Reach OutReach Out

In times of international intolerance, network builder Education Telecom and telecom vendor Polycom are setting up a high-speed network to link schools worldwide via videoconferences, video on demand, and collaboration software. Their goal: to forge a better understanding of world cultures among school children.

The network, free to schools, will first appear in San Diego and Orange County, Calif., as well as New York City, South America, and China. And it's got star power: Lou Diamond Phillips and author John Grisham are set to kick off the teleconferences.