Instant billionaires made rich by online profits and Web sites that seemingly took off overnight often live next door to families struggling to put food on the table in California's Silicon Valley.

The Silicon Valley Civic Action Network is one group trying to to change that disparity through a series of public forums aimed at drawing in people who are not integrated into the world of technology, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

The Civic Action Network, an arm of the nonprofit Joint Venture group, recently received a two-year $900,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to develop a region-wide campaign addressing the digital divide.

Participants in the first forum -- from professions as diverse as carpenters, educators, community leaders and computer whizzes -- discussed a wide range of problems and offered solutions, including turning schools into community centers to provide computer training for children and adults, improving basic public education and instilling parents with the importance of technological know-how in today's job market, the Mercury News reports.

"If these computer people could offer some kind of training to our residents to upgrade their skills and salaries, they wouldn't have to work two or three jobs," San Jose resident Yolanda Vega said. "They could provide computers for their children."

Since December, several initiatives have been launched to bridge the divide between those who have access to technology and those who don't. America Online pledged to provided technical training to civil rights organizations, and The Digital Divide Network -- an initiative of the Benton Foundation, the National Urban League and several other groups -- has served as a clearinghouse for information on public and private efforts to close the gap.

According to statistics released by the National Urban League, one in 10 information technology jobs goes unfilled. While these jobs pay on average 78 percent more than jobs in other industries, nearly 350,000 tech jobs are vacant and 1.3 million will be unfilled by 2003.

That's why the dialogue begun in the Silicon Valley is significant, observers say: all eyes are watching to see if the region that made the globe one vast digital network can find a way to include all of San Jose's residents in this economic renaissance.

"In this vision of Silicon Valley's future, our people apply the same drive, creative thinking and single-minded focus that built Silicon Valley into a technological powerhouse," a Silicon Valley Civic Action Network report stated. "(We need) to build a Silicon Valley of broad prosperity, a healthy, attractive environment and inclusive communities for ourselves and future generations."

It was not known at press time when the next San Jose meeting is scheduled.

To take part in a Digital Divide survey go to:
http://www.onedemocracy.com/1d/
OrganizationDisplayServlet?ORGANIZATION_ID=381

Full text of the article is currently found at:
http://www7.mercurycenter.com/premium/
local/docs/divide19.htm