Preparations Underway: Planning and research for the Tire Tracks African expedition are in full swing! With a target departure date in January 2006, the Tire Tracks team continues to build their knowledge base, and collaborate with relevant experts to prepare them for their two-year long overland expedition through 35 African countries. Extensive vehicle modifications will be made to the team's 4WD throughout the year to prepare it for its first rugged off-road, European test in late 2005, before the team hits the road a few months later. The team is working in partnership with a team of co-developing pilot teachers to finalize the interactive content and delivery model for their Africa-based education program.

Education Initiatives: The Tire Tracks global, interactive, web-based education program provides students and teachers with the opportunity to explore 50,000 miles of African beauty. Co-developed by a dedicated team of over 50 teachers from seven countries, this multi-media pilot provides rich, real, relevant and up-to-date content that enables teachers to reinforce concepts taught in science, social studies (geography, citizenship), technology and reflective writing classes. By interacting with students and teachers on a frequent basis from the field, and by encouraging interaction between students and teachers of participating pilot schools in Africa, Europe and North America, the Tire Tracks team will help students improve their understanding and appreciation of African cultures, as well as their own, and better prepare them to make informed and balanced decisions in the 21st century.

Media Initiatives: Through our stories, reports, and photos, we will share our adventure-packed, African experiences with the global community. By reporting on situations throughout our journey, taking a balanced approach between covering the good and the bad, and adding a human perspective to issues we usually only hear about from a news reporting angle, the Tire Tracks team will help people better understand how African issues relate to their own world. This unique approach to exploring, understanding and explaining Africa enables individuals around the world, especially Americans and Europeans, to relate African issues to their own world. With this new outlook, involvement with Africa and its people becomes long-lasting, and as a global community, we will be more inspired to work together to address issues before they become too big to solve.

The Tire Tracks Education Program: As the Tire Tracks team explores the African continent, students and teachers around the globe will have the opportunity to participate - at no cost - in the Tire Tracks interactive, web-based, pilot program. This real time, multi-media program, focused on ages 9-12, relates expedition-driven, Africa-based content to subjects taught in social studies (geography, citizenship, history), science, technology and reflective writing courses, and engages students and teachers in an education community that builds on and integrates their feedback. Curriculum integration and ease of use is ensured by the dedicated team of over 50 co-developing teachers from seven countries. Over 1000 classrooms will have the opportunity to interact with the expedition team as well as schools in places as Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, UK, and the USA. In September 2005, the Preparation and Planning phase of the pilot will be launched. Students and teachers will have the opportunity to participate in lessons, activities and discussions that familiarize them with the expedition, and prepare them to discover the African continent with the Tire Tracks team. In January 2006, the Explore Africa! phase of the pilot program will kick-off, as the expedition team hits the road. Sign up to be a pilot school by completing the Become a pilot school form.

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