Morino Institute: From Access to Outcomes: Digital Divide Report and Dialogue: Posts

Executive Summary

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Ten Premises

Conclusion

Bibliography

FAQs

Participants

Discussion

Making the Case

Changing Policy

Community Groups

Economic Development

Digital Peace Corps

Technology Solutions

Resources

Creating a Digital Peace Corps

Post:	16
Date:	Jan 25, 2001
From:	Brad Williams

At LEAP we have learned that we can find (and develop from within) the people who are willing to make a 2-3 year commitment operating computer learning centers in public housing developments. We look for folks who have been tutors/mentors in our ranks or who have an interest in teaching and/or an ability to work with children. Once on board, they essentially become a community organizer, training college and high school students to run programming for our LEAP child participants (age 7 to 14) and they work on other initiatives with Adult Education, Public Schools, neighborhood residents (and parents), alternative incarceration programs, etc. to utilize our centers and programming when LEAP participants are in school.

What we need is the ability to constantly train and develop our folks to be able to work with and utilize rapidly changing technology. That is where I think Morino and the corporate sector can be so valuable. The training must be more than once every few months. I would envision a "hard core" training for 4 weeks or so and then on-going (monthly) support throughout their time with regular convenings, maybe a long weekend once or twice a year.

Seize the opportunity now to grab folks who are not ready to become a member of the teacher's union, are disillusioned with their traditional classroom teaching, or recognize that in these centers is the future classroom and they can sign on and be ahead of the game down the road in the field of education or develop the skills to provide expertise in the corporate sector. These (young) folks are readily out there, looking for an opportunity like this.

We just need the help staying on pace with the technology, particularly when our work or the work of those we engage has not traditionally been technology-centered. My two cents.

Brad Williams, Executive Director
Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP, Inc.)

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