Kihei, Maui, Hawaii (May 22, 1998) -- Visionary Artists' Resources Including Other Unique Services (V.A.R.I.O.U.S.) announces "KidCast For Peace; Solutions For A Better World." This featured event at Siggraph (the premiere International computer graphics convention), gives "kids" the opportunity to connect in live gatherings and cyberspace videoconferences, July 21-23, 1998 from 10:00 a.m. EST to 5:00 p.m. EST in Orlando, Florida and globally. Younger generations will offer artistic solutions to the challenges facing our world and it's peoples. K-12 students, youth and the general public everywhere are invited to participate and share their art and their heart. Interested parties and/or sponsors may contact V.A.R.I.O.U.S. (501c3), via email at: various@creativity.net, by phone at: 415 776-0821, 808-573-3943, or visit KidCast Central at the Creativity Cafe[R] Web site for complete details: http://creativity./net/KidCast.

Children of all ages will express solutions through art forms including visual arts, computer animation, written words, live global Natural Musical Instrument Jams, and performance art as to how they would make this a happier, healthier, safer and more peaceful planet. According to KidCast coordinator, Peter H. Rosen, "We want to empower the storytellers and leaders of tomorrow. This global community event is designed to give kids a loud voice in shaping the world they will inherit."

Participating videoconference "broadcast nodes" include University of Hawaii, a Telecommunications Class in Tokyo, and other groups of children and adults gathered at locations on Maui, Syracuse University, Amsterdam, San Francisco and elsewhere. You can participate from any location having access to the Internet, i.e. home, cybercafes, schools, libraries and media centers etc.. Videoconference with everyone using free CU-SeeMe software, or interact in other ways using any Internet browser.

Techno-visionary Rosen founded "KidCast" in 1995 for a Creativity Café installation at the Children's World Peace Festival, hosted by the Children's Discovery Museum in San Francisco. In 1996, "KidCast" was held at the grand opening of the multimedia San Francisco Public Library, and at the multimedia pavilion at the Marin California County Fair. Most recently, Rosen choreographed this event from Cyber City Maui, Hawaii, where children from the Hawaiian language afterschool program at the Kihei Youth Center shared their art, their dreams and performed Hawaiian dances and chants.

V.A.R.I.O.U.S. and associates are developing Creativity Cafe; a physical network of "New Schools For The Next Millennium." These interactive PlaySpace, Networking Salon and neighborhood communication centers will provide community resources for bridging physical and CyberSpaces. "Innovative teaching techniques and multimedia edu-tainment, will enable the average person to benefit from the communications revolution, without having to learn computer-ease," adds Rosen.

"KidCast For Peace" is endorsed by companies including principal sponsors Hawks' Nest Productions @ Howard Bishop Middle School and Institute For Interventional Informatics. We are grateful for additional support from Adobe Foundation, Autodesk Foundation, Macromedia, White Pine, Global SchoolNet, Siggraph and other organizations and individuals committed to empowering our youth. Documentation from past events and complete participation/sponsor information can be found at http://creativity.net/KidCast/ or by contacting V.A.R.I.O.U.S. at: 2263 Sacramento Street #2, San Francisco, CA 94115. Tax deductible donations of cash, hardware and software are greatly appreciated. For more information contact them at (415.776.0821) or by email: various@creativity.net.