Dalton GA Jul. 26 2010 – Computers and access to the internet are fundamental to a childs education. But what about families who cant afford a computer like the children who are in the foster treatment system through Whitfield County
A group of Whitfield County foster small children will probably be taking aspect in a Digital Literacy Camp July 29 as a result of August 1 for the North West Georgia Trade Convention Center in Dalton that will teach them state-of-the-art personal computer skills. The students will probably be taught Microsoft Office by certified professionals from Instructional Accessibility Inc. a California based company. After the 21 hours of weekend training the students are going to be allowed to take home the laptop computer and color printer they learned on at no cost.
Each of the 23 Whitfield County participants are members of foster families and range in age from 14 to 20. The children chosen for the program are at-risk students who excel in school but can not manage to buy a laptop or computer themselves. Many are still in high school while others are working on college degrees. Participants are coming from Rome Ringgold Chatsworth as well as Fort Payn. Flight and hotel deals to puerto rico
The Digital Literacy Camps for at-risk youth in foster care are aimed at preparing participants for adult independence. We term ourselves as a solution for the digital divide says Instructional Access Vice President Steve Martin. We feel were truly putting the tools of the future in the hands of people whore going to need it the most.
Instructional Access goal is to work with public social services agencies nationwide to teach at-risk youngsters inside foster care method technology literacy skills job skills and a variety of life skills preparation instruction.
The classes teach laptop or computer basics such as the Windows operating procedure. They also teach web safety and laptop security and privacy. The core of the teaching includes productivity programs such as Microsoft Word Excel and PowerPoint. The main goal of the Instructional Accessibility curriculum is to teach foster young children a productive digital lifestyle that they may have not been exposed to. One of the culminating activities is the viewing of the Microsoft PowerPoint presentations developed by the participants demonstrating what they learned over the weekend.
The all-inclusive 2.5 day Instructional Access Digital Literacy Camp typically costs 1995.00 per participant with other camp options available at a lower cost. A 20 participant minimum is preferred. The full-service program includes complimentary accommodations and meals for two agency-designated chaperones per team of 20 participants. The program is paid for using state and federal funds secured by Whitfield Countys Social Services Department.
510000 little ones lived in out-of-home treatment during the United States as of 2006 when the most recent date for national estimates are available.
Since the inception of the Independent Living Program funded by the John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 social services managers have asserted the importance of personal computer training and technology accessibility for youth in care. The result of a study conducted by Casey Family Programs of Bridgeport CT found that student in foster care without access to desktop computer training or a laptop are more likely to lack employment and higher schooling opportunities than their peers with pc experience training and sufficient entry. The study conducted in 2000 by Ben Kerman within the Research and Evaluation Department at Casey Family services also found that young adults entering the workforce from the information Age will be at a disadvantage if they are not technologically literate.
The whole program was born out of a recognition that the digital divide was growing and that if everyone wasnt provided with access to technology the gap between the haves and have-nots would increase says DeNae Reagins one of the three founders of Instructional Access Inc.
The Digital Literacy Camp began as a program put together in 1998 by Instructional Accessibility a pc training and testing facility based in Riverside California. The initial mission was to provide educators with instructional strategies for integrating computer systems into the classroom. Initially it offered a 40-hour program to teach Microsoft Office to educators. In 1999 the company started working with agencies responsible for youth development.
About Instructional Accessibility Inc. Instructional Accessibility Inc. is based in Riverside California with satellite offices through the United States. Instructional Entry Inc. has operates as a California Corporation under this name beginning in 1998. Instructional Access Inc. began as a training company for schoolteachers.
Instructional Accessibility Inc. programs provide youth with technology skills and laptop computer systems with the goal of improving school performance career exploration and professional development.
With the assistance of youth development workers industry professionals and youth leaders Instructional Access has expanded and now offers service in more than 26 states and Puerto Rico. Over the last 12 years Instructional Access services have grown to include- youth conferences institutional training for incarcerated youth staff professional development training and desktop computer technology literacy training in English and Spanish. Instructional Access weekend home pc camp program has served over 17000 youth within the last 12 years in 26 states.
The Instructional Entry team is comprised of former health and human service youth program managers evaluators employment specialists and public school educators. The team includes bilingual Spanish teachers in Puerto Rico who also work for the Departamento de Educacin de Puerto Rico. Flight and hotel deals to puerto rico