June 12, 2006

Students go online at home with help
A New York group arranged for 240 Phila. sixth graders to get computers. Parents can now e-mail teachers, too.

By Mari A. Schaefer

It was difficult to tell who was most excited about the students at George W. Pepper Middle School who were getting free home computers: the children, their parents, the principal, or the foundation that gave them away.

"I was ecstatic," said Yolanda Armstrong, middle school principal. "It is a win-win."

Over the last two weekends, the 240 sixth graders at the Southwest Philadelphia school each received a new Dell Pentium computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse and educational software from Computers for Youth, a nonprofit organization that provides low-income families with home computers and low-cost Internet service.

Based in New York, Computers for Youth has given away more than 8,000 computers and trained about 16,500 parents and children in New York schools since its founding in 1999. Philadelphia is the first city outside New York to receive the group's donations.

Armstrong said having computers in the home creates a "communication bridge" with parents, who will now be able to get in touch with their children's teachers by e-mail.

In the program, each student and a parent or guardian were required to attend a half-day training session before they could take the computers.

"This is really good," said Roy Clarke, 11, who was with his father, Dean Ralston, 28. "It will help me with my math."

Roy plans to install a new screen saver when he gets home, and though he intended to let his father use the computer, he was not sure about his two younger sisters.

"They might mess it up," Roy said.

"Getting parents involved in education is the key to having the kids do better," said Susanne James, chief operating officer of the nonprofit. "It takes the learning environment into the home. Technology is the best way to do that."

The workshop covered basic computer skills, how to access the Internet, and instruction for the educational programs that were provided. The company also provides free technical support for the families once they have the computers at home.

"Play games" is what Steven Pope, 11, plans to do with his computer when he gets home.

"He can do that today," said Danielle Pope, his mother. "But on school days, he's going to be doing homework."

With a full-time staff of 14, Computers for Youth relies on a part-time staff and volunteers to teach the weekend programs. All donations are tax-deductible, and donors are asked to provide 50 computers at a time.

The organization chose to expand its outreach to Philadelphia because of the city's plan to provide wireless Internet access.

"You may think you are known for the Liberty Bell," said Elizabeth Stock, president and cofounder of the nonprofit. "But everyone is watching the Wireless Philadelphia project."

Stock said working in a city that believes its people should have Internet access is a "perfect marriage" and makes the program much stronger.

Computers for Youth chose George Pepper Middle School because of its strong leadership and commitment to technology and the number of students eligible for a free lunch program, Stock said. School and organization leaders will meet to decide whether the program should continue for a second year, Stock said.

"This is meant to be just the beginning," said Stock, who wants to set up an office in Philadelphia and expand to other cities.

Juanita Blunt, 46, said she was surprised to find out her daughter Ashley Holden, 12, would be getting a computer. Blunt plans to take what she learned at the workshop and help Ashley's 9-year-old sister with math homework.

"A lot of schools in Philadelphia need this program," Blunt said.

"My joy is watching the expression on the faces of the kids when they walk out the door holding what belongs to them," said Louis Edwards, 48, senior technology director of Computers for Youth who spent the last week setting up the computers for the project.

For Information
Contact Computers for Youth at 212-563-7300 or visit www.cfy.org