The Internet is essential to achieving
goals set by Presidents' volunteer summit

FOSTER CITY, CA (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Awards Program, Wednesday announced the results of a special technology session held at the Presidents' Summit for America's Future last week in Philadelphia.

In the session titled, "The Role of Technology," panelists discussed the impact of communications technology on America's youth, volunteers and community service organizations. The panel included:

Honorable Federico Pena, U.S. Secretary of Energy; Douglas Becker, President and Co-CEO, Sylvan Learning Systems; Mario Morino, Chairman, The Morino Institute; Donald B. Reed, President NYNEX; Laura Breeden, Former Director TIIAP Graduate Program U.S. Department of Commerce and GII Awards Children's Co-Chair; Jim Hake, Chairman, GII Awards.

The session, moderated by the GII's Hake, concluded that without effective use of the Internet the goals of the Presidents' Summit will not be achieved. As evidence, the panel offered several observations:

- America's Promise , the organization charged with carrying forward the mission of the Presidents' Summit, includes thousands of non-profit organizations, corporations, volunteers and communities across America. The Internet is essential to linking this "virtual organization" together and enabling ongoing communication and coordination.

- Children's ability to access and use the Internet is crucial to their future participation in the global economy. According to panelist Mario Morino, "it's not about information haves and have- nots, it's about whether or not children will have the ability to learn."

- The Internet provides the only practical alternative for sharing information about the best practices of volunteerism. The GII website provides a database of successful uses of the Internet by community and children's organizations.

The panel also recognized that use of the Internet is often the only means to meet the needs of children and children's caregivers. Examples sited included past GII Awards honorees Faces of Adoption, Plugged In and Charlotte's Web.

In addition, the panelists determined that the greatest barrier to benefiting from the Internet is the "Relevance Gap" -- the gap between its real potential and its perceived importance.

"When it comes to realizing the full potential of networked communications we find that the biggest barrier is between our ears," said Jim Hake, chairman, GII Awards. "The majority of our national political and community leaders still do not recognize use of the Internet as mission critical to meeting society's needs. Until we close the 'Relevance Gap' we will miss a huge opportunity -- the Internet is useless unless it used."

Throughout the Summit past GII Award winners and finalists served as showcase examples of how communications technology is being used to benefit children and community life in America. The GII honorees ranged from an online adoption service matching adoptive families with children to electronic mentoring and distance learning. Located in the Summit's Technology Showcase, the GII honorees were visited by hundreds of delegates and national leaders including Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Additionally, the GII announced at the Summit a new Awards category developed in cooperation with the Summit's organizers. The GII Promise Award will honor uses of the Internet by volunteer organizations. The first winner of the GII Promise Award will be announced at the 1997 Awards Ceremony scheduled for December in New York City.

"The GII Promise Award will put a spotlight on the most impactful uses of the Internet by volunteers and volunteer organizations," said the Hake. "This will provide powerful learning models to all those involved with America's Promise and will stimulate use of the Net by communities across America."

The GII Awards Program, formerly the National Information Infrastructure (NII) Awards Program, recognizes extraordinary achievement in use of the Internet and network technology. Nominees are evaluated by more than 200 experts who serve as GII judges.

The Presidents' Volunteer Summit was aimed at bringing America to a new level of commitment to volunteer service, targeting the nation's young people. The Summit's mission was to establish an ongoing campaign to ensure our youth have access to five fundamental resources: an ongoing relationship with a caring adult or mentor; safe places to learn and grow; a healthy start; a marketable skill through effective education; and, an opportunity to give back through community service. Presidents Clinton and Bush served as Honorary Co-Chairmen and General Colin Powell as General Chairman of the Summit.

The GII Awards Program, an initiative of SOFTBANK Forums, is the leading global forum for defining, recognizing and promoting excellence and new models in use of the Internet and network technology. The businesses and organizations honored by the Awards program show the world the power and potential of networked, interactive communications. The Awards Program is a non-partisan, private-sector educational initiative made possible through a collaborative relationship with private- and public-sector leaders.