Bonnie Bruno is author of ``Internet Family Fun: The Parent's Guide to Safe Surfing.'' a directory of nearly 250 fun and educational Web sites. She can be reached by e-mail at bonwritr@peak.org.
ALL RIGHT, SO YOU'VE done the family vacation thing and Grandma has already come and gone. A few more swim lessons linger on the horizon, plus a reunion with family friends next month. So how could the kids be complaining of boredom already? Aren't we having fun yet?
If your summer plans aren't sizzling like you thought they would, have I got a solution for you! Send the kids packing. Start with somewhere exotic, where they can work off energy, like a virtual kayaking expedition down the Nile (www.adventureonline .com/nile/). Join the crew online as they make preparations for the October launch of NASA's space shuttle Discovery (http://shuttle.nasa.gov/index.html/).
Or, if underwater excitement sounds about right, catch Gregg Stemm's enthusiasm for shipwrecks by joining Odyssey's crew in an online treasure hunt that your family won't soon forget. Stemm, vice president of research and operations and a member of Odyssey's board of directors, says that one of the prime factors behind Odyssey's public-education program was the response received by his 7-year-old son's school classmates.
``We've done several presentations about deep-ocean technology and shipwreck exploration there, and it turned out to be a great motivator for the kids to study both history and oceanography,'' Stemm says.
As the result of several meetings with teachers, the Odyssey team came up with the idea of broadcasting its operations over the Internet. Participating schools were granted free access, and the company began making plans to distribute study guides, as well.
For families like yours at home, Odyssey provides a free adventure - just for the price of an Internet hookup. Even when family members share little common interests, Stem has noticed that almost every member gets excited by shipwreck exploration.
``Even the most jaded teen finds robots exploring ancient wrecks fascinating. Perhaps that is a prime reason for the incredible success of the Titanic movie . . . there's something for everyone.''
At Odyssey online, you can view video clips taken live during one of the actual dives, read what others are saying about undersea exploration and view live satellite updates of the latest activity. The team is excited about a virtual museum, which will soon be ready for Web visitors, as well. Sign up to receive notification of its completion at shipwreck.net/frame.html.
``Why not just send the kids out to play, away from all that electronic busyness?'' some may ask. Because just a couple of years ago, boys and girls (and parents, too) could only dream about such adventure. Thanks to computers and the Net, they're now able to pull up a chair and see firsthand what really goes on down there.
And the best is yet to come, Stemm says. ``Every year that goes by, we see significant changes in our capabilities. In 1990-91, we recovered 17,000 artifacts in the world's first robotic archaeological excavation, 1,500 feet deep in about 10 months. We could accomplish the same today in about three months.''
Odyssey plans to keep your kids involved by providing live chat with crew members during operations in the near future. ``And, most exciting of all, within the next couple years people will be able to fly our ROV's [remote operated vehicles] from their desktops via the Internet,'' Stemm says. ``We're especially excited about this.''
So hold onto your chair and dive into an exciting expedition online. According to Odyssey, you'll enjoy the time of your virtual life.
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