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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release February 2, 2000
                    THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION:
               FROM DIGITAL DIVIDE TO DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
                            February 2, 2000

Today, President Clinton will unveil a comprehensive proposal to help bridge the digital divide and create new opportunity for all Americans. This issue has been a top priority for Vice President Gore, who has worked to bridge the Digital Divide by ensuring that all children have access to educational technology. Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to use this technology effectively are becoming increasingly important for full participation in America's economic, political and social life. Unfortunately, unequal access to technology and high-tech skills by income, educational level, race, and geography could deepen and reinforce the divisions that exist within American society. President Clinton believes that we must make access to computers and the Internet as universal as the telephone is today -- in our schools, libraries, communities, and homes.

To make the most of these new opportunities, the President believes we must:

President Clinton will announce specific proposals in his new budget to help accomplish these goals and help create digital opportunity for more Americans -- including $2 billion in tax incentives to encourage private sector activities such as computer donations, and $380 million in new and expanded initiatives to serve as a catalyst for public-private partnerships.

PRESIDENT CLINTON'S NEW BUDGET INITIATIVES

  1. $2 billion in tax incentives over 10 years to encourage private sector donation of computers, sponsorship of community technology centers, and technology training for workers.
  2. $150 million to help train all new teachers entering the workforce to use technology effectively.
  3. $100 million to create 1,000 Community Technology Centers in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods.
  4. $50 million for a public/private partnership to expand home access to computers and the Internet for low-income families.
  5. $45 million to promote innovative applications of information and communications technology for under-served communities.
  6. $25 million to accelerate private sector deployment of broadband networks in under-served urban and rural communities.
  7. $10 million to prepare Native Americans for careers in Information Technology and other technical fields.

To Help Mobilize Public/Private Partnerships To Close the Digital Divide, President Clinton Will Lead A New Markets Trip during the week of April 9th: Closing the Digital Divide requires creative partnerships between industry, non-profit organizations and government. That's why President Clinton will lead a New Markets trip during the week of April 9th designed to mobilize a significant private and public effort to close the digital divide. This trip, which will include leading high-tech CEOs, will highlight communities that are using information technology to enhance our children's education, expand access to life-long learning, and create economic growth and high-tech, high-wage jobs.

                      THE CLINTON-GORE AGENDA FOR
                      CREATING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
                            February 2, 2000

Private sector competition and rapid technological progress are powerful forces to bridge the digital divide and make Information Age tools available for more and more Americans. The information technology industry is able to double the amount of computing power available at a given price every 12-18 months, and is now selling low-cost computers and "information appliances" -- such as specialized Internet access devices. Some companies are even offering free, advertiser-supported Internet access. By working with the private sector and community-based organizations, the Administration can accelerate the trend toward expanded access.

But access to technology is only the first step. We also need to give people the skills they need to use technology, to promote content and applications of technology that will help empower under-served communities, and to ensure that teachers can use technology effectively in the classroom. Below is a brief description of the initiatives that President Clinton and Vice President Gore are proposing to help accomplish these goals:

