Students from around the world are learning from one abother by taking classes through Cyberschool.

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"The people you go to high school with influence your life forever. It really makes a difference if your classmates are from Turkey, Japan or Russia,"

Tom Layton

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Students from around the world can take courses from Cyberschool. Tom Layton, the director of Cyberschool, said he has students from Korea, Japan, Russia and throughout the United States. About 50 percent of Cyberschool students this term are from the Eugene School District, Layton said.

Students at Cyberschool participate in special collaborative programs such as discussing the novel "War and Peace" on-line, explained Layton. Students from Russia and the United States critique the book through listserves and e-mail with the teacher.

For home schoolers such as 11-year-old Michael Pugliese in Elysburg, Pa., Cyberschool offers the opportunity to focus on an interest, such as science. Pugliese started Cyberschool in November 1997 and has taken five classes, including human genetics, classification and ecosystems.

"There's a lot of writing, but it's better that way," he said.

His professor, Chris Belonger, has become a mentor, sending him information to build special projects. Pugliese admits he sometimes has problems getting email thorugh the Internet but for a gifted first-year home-school student, the Cyberschool offers a unique option.