Project aimed to bring Kentucky's underprivileged households participate in Information Age

FRANKFORT, Ky. “ Governor Fletcher announced a new pilot program that will provide computers to Kentucky's underprivileged households to help bring them into the Information Age.  Governor Fletcher made the announcement last night in Lexington. 

"No Child Left Offline" is a project that will provide 500 refurbished surplus computers to 8th grade students across Kentucky.  Connect KY, Kentucky Department of Education, and the Kentucky Finance Cabinet's Office of Technology and Office of Surplus Properties will recycle and refurbish surplus state computers.   

The goal of the new program is to shrink the gap between those who have access to technology and those who don't in the commonwealth and is part of Governor Fletcher's Prescription for Innovation.  Kentucky currently ranks 45th in residential computer use and 43rd in residential Internet use.  Brian Mefford, President and CEO of Connect KY, says the pilot project will be targeted to counties in the ARC region and distribution of computers will be determined through input from the ARC, Education Cabinet and the Governor's Office for Local Development, or GOLD. 

"No Child Left Offline" is sponsored in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission.  Microsoft donated the software for the computers and Lexmark donated new printers and ink cartridges for each of the 500 computers.