| ||||||||||||
|
BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - YACHT RACE HITS THE RIGHT NOTE WITH CHILDREN Southampton (UK), Friday 27th June 1997 With just two days to go till the BT Global Challenge restarts for the sixth and final leg the crews have begun to make the final preparations. Their attention has now turned to preparing themselves for the final challenge, and away from the various activities of the stopover. Boston has been a fun-packed and busy stopover, with corporate sailing days, a technology showcase, the Boston BT Party - part of the world's largest tea party ever, an exciting prize giving ceremony and a host of other activities. However for crew volunteer Malcolm Thornley, the excitement for him has been visiting local Boston schools to talk about the BT Global Challenge. Malcolm, a crew volunteer on 3Com is a teacher by profession. From the moment he signed up for the race, Malcolm decided that he wanted to do more than just sail. His ambition was to carry on teaching around the world by speaking to kids in schools during the BT Global Challenge stopovers about the yacht race and sailing. During two previous stopovers, Malcolm organised video conferences with himself, schools in the local ports of call and a school in the UK. During the Boston stopover he visited several schools. "The race starts them off talking, it gets them interested and gives them a buzz," said Malcolm. The first school he visited was the Bowman's School in the historic Lexington district of Boston. The school and the parents welcomed him to their school and their area. Malcolm told us, "Both the children and the parents were really excited about my visit, they insisted on showing me round the town, where the first battle of the civil war was held. In fact one mother told me that her husband was so enthralled by the BT Global Challenge that he wants to do the next race in the year 2000." His second visit was to the Timilty school in a downtown Boston area called Roxbury. Many of the children at this school are underprivileged. "Talking about the yacht race got them excited. I always tell them that `if there is something you really want to do, you can do it'. When they see me, an ordinary person, doing this race, it can help them believe that." As a result of his talk, Malcolm and a few of the 3Com crew took 25 children from the Timilty school out for a day's sailing in Boston harbour. The 3Com crew sailed the yacht over to Charlestown Navy Yard, where the kids were shown round it. Then with the help of a local dinghy sailing school and instructors, they took the kids out dinghy sailing. Malcolm said, "The surroundings they grow up in can give them a limited outlook, this gives them a new dimension on life. Seeing their faces light up is a wonderful feeling. It makes it all worthwhile." Malcolm says that through his visits to schools people make friends and many different children are talking to each other around the world through both his website and the BT Global Challenge website. "A school from Cape Town is already planning to come to England for a Rugby Tour hosted by an English school. They met through one of the video conferences and have continued talking through the internet and by e-mail." Another place that friendships have been struck up is through the BT Global Challenge Club on the internet. The aim of the BTGCC is to celebrate global communications and create an exciting experience for young people. Through the website children have been able to experience live chat sessions, interviews with crew members and collaborate with schools worldwide to plan a dramatic international rescue simulation at sea. Schools and other educational organisations can join the club via the BT Global Challenge web site at http://www.btchallenge.com. Or check out `The Schools Gallery' in Malcolm Thornley's web site at http://3com.bournemouth.com. For updated information on the BT Global Challenge : Internet site : http//www.btchallenge.com Fax database : 0990 321123 (+44 990 321123 from outside UK) Recorded telephone information line : 0891 505550 (UK only) Public enquiry bureau : 01703 212124 (+44 1703 212124 from outside UK) Ceefax page 388 (UK only) |
 bt.com |
 |
Copyright British Telecommunications plc 1996.
Notices| (i) | Copyright British Telecommunications plc 1996. |
| (ii) | Access to this information/data or any part of this page via the World Wide Web must only be by linking to the relevant page on the BT Global Challenge Web Site. (http://www.btchallenge.com/results/latest/latest.htm) |
| (iii) | This information/data was originally produced by "BT's Race Information System". BT shall not be liable for use of any part of it. Subject to (ii), you may use the information/data alone provided this notice is included. |
| (iv) | You may copy and use any part of this page, other than on the World Wide Web, provided you include all of these notices. You must not charge for public use and before such use you must inform BT by facsimile to 0171 777 7444 or email to h.brierley@btinternet.com stating the intended use. |
| (v) | Inform BT (as in notice (iv)) if your platform is not world wide web. |
| (vi) | Map data was produced using MundoCart/CD (a digital product of Petroconsultants Group). BT shall not be liable for use of any part of it. |