 Author |
 Post
|
 |
|
Emily Kumpel
Joined: Feb 13, 2001
Posts: 5
Poster Rank:
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Female & 25
Country: United States
Province/State: California
City: Berkeley
|
digital divide
August 15, 2002 - 12:35 PM
|
|
My mother is getting a master's degree in technology and education, so for her access to information technology class this month she went to the computer clubhouse where I volunteered to interview some of the kids there. She's started her own nonprofit and will (along with the others in her class) practice their grant writing for class by applying for real grants to run programs at the clubhouse and other related organizations.
I had to work so couldn't go with her today, but apparently it was amazing.
She interviewed one boy about my age who used to be a part of a gang before he found the computer clubhouse. He was out on the streets most of the day, since he could only get into his house at night, and had nowhere to go. But he is apparently enthralled with technology, and that fascination has got him off the streets. He creates videos and has composed his own music using digital synthesizers. Now he spends his time doing this, and will soon be able to be employed because of these skills.
Many others in the place have found this opportunity as well. Just the access to technology - a simple drop-in center with a good director and a safe atmosphere - has changed so many lives.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Emily Kumpel
Joined: Feb 13, 2001
Posts: 5
Poster Rank:
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Female, 25
Country: United States
Province/State: California
City: Berkeley
|
Re: digital divide
August 15, 2002 - 01:06 AM
|
|
This one was run by the computer clubhouse - http://www.computerclubhouse.org. They have these clubhouses all over the world, though only a couple in Europe. It would be really cool to get them to form one in Norway!
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Robert Margolis
Joined: Nov 15, 2000
Posts: 28
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 44
Country: United States
Province/State: Florida
City: Palm Beach Gardens
|
Tony Brown
August 15, 2002 - 08:18 AM
|
|
I remember him saying something to the effect that we cannot send all the poor to Harvard or MIT, but perhaps we can give them laptops.
While not a magic bullet, certainly new technologies may give new opportunities for the disadvantaged.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Raymond M. Kristiansen
Joined: Mar 1, 2002
Posts: 29
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 31
Country: Denmark
Province/State: Roskilde
City: Roskilde
|
Re: digital divide
August 15, 2002 - 08:36 AM
|
|
I think that the story about this boy is very inspiring, and is a good example of how access to computers in a good environment can - for instance - keep youths off the streets.
Earlier I was director of an internet cafe here in Bergen, but it is quite pricy, and it does not encourage creative use of some of the more complicated things one can use a computer for (music creation, etc), mostly because it does not have this kind of software.
I would be very interested to seeing how other youth-run computer centres have been working in other countries and cities - perhaps one could do something like this here in Bergen, Norway as well.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Laurent Straskraba
Joined: Dec 11, 2002
Posts: 23
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Country: Austria
Province/State: Oberosterreich
City: Linz
|
Re: digital divide
May 10, 2003 - 03:18 AM
|
|
so what happened now to your mom?
plz give us an update 
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
|
Display posts from:
|
Home
Community
