Thousands of Students, Teachers & Families Compete for Internet Treasures.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech & Education Writers

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2000

Children's Web Surfing Alliance and Lycos, Inc.

Announce CyberSurfari Spring 2000;

The Internet's Largest Free Treasure Hunt Game

School and family teams from around the world will try their hand at the Lycos CyberSurfari Spring 2000; a three month long Internet treasure hunt game. Beginning last evening at 3:00 PM Eastern time, students use their perseverance, Web-savvy and reading skills to unlock a treasure chest of cash, prizes and knowledge.

Armed with soda-pop, pizza, and support from their teachers and parents, some teams are racing to complete 100 clues in the fastest time. The first three teams in each of six divisions to cross the virtual finish line will win cash prizes.

Thousands of other teams will submit 10 clues a week, leisurely picking up milestone prizes along the way and testing their luck in the weighted random drawing at the end of the contest.

With inappropriate content and online privacy concerns rampant on the Web, this contest offers a free and fun place for kids to surf. During the game, players explore more than 100 hand-picked destinations solving clues and finding treasures throughout their journey. The more treasures they submit, the better prizes they win.

Finishing the contest is challenging, but students come back year after year for the thrill of the hunt.

"I tell my students that reading the clues carefully is the best strategy to win. We have a teacher assigned to supervise and track each team's progress." Said Nancy Geiger, a ten-year teaching veteran. "The Internet is the library of the future, therefore, I must equip my students with the ability to safely and effectively mine for information online."

"Playing this game is perfect way to introduce students, teachers, and families to the Internet, and we're proud that educators agree," said Sara White, CWSA Executive Director. "Although the game is educational, it is also just plain fun. Many teams have kick-off pizza parties, stay-up all night to finish the race, or devise intricate strategies for submitting 100 treasures throughout the contest's duration."

This online expedition is made possible by a nonprofit organization, its co-host Lycos, Inc., and generous sponsors including ALFY.com, Discovery School, Educast, Education World, FamilyEducation.com, Hewlett Packard, HomeworkCentral.com, Knowledge Adventure, National Education Association, Steck-Vaughn Publishing, and Zeeks.Com.

For details about prizes and how to play, visit http://www.cybersurfari.org.

The Children's Web Surfing Alliance is a 501-C3 educational nonprofit organization that implements CyberSurfari.Org. In addition to three four-month long treasure hunts per year, CWSA offers monthly lesson ideas & cool links.