  1. $2 billion over 10 years in tax incentives to encourage private sector donation of computers, sponsorship of community technology centers, and technology training for workers: President Clinton's budget includes $2 billion in new tax incentives to encourage companies to donate computers to schools, libraries and community technology centers, to sponsor schools, libraries, and community technology centers in designated Empowerment Zones, and to provide basic computer training, workplace literacy, or other basic education for their employees.
  2. $150 million to help train all new teachers entering the workforce use technology effectively in the classroom: Under the leadership of President Clinton and Vice President Gore, the United States has made enormous progress in connecting schools to the Internet, and increasing the number of modern computers in the classroom. However, access to computers and the Internet will not help students achieve high academic standards unless teachers are as comfortable with a computer as they are with a chalkboard. President Clinton's budget calls for $150 million in Department of Education grants -- double the last year's investment of $75 million -- to ensure that all new teachers entering the workforce are technologically literate and can integrate technology into the curriculum. The need for this investment is clear. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 20 percent of teachers report that they are "very well prepared" to integrate technology into classroom. And over the next 10 years, K-12 schools will need to hire 2 million new teachers to fill the vacancies left by retiring teachers and to accommodate increasing student populations.
  3. $100 million to create up to 1,000 Community Technology Centers in low-income urban and rural communities: The President's budget more than triples the Department of Education's support for Community Technology Centers - from $32.5 million in FY2000 to $100 million in FY2001. This initiative, championed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters was initially funded at $10 million in fiscal year 1999. The goal of the initiative is to help close the "digital divide" by providing computers and Information Age tools to children and adults that are not able to afford them at home. These community technology centers will help empower hundreds of thousands of low-income children and adults in a variety of ways. Children will be able to improve their performance in school by having access to high-quality educational software after school and prepare for the high-tech workplace of the 21st century by getting certified with an information technology skill. Adults will be able to use computers and the Internet to take a self-paced adult literacy course; get access to America's Job Bank to see what jobs are available; learn to type up a resume and cover letter using word processing software; learn to start up their own "micro-enterprise" or Web-based business, or acquire new training. A study sponsored by the National Science Foundation confirms that Community Technology Centers are helping to bridge the digital divide. Of the users surveyed: 62 percent had incomes of less than $15,000; 65 percent took computer classes to improve their job skills; and 41 percent got homework help or tutoring at the center.
  4. $50 million for a public/private partnership to expand home access to computers and the Internet for low-income families: The President's budget includes a new $50 million Department of Commerce pilot program to expand access to computers and the Internet for low-income families, and to give these families the skills they need to use these new Information Age tools effectively. This new program will provide competitive grants to public-private partnerships at the local level. Potential partners might include: local school districts seeking to expand parental involvement in education; high-tech companies willing to provide discounts on computers and access; libraries offering training on "information literacy"; employers seeking to upgrade the skills of their workforce using distance learning, and government agencies at all levels seeking to save taxpayer dollars through the electronic delivery of government services. The Administration will continue to work with the private sector and non-profit organizations on the most effective way to design this program.
  5. $45 million to promote innovative applications of information technology for under-served communities: President Clinton's budget will increase the investment in the Department of Commerce's highly-successful Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) to $45 million -- triple the current level of $15 million. This program encourages innovative applications of information technology that help empower low-income communities -- public health information systems that raise childhood immunization rates in inner-cities, tele-mentoring for at-risk youth, and electronic networks that strengthen local communities by fostering communication and collaboration.
  6. $25 million to accelerate private sector deployment of high-speed networks in under-served urban and rural communities: High-speed Internet access is becoming as important to the economic vitality of a community as roads and bridges are today. The President will propose a new $25 million program at the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture to accelerate private sector deployment of broadband networks in under-served urban and rural communities -- using grants and loan guarantees. The potential payoff from these kinds of investments is enormous. One company, for example, has helped people move from "welfare-to-work" by connecting their community with the high-speed networks needed to support telecommuting. This solves some of the biggest barriers associated with welfare-to-work -- lack of childcare and transportation.
  7. $10 million to prepare Native Americans for careers in information technology and other technical fields: The National Science Foundation will support efforts by tribal colleges to increase the number of Native Americans who are prepared to pursue careers in information technology and other technical fields. The ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and jobs in the rapidly growing information technology sector pay almost 80 percent more than the average private sector wage.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to effectively use this technology are becoming increasingly important for full participation in America's economic, political and social life. People are using the Internet to find lower prices for goods and services, work from home or start their own business, acquire new skills using distance learning, and make better informed decisions about their healthcare needs. The ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and jobs in the rapidly growing information technology sector pay almost 80 percent more than the average private sector wage.

Technology, used creatively, can also make a big difference in the way teachers teach and students learn. In some classrooms, teachers are using the Internet to keep up with the latest developments in their field, exchange lesson plans with their colleagues, and communicate more frequently with parents. Students are able to log on to the Library of Congress to download primary documents for a history paper, explore the universe with an Internet-connected telescope used by professional astronomers, and engage in more active "learning by doing." Students are also creating powerful Internet-based learning resources that can be used by other students -- such as award-winning Web sites on endangered species, the biology of sleep, human perception of sound, and an exploration of the American judicial system.

Access to computers and the Internet has exploded during the Clinton-Gore Administration. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence of a "digital divide" -- a gap between those individuals and communities that have access to these Information Age tools and those who don't. In some instances, this divide is actually widening. A July 1999 report from the Department of Commerce, based on December 1998 Census Department data, revealed that:

In addition, data from the National Center for Education Statistics reveals a "digital divide" in our nation's schools. As of the fall of 1998, 39 percent of classrooms of poor schools were connected to the Internet, as compared to 62 percent for wealthier schools.

A STRONG RECORD OF WORKING TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked hard to close the digital divide, and to help create opportunity for more Americans in the Information Age.

As a result of the Clinton-Gore educational technology initiative:

In addition, President Clinton and Vice-President Gore have worked to:

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