If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammad will go to the mountain, to paraphrase a popular adage. That seems to be the policy being followed by the Utah Valley State College, Certiport, an organization that offers training in computers and their applications, and the Navajo Nation, as they strive to take education into the Navajo reservations across desolate stretches of southeastern Utah, northern Arizona and New Mexico.

Statistics show that less than 40 percent of Navajo students graduate from high school; the number who graduate from college is a smaller percentile. The proposal currently under consideration hopes to educate the youth of the Navajo and enable them to become computer-literate so that they can earn high school diplomas without stepping out of their  reservations.

A high school diploma under their belts is just the impetus they need to take the next step up the ladder of education – a college degree. The Utah Valley State College offers distance learning courses for just this purpose.

The success of the proposal depends on the availability of the requisite funds. The project’s proponents are seeking financial assistance from both private and state sources. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation features among the prominent private financiers; money from the trust will go to setting up interactive Internet technology in 550 computers in Navajo community centers in Utah and Arizona.