ERIC Identifier: ED478098
Publication Date: 2003-10-00
Author: John J. Patrick
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science
After-School and Community Technology Education Programs for Low-Income
Families. ERIC Digest.
The number of family programs in low-income communities that promote computer
and internet literacy is steadily growing. They provide easy access to
computer technology and instruction, courses for adults in parenting and
job skills, educational and recreational after-school activities for children,
and family learning activities. Many of the programs are characterized
by partnerships among government agencies, corporations, and non-profit
organizations that together are able to provide a wealth of resources (North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory, NCREL, 2001; OMB Watch, 2000;
Wilhelm, Carmen, & Reynolds, 2002).
Because many of the programs have not been operating very long, the
process for evaluating the overall effectiveness of family technology programs
is still in the early stages. To date, there have been small-scale but
rigorous evaluations of some programs, and less formal studies based on
interviews and observations have been conducted on others. Findings indicate
that a high percentage of the programs are having at least some positive
effects on participants' learning and community engagement, and guidelines
for implementing effective after-school programs are emerging (Penuel &
This digest provides a review of these recommendations, but first presents
brief descriptions of urban programs found to be effective for low-income
youth and their families. Some are projects of national initiatives that
welcome new local affiliates, while others are independent local programs
whose creativity might spark the development of equally innovative programs
SUPPORT FOR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS
After-school and community programs linked to a national organization usually
provide high quality resources and training and often serve both adults
and children. They use computers both to promote the technological competence
of adults and children and to facilitate learning in the content areas.
Programs also often involve the whole family in learning projects that
use technology. For example, the National Urban League (NUL), with support
from BellAtlantic, coordinates programs in many cities aimed at helping
youth develop a wide range of skills and adults become economically self
sufficient. NUL provides programs with training and equipment, and sometimes
partners with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
to deliver services in housing developments (OMB Watch, 2000 for information
about HUD programs, see http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/nnw/aboutnn/nnwchildren.cfm).
The federal government supports technology programs in several
ways. The No Child Left Behind Act provides funds for 21st Century Learning
Centers to help close the achievement gap (Frequently Asked Questions,
2002), and the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) of the U.S. Department
of Commerce offers matching grants for digital network technologies that
promote lifelong learning to underserved communities (Wilhelm et al., 2002;
for a description of TOP, see http://www.cfda.gov/public/). Foundations
also provide substantial support. For example, the Benton Foundation operates
the Digital Divide Network in addition to making project grants (see http://www.benton.org/).
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides both funds and equipment
(see http://www.gatesfoundation.org/). The non-profit Education Development
Center (EDC), which has different partners for different projects, serves
as a clearinghouse for the Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet,
see http://www.ctcnet.org/), facilitating communication and information
sharing among members and helping save them money through centralized purchasing
(NCREL, 2001; Penuel & Kim, 2000).
SRI International conducted an evaluation of a large sample of Northern
California Community Technology Centers (CTC), using site visits and interviews
with key staff and participants to determine how learning is organized,
the extent of professional development, and the nature of community outreach
and partnerships (Penuel & Kim, 2000). Its largely positive findings
indicate that after-school programs use many types of strategies. Some
programs provide directed instruction; they employ one-on-one tutoring
(sometimes using parents as tutors) to teach basic skills or to provide
homework assistance, or use an educational software program for drill-and-practice.
Others devise multi-media activities that encourage students to explore
various computer uses without directions from teachers. For "My Journey
to Teen TechArts," for example, students use software to create storyboards
that trace their arrival at the program and their participation in it.
For another project, "Hear Youth," students research and write position
papers on a weekly theme and post them on a teen-managed site on America
Online. Many of the projects also encourage students to learn and even
design software tools (for a description of these and other CTC programs,
see Promising Practices at http://www.sri.com/).
EDC's YouthLearn Initiative provides a web site and an electronic
newsletter in addition to an after-school program and training for youth
development professionals. Its Center for Children & Technology works
with the staff of The After School Corporation to develop technology programs
in New York State, with the ultimate goal of national expansion (see http://www2.edc.org/CCT/).
EDC has also been an evaluator of Project Connect, a Boys & Girls Club
of America pilot effort to integrate technology into its member clubs;
EDC's initial positive findings will likely lead to an expansion to additional
sites (Henriquez & Ba, 2000).
There are more than 2,000 Community Technology Centers (CTCs) and related
projects serving low-income and minority people around the country. They
include libraries, youth organizations, settlement houses, housing development
centers, and stand-alone computing centers. Many facilities belong to alliances
like CTCNet (described above), which provide valuable services to members.
An OMB Watch report (2000) identified some innovative CTC projects that
have been shown to benefit participants. A few highlights from OMB Watch's
review are presented below (for more information about these projects and
descriptions of similar projects, see http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/319/1/78/).
