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Global Student Network has offered their Virtual Curriculum as well as their expertise in establishing Virtual Learning Academies to school districts, and students, who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina

(PRWEB) September 2, 2005 -- Global Student Network has offered their Virtual Curriculum as well as their expertise in establishing Virtual Learning Academies to school districts, and students, who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

“We have the ability to enroll every displaced student within a matter of days and we’re offering our program to these distressed districts at a substantially lower cost,” states Don Posson, Director of Operations for Global Student Network. “We work with the school districts and schools to help them reestablish themselves organizationally, but without the brick and mortar.” For Katrina survivors, there is likely to be some comfort if they can attend Virtual Classes with the same teachers they previously had, and remain in those classes throughout the coming months.

Dr. Diane Weir advocates strongly for this continuity of educational care: “The most important thing communities can do at this time, is to return these students to some semblance of normalcy, especially when everything normal has been removed.”

Dr. Weir is a clinical psychologist with over 21 years working with children and adolescents. Additionally, she is a team leader for Nevada’s Mental Health Disaster Response Team.

“Over the next several months these students will be displaced frequently. These displacements not only contribute to severe disruptions in their educational continuity, but can also re-traumatize them after a period of stability. Using a Virtual Curriculum that links them to teachers, counselors and staff that they know, supported by the community resources where they are located at any given time is a very effective way to support these students as they heal from their traumatic wounds. An additional bonus for them, and the schools that Global Student Network will be working with in the effected states is that the quality of the curriculum itself, along with its delivery platform and accessibility, will ensure that no child effected by Katrina will be left behind,” said Weir.

Obviously there will be a strain on most schools that are accepting students from the disaster area. Global Virtual Curriculum is a tool that can help these districts alleviate some of that strain, but more importantly, provide a framework of consistency for the students who have not only experienced a tremendous displacement and loss, but will continue to experience many more educational transitions during the coming months.

Posson pointed out that since Global Student Network began operations, they have focused on serving the students that were not doing well in traditional classrooms. Now, we'd like to help every effected student who doesn't have a traditional classroom available. Global Student Network is cutting the annual license fee in half to help both schools and students affected by Katrina to get back on their educational feet.

Posson also states that Global Student Network can get the curriculum in place, but that still leaves a hole. Two other major pieces are necessary, computers, and Internet access. Since the classrooms are virtual, the majority of the work they do will be online. Global Student Network has been discussing the hardware needs with several hardware manufacturers and is encouraging them join in this relief effort. The curriculum will run on a very basic computer system. There’s no special software or hardware required at all. This is a very affordable solution for effected schools.

In addition to offering a heavily discounted curriculum to the effected students, Global Student Network is pledging $50 for each new enrollment to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

“We want this contribution to directly support education efforts for those most in need,” Posson said. This contribution will be made on behalf of any individual who enrolls in the Global Virtual Curriculum during the next 90 days.

For more information on how to enroll with Global Student Network, or to join in this Educational Relief Effort call (702) 265-7220 or (702) 300-1707. Visit Global Student Network at www.GlobalStudentNetwork.com.

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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/9/prweb280013.htm