IT Skills Training Program

1
IT Skills Training Program

• Teaching students to open doors through
  technology

Put a meaningful quote relevant to your program
here. First Last
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The Problem

• Many students in underserved communities dont
  have access to computers and the Internet in the
  homes, so their ability to excel with schoolwork
  is limited.
• Without the same access and exposure to
  technology, students from underserved communities
  are trailing behind their peers in adoption of
  (and confidence with) technology.
• Students raised in underserved communities cannot
  compete with their more privileged counterparts
  for well-paying technology jobs outside of
  school.

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The Solution

• Provide intensive and focused training
  opportunities for youth to use technology in
  afterschool programs.
• Make computers available for students to practice
  on, hobby in, and build confidence.

• Create meaningful learning directly relevant and
  applicable to the students needs lives.
• Provide technology mentors to expose students to
  careers and opportunities w/ technology.

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Our Learning Center

• 12 PCs
• 4 Macs
• 3 digital cameras to sign out
• High-speed internet
• Classes 5 days a week
• 3 hours of evening open lab time daily
• 1 week tech boot camp sessions during school
  vacations

5
The Programs

• Offer MOS certification training to students
• Teach Digital Literacy skills to students and
  have them re-teach skills to parents during
  Parent Tutor Time

• Encourage technology innovation with quarterly
  Tackle it with Technology challenges
• Give students chance to teach computer classes to
  beginners, including seniors who visit the center

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The Results

• Matched 36 students in 2006 with technology
  mentors from local company
• Certified 8 students to teach Digital Literacy
  classes to beginners at the center
• 70 of student participants experienced 1-point
  or greater increase in grades at technology
  classes at school
• 96 program retention of students from one level
  to next
• 5 of 11 students in last years graduating class
  continued studying technology in higher or
  vocational education.

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The Challenges

• Limited computers and out-of-school time to run
  programs
• Collaborating with school to ensure alignment
• Keeping up technology infrastructure
• Finding enough technology mentors
• Finding skilled volunteers to teach high-tech
  classes
• Getting sophisticated software to expose students
  to a greater level of technology

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Get Involved

• Volunteer during open lab time
• Propose, design and teach a unique class (ex
  creating online photo albums with digital
  cameras)

• Teach a standard class (ex Surfing the WWW)
• Mentor students
• Participate in our technology job shadow program
• Host a field trip to your technology business

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Thank you for coming!

• Science and technology multiply around us. To an
  increasing extent they dictate the languages in
  which we speak and think. Either we use those
  languages, or we remain mute.
• -J. G. Ballard