Bradley Elementary Integrates Internet Into Science Curriculum With New Computers In Science Lab

$5,000.00 Computer Donation By Paramount Homes Helps Bridge Digital Divide Latest Technology Brings Fossils To Life, Inspires Kids

JACKSON, NJ: Larrick Daniels always enjoyed taking his students on field trips to planetariums and museums. Now the technology coordinator at Asbury Park's Bradley Elementary brings the interactivity and inspiration of a field trip into the schools science lab on a daily basis.

Thanks to a donation from Paramount Homes, Jackson, New Jersey, the science lab sports $5,000.00 in computer equipment with high-speed Internet access, enabling teachers to integrate the wealth of educational activities, programs and information available online into their science and technology curricula.

In a hands-on science program featuring experiments with tornadoes and erupting volcanoes and fossil hunting along with all-new textbooks intended to correspond with online companion modules, the computers provide a new dimension that teachers find invaluable and kids find captivating, according to science teacher Peter Vetrano.

For fourth-grader Kavonne Sanders, the computers are a welcome addition to the science lab. "I like using the computer to find good ideas about dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and the solar system," says Sanders, looking up from an innovation activity on the Smithsonian's Web site.

"The lab is better than before." In a school that boasts computers in its classrooms, the science lab had gone without the high-tech equipment since its construction in 2001.

"We've been on a mission to wire the entire learning experience for the 21st century," says Vice Principal Bernadette T. Williams.

"Bridging the digital divide will play a key role in how our kids perform in higher grades and ultimately in the job market. Paramount's support immediately moves us farther along in achieving our goals."

Adds Jeffrey Fernbach, president of Paramount Homes, "We're grateful for the opportunity to support the school, the teachers and the children in such a tangible way.

The growing strength of the district gives me great confidence in the future of Asbury Park.

" Paramount is the developer of North Beach Asbury Park, part of the city's $1.2 billion redevelopment effort. For more information, see www.NorthBeachAsbury.com or call Paramount Homes at 732.776.6200.