Certiport Celebrates Contributions of 2007 Champions of Digital Literacy at PATHWAYS Conference: Certiport Honorees Bridge the Digital Divide and Transform Lives in Their Respective Communities and Countries

Certiport today announced the recipients of the 2007 Champions of Digital Literacy award representing seven countries: Brunei, Costa Rica, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States. The 11 Champions of Digital Literacy will be honored Saturday during the gala event of Certiport PATHWAYS(TM) 2007 international conference in Orlando, Florida, USA.

ORLANDO, Fla. (BusinessWire EON) July 18, 2007 -- Certiport today announced the recipients of the 2007 Champions of Digital Literacy award representing seven countries: Brunei, Costa Rica, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States. The 11 Champions of Digital Literacy will be honored Saturday during the gala event of Certiport PATHWAYS™ 2007 international conference in Orlando, Florida, USA.

As leading countries and communities make tremendous strides in bridging the Digital Divide among their citizenry, we must first honor the role of the individual who champions the cause of digital literacy and his or her impact on lives as a result.

“The Champions of Digital Literacy program exemplifies the power of one individual to transform the lives of others,” said David Saedi, president and CEO of Certiport. “As leading countries and communities make tremendous strides in bridging the Digital Divide among their citizenry, we must first honor the role of the individual who champions the cause of digital literacy and his or her impact on lives as a result.”

Named as the Inspiration Award winner among the Champions of Digital Literacy is his Excellency Dr. Khaled Touqan, minister of education for the Amman Ministry of Education. Dr. Touqan has initiated the adoption of digital literacy initiatives including the Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) program throughout the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Certification is an integral part of the Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) program, which has the potential to touch more than 100,000 students and teachers in Jordan. ERfKE is a five-year project to improve the quality of education for all students in the public education system and emphasizes use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education.

Other distinguished individuals recognized as 2007 Champions of Digital Literacy are from:

• Brunei: Mohamad Abu Bakar, director of SEAMEO VOCTECH
• Costa Rica: Rodrigo Castro Palma, president of Colegio Universitario Boston
• Libya: Adel Ali Abdul Jalil El Ogbi, director of training division in Libyan General People's Committee for Manpower and Training
• Malaysia: Mohd Jasmi bin Hassan, chief executive officer of MSD Technology Sdn. Bhd
• New Zealand: Judith Speight, director of ITT WRKZ Limited
• New Zealand: Peter Macaulay, creator of the New Zealand Digital Strategy
• United States: Ernest Franklin, executive director of Navajo Nation Telecommunication Regulatory Commission
• United States: Heather Lampo, IT academy coordinator for Grace King High School in Louisiana
• United States: Marilynn King-Johnson, department manager for Navajo Nation Web Warrior Program in Department of Youth
• United States: Priscilla Hagebusch, clinical professor of A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University

Champions of Digital Literacy celebrates efforts and contributions by individuals in addressing the gap between the digitally skilled and the digitally isolated community members. Each year, nominations are received from around the world and award recipients are selected based on the measurable scope and social impact of their efforts. The Champions of Digital Literacy Inspiration Award is given in recognition of the visionary leadership required to transform communities and nations through large-scale digital literacy initiatives.

To learn more about Certiport PATHWAYS 2007, go to www.certiport.com/pathways.

ABOUT CERTIPORT

Certiport prepares individuals with current and relevant digital skills and credentials for the competitive global workforce. These solutions are delivered by more than 12,000 Certiport Centers worldwide and include Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®), the official Microsoft® Office certification programs and the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program. For more information, visit www.certiport.com.

"Certiport" and "IC³" are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. "Microsoft" is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.