News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

Thousands of Students Across the Country To Participate in First-Ever Live
Virtual National Constitution Day Event - "America Reads the Constitution"

WHEN: The event will take place on Friday, September 15, 2006, 1:00pm EDT

WHAT:  Schools across the country will use the ultra-fast Internet2
nationwide research and education network to participate in a massive
National Constitution Day videoconference event sponsored by MAGPI and the
National Constitution Center. Called "America Reads the Constitution," the
event will use high-quality videoconferencing technology to bridge hundreds
of students across time zones and state borders to read the Constitution
together; thousands more will be watching the live webstream. By providing
this first-ever virtual interactive platform for National Constitution Day,
students will be able share and learn alongside their peers from all regions
of the U.S. in a celebration of our nation's most important historical
document. 

43 schools are involved in the event - from coast to coast and will be lead
by Constitution High School in Philadelphia, PA. Each school site will be
assigned a portion of the Constitution to read as part of the multi-site
videoconference including Washington State School for the Blind who will
read their portion from Braille and the Scranton State School for the Deaf
who will share their section in sign language. In addition, the Cleveland
Institute of Music has created an original musical score to accompany their
readers. After completing the full reading, students will be able to ask
each other questions and share observations of their experiences.

Media are invited to local videoconference sites for the event. 
The general public is invited to watch live by following
http://commonsvcg.oar.net/MAGPI - click on "America Reads the Constitution"
under the live conferences category.

For more information please contact:  
Heather Weisse, MAGPI Applications Coordinator, 

 or visit -
http://www.magpi.net/programs/constitutionday.html

WHERE:  Schools participating in "America Reads the Constitution" event:
.       Hutchinson Institute of Technology, Fairbanks, AK
.       Samuel Jackman Middle School, Sacramento, CA
.       Miami Palmetto Senior High School, Pinecrest, FL (via Florida
International University)
.       St. Ann School, Chicago, IL (via University of Chicago)
.       Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN
.       Nehama Valley High School, Seneca, KS
.       Pleasanton High School, Pleasanton, KS
.       Second Street School, Frankfort, KY
.       Coppin Academy, Baltimore, MD
.       Old Town High School, Old Town, ME (via University of Maine)
.       St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, MI
.       North Branch Senior High School, North Branch, MN
.       Sandburg Middle School, Golden Valley, MN
.       Odessa Public Schools, Odessa, MO
.       Rural Hall Elementary School, Rural Hall, NC
.       Fessendon-Bowdon Public School, Fessenden, ND
.       Passaic Valley High School, Little Falls, NJ
.       Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH
.       Career and Technology Education Center of Licking County, Newark, OH
.       Fairland High School, Proctorville, OH
.       Harte-Crossroads Public Schools, Columbus, OH (via The Ohio State
University)
.       St. Charles School, Lima, OH
.       Minford Middle School, Minford, OH
.       Odessa School District, Odessa, OH
.       Comanche Elementary School, Comanche, OK
.       Constitution High School, Philadelphia, PA (via University of
Pennsylvania)
.       Springfield High School, Springfield, PA
.       Delaware Valley High School, Milford, PA
.       E.T. Richardson Middle School, Springfield, PA
.       Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA
.       Scranton State School for the Deaf, Scranton, PA (via University of
Scranton)
.       Swiftwater Intermediate School, Swiftwater, PA
.       Welsh Valley Middle School, Narberth, PA
.       Exeter West-Greenwich High School, West Greenwich, RI
.       Kickemuit Middle School, Warren, RI
.       Ponaganset High School, North Scituate, RI
.       West Warwick High School, West Warwick, RI
.       Wickford Middle School, North Kingstown, RI
.       Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca, TX
.       Wolters Accelerated High School, Deer Park, TX
.       Slocum High School, Elkhart, TX
.       Wahluke High School, Mattawa, WA
.       Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver, WA

ABOUT MAGPI
MAGPI provides regional and Internet2 connectivity to its member
institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. A division of
Information Systems and Computing at The University of Pennsylvania, MAGPI
is committed to promoting advanced applications, collaborations, and
services for the K20 research and education community through high
performance networking technology. For more information about MAGPI, visit
http://www.magpi.net

ABOUT INTERNET2
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Internet2 is the foremost U.S. advanced
networking consortium. Led by the research and education community since
1996, Internet2 promotes the missions of its members by providing both
leading-edge network capabilities and unique partnership opportunities that
together facilitate the development, deployment and use of revolutionary
Internet technologies. Internet2 brings the U.S. research and academic
community together with technology leaders from industry, government and the
international community to undertake collaborative efforts that have a
fundamental impact on tomorrow's Internet.  For more information:
http://www.internet2.edu

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia's
Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and
the ideas and values it represents. Opened on July 4, 2003, the Constitution
Center is a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on
constitutional issues.  The museum dramatically tells the story of the
Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100
interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and
artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance,
"Freedom Rising". The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education
and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education
and debates, and is a partner of NPR's "Justice Talking," a program of the
Annenberg Public Policy Center.

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