Successful efforts have included Involving adults in student projects - such as recording experiences of senior adults relating experiences from major historical events Invoving retired adults as mentors on projects Providing open computer labs and training opportunities for community members to expose them to the uses of technology Contributions of time from community people with school wiring, such as are now being accomplished with events like NetDay . The local community can assist in the planning and implementation phases with the school district's adoption of technology.
Schools can open their doors during nonschool hours to support community learning opportunities.
This will, in turn, help schools raise the community's level of awareness and understanding of the benefits of technology in education. A district technology committee should involve members of the community including parents, business people, telecommunications representatives, local college representatives, school board members, and others. Infrastructure solutions that can benefit multiple organizations in a community will help to reduce costs, create cooperation, and open the doors for new opportunities. For example, schools and libraries might find approaches to share Internet access and the related fees with each others and with higher education institutions in their area. There is an increased sense of cooperation, information sharing and recognition of common needs and problems which the community can come together to work on in a non-competitive mode.