Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee launches SREB’s [Southern Regional Education Board] new Ways In Mentor Web site

The Ways In Mentor Web site, which was launched by Governor Huckabee at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock here, is especially designed for adults and electronic learners. It provides one-stop help and resources – whether the person needs a GED, a college course or an entire degree program.

“Ways In Mentor will make access to learning easier for anyone in Arkansas – or anywhere else – and will fit with current Arkansas efforts in online learning,” Governor Huckabee said. “Ways In Mentor, which builds on SREB’s extensive experience in sharing resources across the Southern states, is unique in its focus on adult learners. Just over a year ago, I announced that SREB and Xap would create Ways In Mentor. Today, I am proud to announce that it is a reality.”

Ways In Mentor, an initiative of SREB, involves a partnership with the Xap Corporation, the California-based company which has developed Mentor sites in 11 SREB states and 35 sites nationally. Ways In Mentor will tie in with SREB’s Electronic Campus, which in six years has grown to more than 8,000 courses and 380 degree programs delivered electronically from colleges and universities in all 16 SREB states.

Allen Firstenberg, the president and CEO of the Xap Corporation, said “the partnership with SREB is a unique and exciting one for Xap. This initiative adds an important dimension of serving adult and e-learners to the many services already available in our Mentor systems. We are honored to be part of this innovative effort.”

Mark Musick, the president of SREB, said that Ways In Mentor is a 21st century example of how states can work together and use technology to multiply the benefits for students while dramatically reducing costs. SREB’s efforts to use technology to meet the needs of adults through an online teacher center and online courses for nursing faculty fit perfectly with Ways In Mentor. “Ways In Mentor also ties in with SREB’s Challenge to Lead Goals for Education, which assert that SREB states can lead the nation in educational progress and provide more college-level education for adults,” he said.

The Ways In Mentor Web site provides a number of specific services for adults seeking further education, including help in finding courses, applying to colleges and obtaining financial aid. It can be reached from any Internet computer at www.WaysInMentor.org.

The Southern Regional Education Board, headquartered in Atlanta, was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. The SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each state is represented by its governor and four gubernatorial appointees.

The Xap Corporation was established in 1990 and was the pioneer in electronic and Internet-based information management systems for college-bound students. Xap is the first company to directly partner with associations and institutions of higher learning to develop regional, university-approved Mentor Web sites. A Mentor site utilizes the Internet to efficiently guide students through the comparison, selection, and application to admission and financial aid stages of preparing for college.

Tom Bradbury
Vice President for Communications
Southern Regional Education Board
592 10th St. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318
Direct phone: 404-879-5544
Switchboard: 404-875-9211
Fax: 404-872-1477
Cell phone: 404-435-3741
SREB website: www.sreb.org
E-mail: tom.bradbury@sreb.org