In many parts of the world a "Don Bosco school" implies technology education. As Don Bosco's first oratory in Turin, Italy, grew and expanded, a new wing was constructed in 1853. In it Don Bosco introduced two trades: a shoe-making shop and a tailoring shop. Concerned as he was with the moral and spiritual welfare of the young, he began teaching his young boys trades in a caring environment. He knew that youngsters were exposed to spiritual dangers in the work-world of his day.

From this humble start, bookbinding was soon added, with the result that in 1861 the first print shop at the Oratory was begun. As construction and development grew in Turin, Don Bosco added a metal shop, so that by the early 1870s the Oratory boasted a full-fledged vocational program.

Today Don Bosco's educational foresight is seen not only in the many Salesian technical schools that strive to provide a solid foundation in technology education but also in every educational endeavor carried on by the Salesians. From a computer laboratory at the Boys and Girls Club in East Los Angeles to the computer components in the curriculum of our high schools, Salesian work with youth implies technology education. As Don Bosco prepared his boys for the workplace of his day, so Salesians throughout the world prepare young people for the challenges of the workplace in the 21st century.

At Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, Calif., the students have access to some of the latest technology advancements in the fields of electronics, graphics, materials science, and manufacturing. Half a world away in Sierra Leone, Africa, St. Augustine Agricultural Secondary School boasts a curriculum in soap-making and brick-making, construction, sewing, agriculture and animal husbandry. No matter what the culture or the local environment, technology education takes its rightful place in the ministry of Salesian Education.

The following pages portray this theme through a variety of articles and photographs. One story surveys the continuing efforts of the four Salesian high schools in the San Francisco Province to provide their students with the latest technology, skills and literacies. Another article highlights the 30-year teaching career of Br. Gene Mylan, the dean of technology at Don Bosco Technical Institute. A third story-part of a two-page photo spread-describes the technology program I witnessed during my recent visit to the Salesian school in Sierra Leone.

As each generation keeps pace with the warp speed evolution of technology, may our understanding of God and His creation, our faith and devotion grow proportionally.