The "KIDS-91" project newsletter A global dialog for children 10-15 years Issue number 2, Aug 6 1990 Art by Karina Vestfossen de Presno, 1990

1. ABOUT THE PROJECT

The KIDS-91 project is a grassroot movement aiming at getting as many children as possible involved in a GLOBAL dialog starting NOW and going on until May 12th 1991.
We want children's responses to the following questions: 1) Who am I?, 2) What do I want to be when I grow up?, 3) How do I want the world to be better when I grow up? 4) What can I do now to make this happen?
We also want them to visualize their vision in some way, for example by making a drawing, using computer graphics, video tape, or whatever.
The responses will be collected through global electronic computer conferencing. Other means of communication will be used where access to computer conferencing is difficult for technical, economic, or other reasons.
On May 12th, 1991, the children will be invited to "chat" with each other in a huge, global electronic dialog. Exhibitions of selected parts of the responses will be shipped back to the children of the world for them to see and enjoy.

2. THE KIDS-91 NEWSLETTER

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep participants, sponsors, mediators, promoters, and others informed.
Please distribute to as widely as you can. Suggestions and articles for our next issue is more than welcome. We hope to have it out within some 45 days or so.
The editor of this issue is: Odd de Presno, Saltrod, Norway. His online addresses: INTERNET= opresno@ulrik.uio.no, CompuServe= 76004,2617, MCI Mail=OPRESNO, TWICS (Tokyo)=ODDPRESNO, MicroLink=MAG220. BBS at +47 41 31378 (300-9600 bps CCITT. V.22bis, V.32 up to MNP-5. Enter JOIN KIDS91 to leave responses.).
Saltrod, August 6 1990.

3. PROGRESS REPORT

The invitation chain letter has made it to yet other corners of the world, like Turkey (the Ministry of Culture), Brazil, to the Intcul Forum on NIFTY-SERVE and the International Forum on COMMINET Sendai in Japan (translated into Japanese), and to the Ben Gurion University in Israel. Friends have hand carried the "letter to teachers" into Nairobi (Kenya), and Botswana.
Kevin McKeown, known as Dr. Memory on the online circuits, is coordinating the KIDS-91 activities on Santa Monica's Public Electronic Network (PEN, in the U.S.).
The biggest challenge remains to get the word further out in South and Middle America, Africa and remote corners of Asia. If you can help us with that, please do.
Our 'Mission Control Center' is a conference called "KIDS91" on SciNet in Toronto, Canada. This is where the newsletters, form letters, and other plans have been authored. In this "conference room" there are discussion topics like:
KIDS-91 Funding issues, Reports about where the KIDS-91 letters has been sent, Participation policies, Media and news reports, Promotion ideas and reports, Reports of activity on participating Networks, and more.
And finally, new responses from participating children has been received. Here's a few samples:

Item 11 31-MAY-90 18:32 Nancy Stefanik
Question #1: Who Am I?
Say a little about yourself. What is your name? How old are you? What are some of your interests, your hobbies, your concerns? What else do you want others to know about yourself?
---
11:2) Odd de Presno
23-JUN-90 18:30
My name is Astrid Anna Elise Helgesen and I am 13 years old. In August I'll go to the Ila Skole in Oslo, the 7c class. I like to dance (not waltz or Norwegian folk dance), to draw, to read and to bother my little sister. I have a strong temparament. My father is dead, but my mom is still living, and I've got a little sister at 3 years.

Item 12 31-MAY-90 18:34 Nancy Stefanik
Question #2: What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?
Share your vision of what you want to be when you grow up in terms of work, education, and in general.
---
12:2) Odd de Presno 23-JUN-90 18:30
I want a job in which I can travel a lot, maybe as a historian or researcher or advisor. But I also want to do what I can to protect the environment, so I'm also thinking about possibly becoming a natural scientist. I would like to have kids also, but I'd rather adopt one. (Astrid Anna Elise Helgesen, Norway)

