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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
February 12, 2002
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Wired for Youth Centers at Austin Public Library Hold Olympic Challenge

Each day between February 11 and February 24, kids will compete in an Olympic Challenge Sport Game by answering trivia questions and playing a computer version of an Olympic sport (i.e. downhill skiing, the luge, hockey, ski jumping, etc.) which corresponds with that day's actual Olympic event. Each young person can turn in one entry per day with his or her high score and the answer to the day's Olympic trivia question.

Participating Olympic Challenge WFY Centers are Carver Branch, Cepeda Branch, Oak Springs Branch, Riverside Drive Branch, Southeast Austin Community Branch, Terrazas Branch and the University Hills Branch. Call (512) 448-0776 and speak to the WFY Librarian, Frances Ramberg for specific details.

Individual WFY Librarians will be awarding prizes at their branches. Check with your local WFY Librarian for details. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to three winners chosen at random from the total number of entries submitted during the entire WFY Olympic Challenge.

In designing the WFY Olympic Challenge, the WFY Librarians saw the games as a way to recruit young people to the technology centers who may have an interest in sports, but may not know how they can use technology in pursuit of their sport interests. For existing users of the centers it's a great team building opportunity, which focuses on learning Olympic history.

About the Wired for Youth Centers
Through the Austin Public Library Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers were created with a grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and are staffed by professional youth librarians. The librarians have a high level of expertise in technology, and teach various types of computer skills from Web page development to use of office applications. Wired for Youth Centers (WFY) designed to help bridge the "digital divide" for youth who are least likely to have access to personal computers and technology. "Children living in the information age will be disadvantaged without easy access to information-age tools for learning. The Internet, like our libraries, opens the door to new worlds and new opportunities for our children," said Susan Dell. The Austin Public Library System currently has six fully staffed centers. For additional information about the WFY centers or about the Austin Public Library, call (512) 974-7400.

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