NetDay

NetDay was established to take place over the course of one Saturday, whereby designated schools would receive full connection to the Internet. Activities were coordinated at the website netday.org. The HTML Writers Guild (quoting the NetDay FAQ) defined the day as an:

{{cquote|historic grassroots effort in the classic American barn-raising tradition. Using volunteer labor, our goal is to install all the basic wiring needed to make five classrooms and a library or a computer lab in every school Internet-ready. If the same work were financed by taxpayers, it would cost more than $1,000 per classroom. Volunteers from businesses, education, and the community will acquire all of the equipment and will install and test it at every school site. Your support and participation is crucial to our success. In addition, by bringing together these diverse elements, NetDay establishes a framework for lasting partnerships among business, government, educational institutions, and local communities to provide ongoing support for our schools.{{cite web

|url=http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/events/netday.html

|title= NetDay and the HWG

|accessdate= 2008-06-12

|author=

|last=

|first=

|author-link=

|vauthors=

|date=September 12, 1998

|publisher=

}}}}

Some argued that access to the Internet should not be a priority when schools lack even basic resources like library books (although in many cases the project added needed materials and efforts to computing projects already underway).{{cite news|author=Laura Lindhe |title=SF State plugs into NetDay |url=http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/gater/spring96/mar12/01.html |work=Golden Gater |publisher=San Francisco State University Department of Journalism |date=March 12, 1996 |accessdate=2008-06-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206025908/http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/gater/spring96/mar12/01.html |archivedate=February 6, 2012 }}

Image:Phoc96v1.jpg installing computer cables with Vice President Al Gore on NetDay 1996 at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, CA.]]

The first NetDay was held on March 9, 1996.{{Cite web |title=Net Day |url=https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/WH/New/NetDay/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov}} NetDay '96 created considerable excitement amongst participating schools. The day was organized via the website netday96.com. 20,000 volunteers helped to wire 20 percent of California schools to the Internet. 2,500 wiring kits were donated by telephone companies. Of the first event, John Gage commented, "NetDay96 is a demonstration of what can happen when people coalesce around a community project [...] In one day, we can begin to reverse California's abysmal record of putting technology into its classrooms."{{cite news

|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1996/03/09/MN59762.DTL

|title=Clinton, Gore in Concord Today for NetDay: 20,000 volunteers wire computers at California schools

|accessdate= 2008-06-12

|last=Rubenstein

|first=Steve

|date=March 9, 1996

|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle

}}

President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore led the NetDay '96 effort in California, spending the day at Ygnacio Valley High School. The event was augmented by sending Education Secretary Richard Riley, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, and FCC Chairman Reed Hundt to schools in the San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles school districts, and establishing a multicast bridge for live video conferencing. The original plan to host Clinton and Gore in the Oakland Unified School District was changed at the last minute due to a teachers strike.

{{cite web

|url=https://archive.iww.org/history/library/Justice/classroomsfirst/

|title=Classrooms First! - A History of the 1996 Oakland Teacher's Strike

|accessdate=2024-12-28

|last=Justice

|first=Jason

|author-link=

|year=1996

|publisher=Industrial Workers of the World

}}

In his speech at YVH, Clinton stated that he was excited to see that his challenge the previous September to "Californians to connect at least 20 percent of your schools to the Information Superhighway by the end of this school year" was met. Clinton also described this event as part of a time of "absolutely astonishing transformation; a moment of great possibility. All of you know that the information and technology explosion will offer to you and to the young people of the future more opportunities and challenges than any generation of Americans has ever seen". Clinton acknowledged the support of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis, Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative George Miller.{{cite book

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yCThAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA403

|chapter=Remarks on NetDay in Concord, California, March 9, 1996

|last=Clinton

|first=William J.

|author-link=

|year=1996

|title=Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton

|publisher= Best Books on

|isbn=9781623768010

}}

In a prepared statement, Gore added that NetDay was part of one of the major goals of the Clinton administration, which was "to give every child in America access to high quality educational technology by the dawn of the new century." Gore also stated that the administration planned "to connect every classroom to the Internet by the year 2000".{{cite web

|url=http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/NetDay/Video/statement.html

|title=Statement by the Vice President about Netday

|accessdate=2008-06-12

|last=Gore

|first=Al

|author-link=

|year=1997

|publisher=

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609140821/http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/NetDay/Video/statement.html

|archive-date=2011-06-09

|url-status=dead

}}

Another NetDay was held that same year in October in Silicon Valley, involving 80 companies and approximately 3,500 volunteers helping to network 172 schools. The campaign was called Smart Schools NetDay II and was coordinated by Smart Valley, Inc., a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, part of the initiatives at Joint Venture: Silicon Valley.SmartSchools NetDay, www.svi.org/netday/, version November 27, 1996, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/19961127052934/http://svi.org/netday/ archive.org], accessed June 5, 2018