Item 13 31-MAY-90 18:36 Nancy Stefanik
Question #3: How Do You Want The World To Be Better When You Grow Up?
How would you like to improve the way we treat each other and the environment we share?
---
13:2) Odd de Presno 23-JUN-90 18:30
I want the world to be cleaner, and that we respect other people for what they are, and not for what they look like. If we enhance the trains, the subway, and the buses, and other means for collective transportation, then we could let the car stay home more. This will help the environment, and be good for the land and the water since we will consume less gazoline. We will have to do something about the factories as well, and stop cutting down the trees. (Astrid Anna Elise Helgesen, Norway)

Item 14 31-MAY-90 18:39 Nancy Stefanik
Question #4: What Can I Do Now To Make This Happen?
What steps can you take now to realize your personal goals and your vision of the world?
---
14:2) Odd de Presno 23-JUN-90 18:31
I can help give paper to recirculation agencies, help collect money to places in need, and buy recirculated paper. (Astrid Anna Elise Helgesen, Norway)

4. One teacher's plans

Paul Riding is a teacher at Colonial Heights Junior (soon to be Middle) School in Virginia, United States. His subject is Computer Literacy, but he is also the educational computer coordinator for the school.
When he presented himself to other KIDS-91 helpers on the SciNet network in Canada, he shared some thoughts about what he planned to do in his school. In his own words:
"Okay, as we fade into the summer sunset, let me tell you what we're going to try to do for next year in regards to this project. With the addition of Social Studies teachers to our growing group of intrepid explorers, we plan on implementing cultural studies of the countries involved, i.e. language, climate, economy, type of governmental structure, educational opportunities, ect.
"English department will continue as the *writing* center (p.s. a few students have received and/or sent letters to Norway since May 13. Neat stuff). Also, with the BARK project involving the Science department, we will try to tie in environmental issues along with the social ones. So, we'll try to have a truly interdisciplinary (don't you just love educationalese) curriculum next year (wish I could think of a way to get Math involved. Any ideas???? ).
"Without this project and the dedication and foresight of all of you, these types of plans wouldn't even be dreamed, much less considered. Thanks !!!! I'll be dropping in now and then during the summer to see how everything is shaping up. Later :)"
In true online networking fashion, it did not take long before ideas about how to get Math involved landed in his mailbox. Graham Orpwood of SciNet suggested:
"Great stuff, Paul! One idea for Math would be understanding the statistics that will crop up all the time when you do comparative studies ... you know the sort of "per capita" figures that make widely different countries economies comparable ... etc. Something for the Math teachers to chew on anyway!"

5. Report from CompuServe

CompuServe Information Service in Ohio, USA, is the world's largest general information utility. The KIDS-91 activities on CompuServe is currently starting up in the following three forums:

The Education Forum, run by Sysop Chuck Lynd, is the place for teachers and parents with an interest in education in general. His mail ID is 76703,674. This is where planning and coordination discussions will take place (between kids, teachers, parents, and others). Teachers and parents may upload the kids' responses and any artwork in electronic form on their behalf. Library 10 and section 10 are where these entries are to be posted.

The Students' Forum, as the name indicates, is the place for students. This is where they can upload their responses personally, as a file to library 0 or as messages in section 0. Electronic art or similar "visualization" entries may be uploaded to library 13. Teachers may want to schedule regular international "chats" with classes in CO. Contact sysop Dave Winslow (76703,2033) for more information.

The Kid to Kid section in the IBM Special Needs Forum is open to all kids, including kids who happen to have a disability. It have no association of school as the Students' Forum. This is their area. Responses may be uploaded by the kids themselves to library 15 at any time. Regular "chats" will take place in the forum's CO subject to schedules determined by the kids themselves. Contact sysop Georgia Griffith (76703,266) for more information.

KIDS-91 background information will be made available for downloading in these forums on a continuous basis. Currently, the form letter of invitation to teachers and the project's first newsletter is available in Library 10 of the Education Forum. Do a keyword search for KIDS-91 to find the file names to download.

6. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KIDS-91

or if you want to help out or participate, please contact one of the electronic addresses given above. Other email addresses:

Nancy Stefanik: MetaNet=stefanik, PeaceNet=nstefanik, AppleLink=x0447, TCN=tcn145
Knut Braatane: KBRAATAN@NORUNIT.sintef.no

You can also write to SciNet, 339 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4X 1H2, Canada.