DONATE VOLUNTEER

• A collaborative program of City Commissioner Andrew Gillum with the City of Tallahassee, Leon County School System, Comcast Cable, Dell Computers (first year), and Hewlett Packard (second year), TalTech Alliance, Go Beyond Foundation and other community partners. This pilot program began in 2007 and is purposed to extend the learning experience beyond the classroom into the home through computer-based curriculum.
• Address the gap of the "Digital Divide" by providing homes with a computer, curriculum, Internet access, training, mentoring and support to children in economically and educationally challenged communities.
• A key goal is to change the outcome of the educational experience of children in failing schools. Hopefully, by enhancing the educational experience in the middle school years, the prospects for success of these young people can dramatically change.
• The pilot project will focus on incoming sixth graders at the Nims Middle School in Leon County. Nims was chosen because it was an "F" ranked school and had approximately 100 children in the sixth grade (for the initial year of the project) and expects enrollment to increase approximately 50% for the second year of implementation.
• Each new 6th grade student will be given a computer with installed curriculum and application software. Comcast will provide broadband Internet access to the homes. The School system is providing the curriculum and additional instructional resources as well as program monitoring and follow-up. TalTech is partnering with the College of Information Studies and others in providing support.
• Nims school will hold orientation classes for parents and students on basic computer and curriculum use. It is believed that requiring engagement of the parents will increase the opportunity for the child's success as well as enhance the experience within the family unit.
• On-going support includes providing a call-in help desk, tech workspace, Technology/Computer Club, mentoring, and Internet site for on-going support.

Expected outcomes include:

• Develop interest in technology to help foster enthusiasm of future generations.
• Enroll subsequent incoming sixth graders into the program.
• Become a model for the county, state and beyond.
• Become a feeder program into technical academies and schools, workforce
  development and career path training.
• Decrease drop out rate over three-year pilot program.
• Provide alternatives to gang and other negative influences.