CDW-G and Discovery Education Award Win a Wireless Lab 2009 to Five Schools

CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, and Discovery Education, the only provider of digital content scientifically shown to increase academic achievement, today announced the winners of the seventh annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes.

CDW-G and Discovery Education received a record 702,000 sweepstakes entries in just five months. "The 2008 program was a success with 180,000 entries, but this year’s contest was the most expansive in its history and exceeded all expectations,” said Bob Kirby, vice president for K-12 education, CDW-G. "Educators understand how technology can facilitate learning, but budget challenges are keeping them from making it a reality in every classroom. Win a Wireless Lab can help fill that gap.”

The five winning schools are Churchville Elementary, Churchville, Va.; Millbridge Elementary, China Grove, N.C.; Huntingdon Area Senior High, Huntingdon, Pa.; Clear Lake Elementary, Oxford, Mich.; and Tyler Elementary, Belton, Texas. Each school will receive a state-of-the-art 21st-century classroom, complete with wireless notebooks or tablet PCs, interactive whiteboard, projector, printer, document camera, video camcorder and more.

Seventy-two percent of sweepstakes entrants reported that making every classroom a 21st-century classroom is their top goal, according to CDW-G and Discovery Education’s survey of entrants, but access to technology is a barrier, with one-third of entrants reporting using technology in class once a week or less.

"Given the current economy, Win a Wireless Lab provides a much needed boost for schools,” said Mary Rollins, vice president, Discovery Education. "Our survey asked entrants to rate the state of technology at their school, and only 25 percent rated it as excellent or good. We’re pleased to help bring about change that empowers educators to engage with students in learning and improve academic achievement.”

Each of the five grand prize winners will receive a 21st-century classroom valued at approximately $45,000, including:

• $5,000 Discovery Education digital media grant
• 20 notebook or tablet computers from HP, Lenovo or Toshiba
• 3 wireless access points from D-Link, Linksys or NETGEAR
• 1 Bretford mobile cart
• 1 interactive whiteboard from Promethean or PolyVision
• 20 student response devices from Promethean or PolyVision
• 1 video projector from Epson or NEC Solutions
• 1 document camera from AVerMedia
• 1 laser jet printer from Epson or HP
• 1 video camcorder from Sony

The winning schools eagerly anticipate benefits for both students and teachers:

• "We want to create a learning community that maximizes student achievement and promotes excellence,” noted Sue Hannant, principal, Clear Lake Elementary, Oxford, Mich. "This lab will give both teachers and students the opportunity to use technology daily and explore new ways to learn, with the end goal of graduating students who are prepared for ever-changing global opportunities.”
• "Our goal for technology in education is for students to develop skills that support learning, personal productivity, decision making and professional development,” said Laura Hodges, principal, Churchville Elementary, Churchville, Va. "Teachers will be able to provide more dynamic and engaging instruction for students to enhance their skill sets, which is critical to develop in the early stages, as students are increasingly challenged to use technologies to learn – in the K-12 classroom and beyond”
• "It is a dream for any school or school system to win such an engaging prize that promotes learning across all curriculum areas and prepares our students for the 21st-century,” said Tamara Jones, first grade teacher, Millbridge Elementary, China Grove, N.C. "Win a Wireless Lab will support our school’s mission: To prepare students for the 21st century and help them become globally competitive in today’s society”
• Principal Sybil Collins of Tyler Elementary, Tyler, Texas, understands that teacher training is key to maximizing the results from technology tools, and her teachers have already started preparing. "Teachers learned how to skillfully integrate wireless labs and other technologies into daily curriculum. Our staff will continue to work with the school district’s instructional technology coordinators, our curriculum facilitator, and peer leaders to learn about emerging tools and how to integrate effective teaching practices with technology”
• Kevin Kidd, a social studies teacher at Huntingdon Area Senior High, Huntingdon, Pa., noted that the lab "will enable us to more fully integrate 21st-century skill sets within our curriculum and provide our students with the opportunity to experience hands-on learning. The lab and software from CDW-G and Discovery Education will keep us in the forefront of 21st-century education”

In all, the 2009 Win a Wireless Lab program awarded prizes to 25 schools nationwide, totaling over $300,000. For a full list of prizes, please visit http://cdwg.discoveryeducation.com/new/site/prizes.cfm?pgid=prizes. The full list of winners is available at http://cdwg.discoveryeducation.com.

About CDW-G

A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 34 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company’s technology specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.

For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.