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GETTING THE KIDS ONLINE
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by Odd de Presno
* A MESSAGE FROM SVETA
There are modems and children in the Soviet Union. This message
was sent to the KIDS-91 global dialog project in November:
" My name is Sveta (Svetlana) Alexandrova. I am 11, and I am a
girl. I live in Moscow (USSR). I like to read books, to sing, to
danse and to swim. I like cats very much. I have a cat. It's name is
Vasya. I like to read fantastic books and I want to have a contact with
UFO. I also like japanese instant food cal- led UFO (japanese
spagetti)."
" I don't know, what I want to be, when I grow up. When I was
small, I wanted to be an architect. But now I don't know, what
profession I like. I want to grow up, and then I shall know."
" How do I want the world to be better when I grow up? I want
to see the world without catastrophies. I want to see it in green
colours. I want better civilizations to help us a little bit. But we
must help our blue planet first. "
" What can I do now to make these dreams come true? Now I can't do
much. I must to learn and know a lot of different things. We must plant
many trees, because plants can help us to save from ecological
catastrophies. And for fewer quantity illnesses, after what people can
die, we can be good each to other."
** EXACTLY WHAT IS KIDS-91?
KIDS-91 is a grassroot project for kids ages 10 to 15. The goal is to involve as many kids as possible in a global dialog which is going on right now until May 12, 1991. Some of it is done electronically - for those who have access to modems and computers. And some of it is done by mail or in other forms.
The task seems simple enough: to collect the childrens' responses to four 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 help this come true?
We also want them to draw themself in their future role/world.
After the 12th of May, the responses will be turned into an exhibition that will be sent back to the children of the world.
* GETTING THEM ONLINE
The number of children in the world is staggering. The thought of reaching a considerable number through conventional channels was never viewed as realistic by those who started KIDS-91. The online resource had to be the basis of the project.
Today, seven months later, responses have been received from all over the world. They have been sent in by children, parents, teachers, and others from Canada, Norway, the United States, Spain, Brazil, Latvia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Finland, and the Soviet Union. And there are
still five months to go until the KIDS-91 "Big Bang" on May 12, 1991!
Users of bulletin board systems and networks in other countries are getting ready to send responses from children in their countries.
Watch for news from Argentina, Singapore, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden, India, Austria, Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Israel, Germany, Nicaragua, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, and many more.
On the other hand, there are still many countries where the KIDS- 91 message has probably not yet been received. We therefore ask the help of all networkers to spread the word further.
* WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES
But, why bother?
The main reason is that the children are our future. By exposing them to our medium - directly or indirectly - we can hopefully help them find solutions to problems that we have been unable to solve. Like poverty, unemployment, war, environmental destruction, and so on. The list is long.
We want to help our children realize their personal visions through participating in a global interactive initiative. We hope to empower them by demonstrating how they can directly affect social change, while also developing marketable skills. We want to raise their consciousness about the "global village" in which they live.
Another good reason to bother is the sheer energy of the four KIDS-91 questions. They represent a simple but powerful force that spreads quickly, involves people, and helps push technological frontiers.
Many teachers view KIDS-91 as a wonderful teaching and learning opportunity. Its global scope lends itself naturally to lessons in geography and cultural awareness. The simple questions and responses given by youth the same age as their students facilitates the teaching of English as a second language, etc.
To exploit the opportunities to their full potential, however, the teachers need access to the responses received from other countries. And, the most efficient way of doing that is by modem.
Some teachers are using KIDS-91 to raise funds to purchase personal computers and communication equipment. We are actively promoting such actions, and are able to provide interested teachers with material for use in proposals.
* TOWARD ONE WORLD
KIDS-91 is taking place on many networks, in many conferences. The most global of these "places" is our discussion forum on Internet. Access is free. (Send email to OPRESNO@COMA.UIO.NO if you want to know how to subscribe.)
We also have a discussion group for kids on the Internet called KIDCAFE. Kids around the world are developing "keypal" relationships -- and learning about each other's cultures and life styles. Here's a simple exchange from an American boy to a Norwegian girl who met in the KIDCAFE :
Hello Karina,
This is is Bill again. I have pets too! They're names are Cyrus, Willie, Otis and Thor. Otis and Thor are big dogs! Cyrus and Willie are cats. I am staying home from school today because I am sick.
Bill Unsworth
While Internet is one of the most widely accessible networks in the world, many people do not have access to it. And often if they do, it is costly or cumbersome, even when using services like CompuServe, FidoNet, Metanet, TWICS, PortaCom, Dialcom, GeoNet, or whatever.
KIDS-91 is indirectly helping to change this situation. The demands of the participants motivate system operators and sponsors to invest in better email gateways, parallel conferencing software, and other methods of porting responses between systems.
At the same time, the project is serving another important purpose. By the end of the yearlong effort, we will have a valuable database of knowledge about the current state of the planet's communications infrastructure - and particularly where kids and classrooms can get online.
So you see - there are all kinds of reasons to get involved in KIDS-91. Please help a kid participate today -- particularly in those countries where modems have not yet reached the grassroots. Our future may very well depend on it!