�Generation Y has already proven to be a successful program in our schools, � said Judy Finch, Chief of the Learning Technology Support Group for Prince George�s County Public Schools. �We are very pleased to be able to expand this exemplary model of technology integration in our own schools and spearhead a state-wide implementation.�

Increased Need, Reduced Budgets
Even as more technology makes its way into schools, schools and districts have to make do with smaller budgets for teacher professional development. �Generation Y is an innovative program that uses an overlooked resource -�namely students�to help teachers bring classrooms into the 21st century,� said Dennis Harper, CEO and founder of Generation YES, Inc., and publisher of the Generation Y curriculum. �The collaboration between teachers and students is effective in improving the use of technology in schools by providing time-starved teachers with the ongoing support they need. Years of evaluation and research studies demonstrate that teachers, students, and tax payers benefit from this model.�

No Child Left Behind
The funding comes from the federal program known as the �No Child Left Behind� initiative. This Federal legislation has provisions for educational technology funding and professional development that are research-based and scientifically proven.

�Generation Y fulfilled the requirements of this funding and met our needs,� said Finch, �It teaches students technology in a way that supports our technology plans and assists teachers in integrating technology in the classroom. We hope to have a generation of students who are involved and working with educators to improve their own learning.�

Generation Y
Generation Y is a model technology program that has won awards and national acclaim since its introduction in 1995 as a federal Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. Hundreds of schools in the United States have implemented Generation Y classes, and extensive research has demonstrated the program�s effectiveness in improving student learning and changing teacher practice. Generation Y students throughout the county take responsibility for their own learning and contribute to an improved educational climate in their schools.

Generation YES
After the Generation Y Technology Innovation Challenge Grant was completed, Generation YES, Inc. was formed to continue the implementation of Generation Y classes nationwide. In addition to Generation Y, Generation YES provides three other unique student-centered programs aimed at improving learning through the infusion of modern technology into classrooms. Generation YES provides training, services, materials, and support for schools throughout the world in support of this mission. (https://www.genyes.org)

#########