Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) USA hosted a Gulf Coast TeachUp! Awareness Luncheon on March 25, 2009 at the Great Southern Club in Gulfport, MS to showcase the successes of the TeachUp! Program over the last three years in Mississippi and Louisiana.    George Schloegel, Board Chair Emeritus of Hancock Holding Company and Honorary Chair of the Gulf Coast TeachUp! Luncheon, along with a committee of community and business leaders from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, welcomed guests to hear how TeachUp! is empowering teachers and students in Mississippi and Louisiana classrooms.

Distinguished guests and speakers for the event included Hank Bounds Ph.D, State Superintendant of Education for Mississippi, and John P. Morgridge, Board Chair Emeritus of Cisco Systems, whose generous support was instrumental in bringing TeachUp! to Mississippi and Louisiana following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. A video documenting the effects and success of the TeachUp! Program, donated by Mississippi Power Company, also premiered at the Gulf Coast Luncheon.

West Elementary School in the Moss Point School District in Moss Point, MS and Harrison Central High School in the Harrison County School District in Gulfport, MS hosted Morgridge and his wife, Tashia, as well as other school and community leaders, for tours of classrooms that are successfully integrating technology and learning with the aid of the TeachUp! Program. Guests observed technology driven lessons in math, science, and English subject areas and witnessed first hand the power of technology to engage students of all ages. The schools thanked Mr. and Mrs. Morgridge for their support of TeachUp! over the last three years and their long-standing commitment to education.

Over 100 educators and community and business leaders attended the luncheon to hear teachers, administrators, and TeachUp! Interns speak about the impact of TeachUp! in over 100 schools across Southern Mississippi and Louisiana.    Teachers showcased projects from podcasting to digital storytelling that engage students and expand the boundaries of the classroom.

Morgridge, keynote speaker for the event, recognized the importance of TeachUp!’s mission in empowering educators with the technology tools and knowledge necessary to prepare students for the 21st century world of work and highlighted Cisco’s commitment  to education worldwide. Bounds recognized the great potential for today's tech-savvy youth and the challenge that the older generation of technology “immigrants” face in keeping students, the digital natives, academically engaged and technologically equipped for the future.

The Gulf Coast TeachUp! Awareness Luncheon was an opportunity to share the successes of not only the TeachUp! Program, but also of schools, administrators, and teachers who continually strive to engage and prepare students to succeed in an ever-changing, technology-driven global economy. DOT USA looks optimistically to the future and remains committed to transforming education by empowering teachers to harness the power of technology through the TeachUp! Program.

The Gulf Coast TeachUp! Awareness Luncheon was sponsored by the following businesses, whose support was greatly appreciated: AT&T, Balch & Bingham LLP, Hancock Bank, IP Casino, Mississippi Power Company, and Whitney Bank.