Please Be Nice to Schools

Does Galaxy Online's school-as-ISP scheme mean the end of bake sales? Perhaps other local ISPs can work with schools to create similar deals around the world.

by Jim Wagner
ISP-Lists Managing Editor

Through Galaxy Online's educational partnership program, your local school becomes a competitor, potentially drawing away customers who can join the program to help bolster funds for school activities and projects.

Program members can now launch their Internet access onto a customizable web portal filled with content determined useful and, more importantly to parents, safe for schoolchildren. Content filtering is available for a monthly fee.

According to Galaxy's press release the program "is designed to help students, teachers, parents and entire communities realize the full educational potential of worldwide computer connectivity and at the same time support continued growth and improvements to their school by utilization of the shared subscriber fees."

No longer are school fundraising activities limited to bake sales, car washes and raffle contests: a portion of the $19.95 monthly subscription fee that Galaxy (OTCBB:GLXOF) collects is given back to the school.

The program is a valuable marketing tool, with 24/7 technical support and billing provided by Galaxy. Its partnership with AT&T Corp. and UUNet guarantees nationwide backbone support.

All the school needs to do is generate customers. More customers = more money.

Potential Market
Or, looking at it another way, the two companies have found a potentially huge market of parents who will feel more comfortable knowing their monthly Internet access bill is helping their children at school. Why give money to another ISP when part of the monthly fee sent to Galaxy will help build the new auditorium?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as costs associated with education rise, school officials are looking for ways to bring in more revenue. In 1994-1995, it cost $5,793 per student for one day of education. In 2000, the cost is around $2,000 per day.

Getting Schools Net Enabled
Schools and the Internet having been drawing closer to one another since the Clinton Administration came to office in 1996.

First was the "Education Rate" bill which gave schools a subsidy for computer- and computer-related purchases, including Internet access.

Next came the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund in 1997, a $1 billion grant pool which supported teacher efforts to incorporate the Internet in classrooms.

In 1998, a program called Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology was funded to help education majors to use new teaching and learning styles on the Internet.

Competing with giants
Galaxy's partnership program is very similar to the AOL@School program. Free to all schools and schoolchildren, AOL set up special portals with an email address, instant messaging, and chat rooms, all regulated by teachers and administrators. The program was a branding opportunity for AOL. Helping young boys and girls discover the Internet was an added bonus.

Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp. has been in the education game for more than a year now. After domination comes philanthropy, obviously, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been pouring grant money, to the tune of $170 million, into schools throughout the country.

Please be nice
Your ISP could help educational institutions. Schools may like the Internet, but lack funding. As we keep reiterating, do well by doing good.

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