From World Village, December 21, 1997

Too Cool School House Educational Site--Week of December 21, 1997

BikeAbout promotes "peace and cooperative understanding through bicycling and the increased use of technology in education." BikeAbout strives to increase awareness about and access to a particular region and its people by bicycling around, carrying, and demonstrating globally-linked computers at scheduled school visits and special events. Founded by Ethan Gelber, a former European bicycle tourism company guide and inner-city high school teacher, BikeAbout is supported by several organizations and individuals.

BikeAbout's first expedition, BikeAbout-the-Mediterranean, launched this fall. A team of four riders and their computers set out eastward from the Spanish city of Ceuta to bicycle the full circumference of the Mediterranean. The team will cover more than 10,000 miles in thirteen months at a cost of $108,460 in addition to contributions from manufacturers and retailers. The BikeAbout team will journey through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Albania,Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Monaco, France, Spain, and Gibraltar.

BikeAbout's team will present lectures and demonstrate basic online services and other instructional tools as it illustrates the growing importance of technology in education and cooperative regionalism. Many high schools in the United States and the Mediterranean region will directly participate in the shared adventure via the Web.