Tomorrow’s School Today, a project that encourages the effective use of information and communications technology in elementary schools, is expanding.

A news conference was held Oct. 4 at the “pioneering” institution, St. Dorothy’s School in St. Michel, to announce that the project has expanded to include Parkdale School in St. Laurent, Coronation School in Côte des Neiges, and Honoré Mercier School in St. Leonard. All are in the English Montreal School Board. This year, the team hopes to include high schools in the Board.

The project was undertaken in 1996 by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, based in Concordia’s Department of Education. It is underwritten by Norshield Financial Group, which gave $100,000 over five years for the development of teachers’ skills in integrating technology into their teaching, plus another $30,000 so far for expansion.

Rector Frederick Lowy represented the university at the news conference, which concluded with a demonstration by St. Dorothy’s students of their computer skills.

The CSLP, which recently received two Valorisation recherché de Québec grants, is also involved in a $9-million research project led by the Baltimore-based Success for All Foundation. That project involves developing new technological tools to enhance a literacy program used in some 2,000 schools, mostly in high-poverty areas in the United States.