The Eastmont Computing Center, a collaboration of local urban
and faith-based organizations in Oakland, provides employment training
to 30,000 youths and adults at a mall storefront. It also offers computer-based
services, including school-to-career transition, to students at two high
schools. The Widening Our World Outreach Program, a partnership of the
US West Foundation and the University of Northern Colorado, deploys state-of-the-art
"mobile school" vans to six states that offer youths and adults hands-on
classes in using the internet. The services of Greenbelt (Maryland) Internet
Access Cooperative, run by community volunteers, include support for home
use of computers, such as a reduced-rate internet connection and free software,
and a web site that contains a calendar of local events. The YWCA Boston
provides a computer lab for its Grandfamilies Apartments -- housing for
grandparents raising their grandchildren -- and offers math and science
enrichment for children and computer training for adults. La Plaza Telecommunity,
an electronic network in northern New Mexico, provides training in the
use of technology and access to technology resources to a population of
Hispanics, Native Americans, and Anglos, in an effort to promote intercultural
dialogue and community revitalization (OMB Watch, 2000).
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS
Some general guidelines for creating and implementing after-school and
community technology programs have emerged from the research to date. The
key recommendations are presented below. First Steps.
It is necessary for program developers to identify what their programs
will be able to accomplish, given their resources and potential constituency.
Programs should acquire up-to-date hardware and software, and fully train
their teachers. To encourage program ownership, community members should
be included in planning, and consideration should be given to hiring participants
(Bringing Education, 1999; Penuel & Kim, 2000).
Establishing partnerships with businesses and national organizations
is also a worthwhile undertaking. Relationships with local businesses can
lead to employment for program participants, and partners of all types
are likely to contribute material support (Bringing Education, 1999; Penuel
& Kim, 2000).
It is important to plan for evaluating a program frequently and regularly
to ensure that it is serving the immediate needs of participants and meeting
overall goals (see Peter, 2002 for a guide to these program development
processes). *Program Organization and Management. Programs need to be flexible
to respond to the different needs of participants. Some participants may
want to improve their academic performance, and possibly earn a diploma.
Others, though still wanting an employment-oriented curriculum, may prefer
an environment that does not remind them of past negative school experiences.
The retention of still other participants may depend on maintaining a balance
between a recreational and educational focus. To accommodate such disparate
demands on a program, developers may have to either offer many types of
classes or acknowledge that they cannot successfully serve all potential
participants with the resources they have (Bringing Education, 1999; Penuel
& Kim, 2000).
Because the initial interest of community members may be sparked by
the after-school program or parenting classes, it is essential to maintain
a family-friendly program. Class times need to be compatible with the schedules
of adults, and separate classes for children and adults should be held
simultaneously so that child care is not a problem. Providing meals and
arranging for transportation may be inducements (Bringing Education, 1999;
Penuel & Kim, 2000).
Using technology creatively to facilitate administration is also a cornerstone
of effective programs. For example, the MOST Initiative, which provides
after-school services in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle, uses technology
for sharing information among its programs and their participants. MOST
also uses technology to communicate with government agencies, the media,
and policy-makers (Coltin & McGuire, 1998).
Pedagogy grounded in project-based learning has been shown to be particularly
effective, as are projects that involve children and parents working together.
Long-term projects leading to the resolution of a real-world problem maintain
participants' commitment to the program, and they develop higher-order
thinking skills and computer literacy through hands-on practice (Bringing
Education, 1999; Penuel & Kim, 2000).
Resource Development and Sharing.
Finally, policy-makers and community leaders need to pool resources
by forming more partnerships among government, corporations, and non-profit
organizations like those whose success has already been demonstrated. It
will take the combined efforts of funders and educators to close both the
academic achievement gap and the digital divide (Wilhelm et al., 2002).
Bringing education to after-school programs. (1999, Summer). Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
(ED 460 096)
Coltin, L., & McGuire, K. (1998, December). Making the MOST
out of out-of-school time: Technology's role in collaboration. Paper in
the proceedings of the Families, Technology, and Education Conference,
Chicago. (ED 424 996)
Frequently asked questions: 21st century community learning centers.
(2002, August). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Available:
Henriquez, A., & Ba, H. (2000, July). Project connect: Bridging
the digital divide. Newton, MA: Education Development Center.
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (2001). What do we know:
Learning with technology beyond the school bell: Before- and after-school
programs and summer school. Naperville, IL: Author. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/tech/child/child6.htm
OMB Watch. (2000, May). Community technology centers: Collaborations
that work. Washington, DC: Author. Available: http://ombwatch.org/
Penuel, W.R., & Kim, D. (2000, May). Promising practices and organizational
challenges in community technology centers. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
Peter, N. (2002, August). Outcomes and research in out-of-school time
program and design. Philadelphia: Best Practices Institute. Available:
Wilhelm, T., Carmen, D., & Reynolds, M. (2002, January). Connecting
kids to technology: Challenges and opportunities. Baltimore: The Annie
E. Casey Foundation. (ED 467 133)