Global Virtual Classroom - Description of the Program

1. 1548 Caribbean Dr. • Sarasota, FL 34231 USA• (941) 924-0025 • www.VirtualClassroom.org
Global Virtual Classroom Program Description
The Global Virtual Classroom (GVC) is a project of the Give Something Back
International Foundation (GSBI), a public non-profit educational organization, devoted
to providing educational opportunities to primary and secondary school students
throughout the world.
The GVC, formerly the “AT&T Virtual Classroom”, is an international educational
program that offers a variety of free, online educational activities and resources to
primary and secondary school students worldwide. From 1996 to 2000, when AT&T
launched the program, it earned the reputation as the premier online educational
experience on the Internet. From 2003 to the present, the GSBI Foundation has
continued and enhanced the program with new tools and resources.
The GVC is a collaborative website-building activity for multinational teams of students
from 7 to 18 years of age. Using internet technologies to communicate, teams (consisting
of three schools from different countries) have to collaboratively plan, design and build
websites on topics of their choosing. Team websites are then judged by a panel of internet
savvy VIP judges and the winning teams are awarded plaques and cash prizes of USD
$3,000 (First Place); $1,500 (Second Place); and $750 (Third Place).
The GVC’s goal is to empower, enable and connect young people around the world
using Internet technologies. It creates a stimulating environment where students can learn
essential “21st century” information technology, globalization, and socialization skills
such as:
- collaboration
- teamwork
- creativity
- cross-cultural communication
- project planning
- internet & information technology skills
- website design skills
The Global Virtual Classroom’s success in making learning both fun and relevant has
earned the program support from education departments and leading IT teachers all over
the world. The GVC programs are conducted completely online and are available free of
charge to any school with an interested teacher, computers and internet access. It has
successfully demonstrated the ability to integrate cross-cultural understanding and
technology into classrooms and curriculum.
Sponsored by the
Give Something Back International Foundation • www.gsbi.org