A $1.2 million grant from Microsoft Corp. will help the Navajo Education Technology Consortium train teachers to use technology in classrooms.

The Microsoft donation will be put towards matching a $7.6 million Technology Innovation Challenge Grant given to NETC by the U.S. Department of Education. It will be used to train educators from 12 Navajo school districts in Arizona, New Mexico and southern Utah.

The program will allow parents and teachers to learn about current software and computer technology at four training centers on reservations in the three states. These participants will then be able to train other school staff members on what they have learned. About 2,750 teachers and 45,000 students are served by the NETC.

Microsoft will give software and other resources to the centers and 50 schools in the program. That gift includes 30 software licenses of various titles.

The NETC, created in 1997, is an consortium of school administrators from school districts in the Navajo region. Its goal is to improve Navajo education through technology.

Full text of the article is currently found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/
1999/aug99/NavajoGrantPR.htm