February 15, 2000

Dear Friends,

It is a pleasure to welcome all those gathered for "The Wired Classroom- Leveraging the Internet to Promote E-Learning."

This exciting event provides a unique opportunity to explore ways to further expand the use of technology in today’s classrooms. By working together to Provide more technological resources, schools, businesses and community organizations have helped more children in California meet higher challenges and higher academic expectations. I am encouraged by this global effort and the knowledge that soon California’s students can expect to communicate online with students in Italy, Kazakhstan, or the United Arab Emirates.

On behalf of the people of the state of California, I would like to thank Cisco and the participants of this exceptional summit for your innovative approach and commitment to educating the world’s children.

Sincerely,