Project 2014: Investing in our Community's Future gets started in Harrison County, Indiana, with laptops or netbooks being provided to all incoming freshman at South Central junior-senior and Corydon Central High schools.

This 10-year, $2.34 million dollar program is funded by a onetime use of riverboat dollars that were earmarked for education. "This is one of the most exciting and innovative initiatives South Harrison has ever taken," according to school board president Roger Windell.

There are three parts to the program:

1) Fiber-optic lines will be installed in the county to connect the high schools at a cost of approximately = $100,000 over a ten year period.

2) Wireless capabilities will be expanded and improved throughout the high schools in the district and should spill over for the elementary and junior high schools. This will cost about $85,000.

3) All incoming freshman in September of 2010 will receive a laptop or netbook. At the end of each school year the students will turn them in to the district for upgrades and repairs.

Parents were surveyed about having a one-to-one program and 89 percent said that they expecting the computers to be beneficial or very beneficial. The school officials feel that they are preparing their students to be global citizens with this program.

According to director of technology, Jim Crisp, "This is a great investment in our students. Let's face it, this is the world they are living in today. We can either prepare our students for the world or we can lag behind."

Source: SH Provides Laptops to Incoming Frosh The Corydon Democrat