[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO FRED BAKI

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                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to call my colleagues attention to a 
remarkable constituent of mine. He is an immigrant from Turkey, who, 
forty years ago, came to the U.S., became a naturalized citizen and 
spent many years working in the import/export business. He retired in 
Florida and now resides in the 6th district. He is one of the Points of 
Light appointees by President Bush, Senior. His name is Fred Baki.
  After retirement, Fred formed a not-for-profit organization to teach 
adults reading, writing and arithmetic. Since 1989, he and his thirty-
three volunteers have been serving U.S. citizens in the educational 
field.
  Several years ago, he and the volunteers developed a system by which 
long distance instruction could be provided over the telephone. This 
unusual teaching system is offered to all citizens, wherever they may 
reside, free of charge.
  Three telephone lines are open twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a 
year, including weekends and holidays. Now named Cottage Education 
Corporation, the effort is offering its services to public schools at 
no cost to the school system.
  I think Mr. Baki's long distance teaching and tutoring system is 
worthy of exploration to be implemented on a larger scale. Should this 
program prove valuable, it could possibly be implemented throughout the 
country.
  The system includes ten disciplines including addition, subtraction, 
multiplication, division, science, civics, history, geography and 
biology. It contains a database with one thousand questions and 
answers. All of the subjects are presently taught in our public schools 
from the grade school to high school.

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