Access to the basic tools of the information age is no longer a luxury for our children

Today communications and information technology are transforming our economy and our society, changing the way we live, the way we work and the way we relate to one another. In recent years, information technology has been responsible for more than one-quarter of real economic growth. Jobs in information technology pay significantly more than nontechnology jobs. About 60% of all jobs require the technology skills that only a fraction of Americans now have.

SiG Leading the way today, for their tomorrow.

But technology skills become important long before people look for jobs. They become important as soon as children begin to learn. In a decade-long series of studies, the Education Department reports that students in classes that use computers outperform their peers on standardized tests of basic skills by an average of 30%. Studies also showed that students with access to the Internet not only presented their final projects in more creative ways but also turned in work that was more complete and had better syntheses of different points of view. Numerous other studies show that children in technology-rich learning environments showed more enthusiasm, had higher attendance rates, developed better writing skills and displayed a greater capacity to communicate effectively about complex problems.

SiG’s School Technology Program enables all schools and libraries to have affordable access to telecommunications and information technology. The SiG program, for instance, gives crucial discounts to schools and libraries, with the steepest discounts going to the neediest communities. Through this tailored program, we are committed to helping ensure that all children--regardless of race, income or geography--can have an equal chance to learn and succeed.

We must give our children--all our children--the chance to succeed in the information age, and that means giving them access to the tools that are shaping the world in which they live.