop a template for cooperation that will enhance our children's ability 
to compete in a global economy."
ConneCT '96 is modeled after a similar effort in California where 17,000 
trained citizen volunteers wired 2,600 schools in one afternoon. Janice 
Gruendel, Project Manager for ConneCT '96 and Co-Director of Citizens for 
Connecticut's Children and Youth, talked about the initiative. "On September 
28th, ConneCT '96 volunteers will wire participating public libraries along 
with K-12 schools, using wiring kits that cost about $600 and include a 
high-speed modem. Importantly, this effort builds upon the wonderfill work 
already begun in Connecticut to bring students into the global information 
age," Gruendel stated.
The electronic hub of ConneCT '96 is its web site, designed and hosted by 
DynaMind of Avon, Connecticut. At this site, schools, libraries, citizen 
volunteers and organizational sponsors can register to participate. The site 
is located on the Intemet at the following address: http://www.connect96.org.
Some of the educational and parent organizations that have already joined the 
effort include the Connecticut PTA, the Connecticut Education Association, 
the Connecticut State Federation of Teachers, and the Connecticut Association 
of Public School Superintendents.
Corporations are also joining the effort. Today's announcement comes with the 
support of one of the State's largest businesses. Howard Taylor, President, 
S.N.E.T Custom Business Group, announced that Southern New England Telephone 
will become the official ConneCT '96 Internet provider by offering one year 
of free Internet access to participating ConneCT '96 schools and public 
libraries. "In this dawning information age, we want to do our part to ensure 
well-educated students," remarked Taylor at the press conference.
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