OPEN GATEWAYS PROGRAM

About the Program

Goals of the Open Gateways Program
Open Gateways Communities
Open Gateways Grants
Open Gateways Curriculum for Teachers
Sun and America's Promise
For More Information

Goals of the Open Gateways Program

Through its Open Gateways program, Sun has demonstrated its committment to prepare students for the digital economy, utilizing strategies that promote inclusion and an appreciation for diversity.

Specific goals are to:

Assist schools, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities, deploy network computing technologies
Support the use of networked-based solutions to deliver effective models of instruction and improve student outcomes
Promote the integration of technology into curriculum through teacher professional development
Share best practices with others who wish to try similar approaches

Open Gateway Communities

In order to maximize the impact, and involve Sun employee volunteers, the Open Gateways program has contributed grants of Sun products and site-based teacher professional development in communities where there is a sizeable employee base. These communities are:

Bay Area, California
Broomfield, Colorado
Burlington and Middlesex counties, Massachusetts
West Lothian Council, Scotland

Sun may occasionally issue grants outside of the above targeted communities. In such instances, grants are undertaken as Strategic Initiatives or as announced in published RFPs. Unsolicited grant requests are not reviewed.

Open Gateways Grants

Helping to create the schools of the 21st century is about more than just money and equipment. It's about developing new models of instruction, developing educational content and providing tools to deliver them to students. Sun periodically establishes demonstration sites or issues Request For Proposals (RFP) with specific grant opportunities that can include:

Product Grants
Grants are tailored to objectives outlined in each RFP and feature Sun's latest server, Enterprise Appliance, and/or Java technologies.

System Training and Support
Grants include training to ensure that schools have the capacity to support the systems received through Open Gateways Product Grants. A one-year service contract may also be provided.

Teacher Professional Development
Sun sponsored educational consultants or employee volunteers trained in the Open Gateways Curriculum for Teachers deliver training on integrating StarOffice™ and other technologies into the school's curricula.

Open Gateways Curriculum for Teachers

Sun believes that technology, when aligned with curricula and used to deliver effective models of instruction, can be a powerful tool for learning that creates richer learning experiences for students, improves student achievement and prepares students for the world of work in the new economy.

The Open Gateways Curriculum for Teachers consists of Training Modules and resources designed to teach persons interested in training teachers to fully integrate the StarOffice™ suite of productivity tools into their school curricula.

Training Modules
Modules contain step-by-step instructions designed to give learners a sense of comfort and confidence using the Internet and StarOffice™ suite of productivity tools. Specific pre-requisites and learning outcomes
are provided.

Facilitator Notes
The recommended delivery model is facilitator-led workshops in which the facilitator models and an activity and allows participants to follow and practice new concepts. Each module contains facilitator notes are offered to help guide the instruction.

Independent Practice and Create Your Own
Each module includes either an independent practice or "Create Your Own" activity which enables workshop participants working individually or in teams to produce sample products to demonstrate learning outcomes.

Trainer Resources:
A variety of resources are provided to assist with logistical preparations; including guidelines for effective workshops and templates such as sample survey and evaluation form. Facilitators are advised to review these materials prior to conducting workshops.

Teacher Resources
Resources include teacher-developed lesson plans and resources to assist with curriculum integration. Additonal Sun sites are provided that connect learns with supplemental training and support.

Sun and America's Promise

Sun is proud to have been one of the first high-tech companies to respond to Secretary of State Colin Powell's call to action on behalf of America's Youth. Through the Open Gateways Program, Sun pledged to bring Internet access to K-12 schools in economically disadvantaged areas, provide training to teachers and deliver innovative curricula based on the Internet. By the end of 2000, Sun and its employees contributed more than 20,000 hours of service in schools and more than five million dollars in equipment and teacher training to help prepare youth for the world of work and lifelong learning in the 21st century.

For More Information

For more information about Open Gateways and other Sun Foundation programs, contact:

corpaffrs@sun.com

Oracle is reviewing the Sun product roadmap and will provide guidance to customers in accordance with Oracle's standard product communication policies. Any resulting features and timing of release of such features as determined by Oracle's review of roadmaps, are at the sole discretion of Oracle. All product roadmap information, whether communicated by Sun Microsystems or by Oracle, does not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract.

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