On April 28, 1998, Gore honored numerous volunteers who had been involved with NetDay and "who helped connect students to the Internet in 700 of the poorest schools in the country" via "an interactive online session with children across the country."{{cite news

|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_puca/is_199804/ai_1702147294

|title=GORE, RILEY AND KENNARD HONOR NETDAY VOLUNTEERS ANNOUNCE GUIDE TO ONLINE MENTORING, COMPUTER DONATIONS

|accessdate= 2008-06-12

|author= Press Release

|last=

|first=

|author-link=

|date=April 28, 1998

|work= US Education Department Press Releases

|publisher=

}} Volunteers continued to play a central role in NetDay school wiring activities, and by the end of 2001, NetDay events were held in 40 states and engaged more than 500,000 volunteers to wire more than 75,000 classrooms across the USA.About NetDay, netday.org/about.htm, version October 20, 2001, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20011020210501/http://www.netday.org/about.htm archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016 Archived versions of the NetDay Web site, netday.org, say that NetDay events were planned for March 20, 1999,NetDay Home page, netday.org, version Feb 24 1999, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/19990224124742/http://www.netday.org/ archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016 April 8, 2000,NetDay Home page, netday.org, version Apr 18, 2000, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20000418091053/http://netday.org/ archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016 October 28, 2000,National School Wiring Day, netday.org/wiring.htm, version December 4, 2000, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20001204163200/http://netday.org/wiring.htm archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016 March 31, 2001National School Wiring Day, netday.org/wiring.htm, version February 2, 2001, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20010202150000/http://netday.org/wiring.htm archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016 and October 27, 2001.National School Wiring Day, netday.org/wiring.htm, version August 14, 2001, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20010814081044/http://www.netday.org/wiring.htm archive.org], accessed November 11, 2016

In its last four years of operation, NetDay changed its focus from one or two days a year to wire schools to the Internet. Its new events and activities included collaborating with Join Hands Day in 2002,Community Connection - Seasons of Service, netday.org/service_joinhands.htm, version December 2, 2002, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20021208103648/http://www.netday.org/service_joinhands.htm archive.org] on November 11, 2016 and three new initiatives: NetDay TechDay,First Netday Techday Held In Mississippi Delta, netday.org/news_first_techday.htm, version October 3, 2003, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003190930/http://netday.org/news_first_techday.htm archive.org] on November 11, 2016 NetDay Speakup DayNetDay Speak Up Day, netday.org/speakupday.htm archive.org, version October 3, 2003, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20031003201144/http://netday.org/speakupday.htm archive.org] on November 11, 2016 and TESS ― Technology Enhancing Student Success.TESS - Technology Enhancing Student Success, netday.org/comm_tess.htm, version October 3, 2003, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20031013212306/http://netday.org/comm_tess.htm archive.org] on November 11, 2016

In February 2006, NetDay merged with Project Tomorrow, a national education nonprofit organization.NetDay Home page, netday.org, version February 10, 2006, accessed at [https://web.archive.org/web/20060210062354/http://www.netday.org/ archive.org] on November 11, 2016About Project Tomorrow [http://www.tomorrow.org/about/about_PT.html www.tomorrow.org/about/about_PT.html] accessed on November 11, 2016

• eCorps
• Geekcorps
• Geeks Without Bounds
• ICVolunteers
• Inveneo
• NetCorps
• One Laptop per Child
• Peace Corps
• Random Hacks of Kindness
• TechSoup
• United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS)

{{Reflist}}

• Business Wire. "[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_March_7/ai_18066026 Quantum supports Milpitas High School as part of statewide NetDay '96 initiative; volunteer time and hard disk drives donated to bring school on-line]", March 7, 1996.
• Clinton, Bill and Al Gore. "[http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/NetDay/ President Clinton and Vice President Gore Participate in NetDay]". April 19, 1997.
• Clinton Presidential Library, "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ye8E1dHbTU NetDay '96 Speeches at Ygnacio Valley High School, Concord, California]", March 9, 1996.
• Cronin, Caitlin. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080518174027/http://www.aare.edu.au/98pap/cro98274.htm Same Approach, Different Contexts:Exploring the International Impact of NetDay]." AARE Conference, Adelaide 1998.
• Dornin, Rusty. "[http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9603/net_day/index.html 2,000 California schools get wired Net Day connects students to cyberspace]." CNN, March 9, 1996.
• Purdum, Todd. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E3DD1639F933A25750C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print Pursuing a Theme, Clinton Helps Schools Go On-Line]." New York Times, March 10, 1996.
• {{cite news

|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1996/03/09/MN59762.DTL

|title=Clinton, Gore in Concord Today for NetDay: 20,000 volunteers wire computers at California schools

|last=Rubenstein

|first=Steve

|date=March 9, 1996

|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle

}}

{{Al Gore}}

Category:Digital divide

Category:Educational environment

Category:History of the Internet

Category:Information society

Charities

Category:Non-profit technology

Category:Recurring events established in 1995