Dear Friends:

 I want to extend my congratulations to all of the young people gathered for the first International Youth Environmental Summit, sponsored by the 21st Century School House. What a wonderful thing it is for young people from six different countries to address environmental challenges facing future generations.

This initiative is an outstanding example of how young people, our leaders of tomorrow, can help us to develop strategies for balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability. By bringing students together from diverse cultural backgrounds to address some of our toughest global issues, the 21st Century School House is a good model of how the Internet can effectively be used in the classroom.

Please accept my best wishes for a successful summit. I look forward to reviewing your recommendations.

                                  Sincerely,

                                   Al Gore