Australian youths deprived of taking part in the Internet fervour will be able to get online with a new initiative created by Internet-based organisation Inspire Foundation.
The initiative - supported by Microsoft Australia and Coca Cola - will set up around 10 centres throughout urban Australia providing free Internet access, training, and local content development.
"There is a significant amount of young Australians without access to the Internet," Inspire Foundation Executive Director Jack Heath said.
According to Heath, the project will "build the bridges" to young people in regional, urban and rural communities, which do not have access to the Internet.
The project will establish 10 "Beanbag Net Centres" nationwide, each with two terminals providing free Internet access. Youths will also receive tailored computer and Internet training and develop local community Web sites.
According to Heath, the project will enable youths using the program to go back into the community and teach others.
Although only ten centres will be rolled out throughout Australia initially, Heath will push for further funding from Australian corporations to establish more centres.
"Once the 10 centres are up and working well, then I have no shame to go back to Microsoft and Coca Cola and ask for more," Heath said.
Heath said when the foundation demonstrates the project can build communities at a local level, then there would be a strong argument to go to governments to take it to the wider communities.
"75 percent of Australian youths do have access to the Internet, we want to inspire the other 25 percent."
The first two centres will be rolled out in Sydney at the Marrickville Youth Resource Centre and Traxside Youth Health Services in Campbelltown.
A report by the Foundation of young Australians found that the greatest number of youths "doing it tough" are based in capital cities around Australia.
