Quest Atlantis, the exciting, new 3-D online, multi-disciplinary educational technology, uses virtual learning environments to transport children in North Carolina schools to points around the globe

Created by Indiana University and OPEN, with support from the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, teacher introductory sessions for Quest Atlantis will take place in Hope Mills, Tuesday, August 14.

Boston, Mass., August 10, 2007 - Children in selected schools across North Carolina can now take field trips to wildlife refuges in Tanzania, Africa, travel to the South of France through a Van Gogh painting, sample water quality in a virtual park, search the ocean depths, and soon explore the ancient trade routes of the Pueblo Indians, thanks to an online educational program that uses exciting, new immersive three dimensional learning environments to bring the world to life in local classrooms.

Introductory sessions for this landmark learning program, called Quest Atlantis, will take place in North Carolina this month in several school districts, including Home Mills on Tuesday, August 14 at Gray's Creek High School, starting at 9 a.m. Gray's Creek High School is located at 5301 Celebration Dr. in Hope Mills. The Quest sessions are part of the agenda for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's annual August Regional Media and Technology Workshops.

The program is being brought to a cross section of North Carolina schools through sponsorship from Food Lion grocery stores, the state Department of Public Instruction and One Planet Education Network (OPEN), a Boston-based international e-learning educational service provider that uses innovations in technology to create standards-based international education educational programs. (See: www.oneplaneteducation.com).

Food Lion is providing funds to help introduce this innovative technology to the state's schools. In addition to funding the introductory sessions, Food Lion has been a catalyst for creating support for the program. "We see this as an opportunity to support a start-up program that will greatly help North Carolina children. We consider it a social responsibility to be involved in these types of efforts to further the education of North Carolina children," said Kyna Foster, manager of consumer affairs and community relation s for Food Lion.

"Public education needs to be supported by all sectors within our society, from the public sector, foundations, universities, philanthropists, and from private alliances such as the Food Lion and OPEN sponsorship model," said Rick Anicetti, president and CEO of Food Lion. "The future success of the U.S. business sector and our nation as a whole is contingent upon how well our public schools prepare students for the global economy. Through the effective use of these powerful new tools, we seek to not only achieve basic No Child Left Behind competencies, but to go much further, giving our students all the necessary skills for succeeding in the interconnected 21st century world."

Quest Atlantis is a standards-based online 3-D learning environment that transports students to virtual places to teach a wide variety of subjects including reading, writing, geography, biology, ecology, grammar and vocabulary, while building computer skills. This innovative program was created with support from the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation by Indiana University's Center for Research on Learning & Technology and employs a 3-D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 4-12, in educational tasks, or "Quests".

Building on strategies from online role-playing games, Quest Atlantis combines computer technologies used in the commercial gaming environment with lessons from educational research on learning and motivation to engage children in the learning process. Quest Atlantis is currently being used by thousands of children ages 9-12 in five different countries and has demonstrated significant academic learning gains. Through Quest Atlantis, students can become active participants, not passive spectators, in the learning process.

While Quest Atlantis is an exciting medium for learning many basics, this technology is also designed to help students master key skills demanded by today's employers - strategic and analytical thinking, problem-solving, collaborative learning, team building, planning and execution, decision-making, and adaptation to rapid change.

OPEN and IU's Center for Research on Learning & Technology began working closely with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in late 2006, and launched Quest Atlantis in early 2007. The North Carolina pilot program began in eleven IMPACT schools across the state, including schools in Rocky Mount, Morehead City, Wilson, Wake County and Burnsville.

The geographically and demographically-diverse IMPACT schools are part of North Carolina's statewide school library media and instructional technology program. For today's digitally-savvy generation of North Carolina school children, this technology will help make education more interesting and engaging. So far, OPEN has integrated Quest Atlantis into 60 North Carolina classrooms, grades 4 to 7.

George Newman, Founder of OPEN added, "Quest Atlantis will not only bring online 3-D learning environments that engage and inspire students while helping them attain necessary skills, but also present North Carolina schools with 3-D and simulation technologies that can connect students to international classrooms around the world where they can work together to study subjects of common interest and importance. Public schools should also benefit from the same world class technologies that corporations utilize, and Food Lion is leading the way, bringing corporations into the fold to lend vital support."

Frances Bradburn, Instructional Technology Director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, said that the Department's help from Food Lion and the One Planet Education Network will help introduce teachers and their students to new software that is aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study while encouraging the development of 21st century skills. "This is an opportunity that few states experience," said Bradburn.

To join in this alliance, please contact George Newman at: gnewman@oneplaneteducation.com

In addition, educators can sign up to learn more about Quest Atlantis at: http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/public/northcarolinaInfo.pl#anchor1

For more information, contact Glenna B. Musante, Musante Communications, at (919) 604-7213 or Glenna@musantecommunications.com.

About Food Lion LLC
Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG). Food Lion LLC operates more than 1,200 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid's. These stores meet local customer needs and preferences for the freshest and best quality products. Food Lion LLC employs approximately 73,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Food Lion customers can find their store's specials on fresh produce, Butcher's Brand Premium Beef®, natural and organic items and more products throughout the store by visiting www.FoodLion.com and clicking on weekly specials.

About OPEN
One Planet Education Network (OPEN) is an international e-learning and educational service provider. OPEN fully utilizes multimedia technologies in the K-12 and higher education sectors, by providing standards-based multi-disciplinary curriculum and content, online 3-D learning environments applications, professional development programs and other related educational products and services. OPEN is committed to the use of technology to foster cross-cultural lifelong learning and knowledge exchange. OPEN and its partner companies will integrate new network and digital multimedia developments and teaching practices to meet the changing requirements of the global educational community. For more information, go to www.oneplaneteducation.com.

For more info contact:
Glenna B. Musante
Musante Communications
(919) 604-7213