Grade six students from across North America travel to Calgary,
Canada, as part of collaborative exchange program

Over sixty students from the Connections program to meet for a week of sharing and adventure

Calgary, AB --- May 27, 2004 --- On May 28, 2004, the SMARTer Kids™ Foundation’s Connections program will welcome grade six students and teachers from eight North American schools to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Sixty-four students from British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Nebraska, Alabama, Arkansas and New York will gather for an exciting week of interpretive tours, activities and excursions. The trip celebrates the students’ and teachers’ two-year participation in the Connections program, offered through the Foundation. The Connections program equips grade five and six classes with leading-edge technology, promotes collaborative projects between schools and culminates with teachers and selected students meeting for a fun-filled week in Calgary. The Connections program strives to foster, in each participating student, a greater sense of self-awareness and connection to family, students and the global community.

Participants in the Calgary student visit will enjoy many Alberta attractions, including Banff National Park, the Sulphur Mountain Gondola, the Calgary Zoo, the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the Calgary Police Canine Training Facility and Heritage Park. Costs associated with the visit, including airfare, accommodation, meals, local transportation and admission to Connections-sponsored activities, are covered by the SMARTer Kids Foundation.

“The Connections program has promoted cultural understanding, collaboration and communication over the past two years for this group of young students,” says Nancy Knowlton, executive director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. “Meeting their new friends in person and celebrating what they’ve learned through the program and from each other are extremely rewarding and enriching experiences for these students.”

For more information about the Connections program, visit www.smarterkids.org/connections.

Connections Creed
The Connections Creed captures the values and ideals of this program:
In my life, I can stand alone without being lonely. I can reach out and feel connected to family, friends and teachers. I will surround myself with people who inspire me to be the best person I can be. I am connected to others in many ways, but what matters the most is what is within me and who I choose to be.

Participating schools
Ranchlands Elementary, Calgary, Alberta
Barr Colony School, Lloydminster, Alberta
David Livingstone Elementary, Vancouver, British Columbia
Kingslake Public School, Toronto, Ontario
O’Neill Public Elementary, O’Neill, Nebraska
Central Middle School, Van Buren, Arkansas
Susan Moore Elementary, Blountsville, Alabama
PS 165—Ida Posner School, Brooklyn, New York

Product Donations
All Connections schools have received two SMART Board™ 580 interactive whiteboards, two Floor Stand 570s and two NEC® VT45 projectors. These products have been integrated with curriculum to support collaborative learning projects. The SMARTer Kids Foundation thanks SMART Technologies Inc. and NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division for these product donations and their ongoing support.

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