"Plugged In" Tapped by Commerce Department to Spearhead Information
Revolution in East Palo Alto, California.
EAST PALO ALTO, CA (November 7, 1995) - Plugged In, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Silicon Valley's tremendous technological resources to low-income youth and families, has been tapped by the Commerce Department to spearhead the information revolution in East Palo Alto. The organization was awarded close to $200,000 in grant money by the Commerce Department's Telecommunications Information Infrastructure Assistance Program. Local Silicon Valley firms, Intel and Bay Networks already have committed to providing matching funds.
The grant is part of the Commerce Department's $36 million matching funds program aimed at organizations committed to bringing the benefits of the information age to all Americans. The grants will be presented at an awards ceremony in the Department of Commerce Lobby in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, November 9 at 11:30 a.m. EST. Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown, Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Barram and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communication and Information Larry Irving will be in attendance.
Plugged-In student Benjamin Carson, 13, will accept the award on behalf of the East Palo Alto organization. Carson first started attending Plugged In workshops and classes more than two years ago. "Now I'm an Art Director and aspiring Webmaster for Plugged In Enterprises, a little spin-off company we started to create Web sites for small businesses and individuals," Carson explained.
Bart Decrem, Plugged In's founder and Executive Director, explained many of Plugged In's programs are designed to help students develop leadership skills and learn the job skills of the future. "These generous grants will help ensure that low-income communities are not left out of the information revolution," Decrem said.
Plugged In, created in 1992, is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the benefits of technology to low-income youth and families in East Palo Alto. The majority of Plugged In's programs are aimed at children ages five to 18. Student projects have included digital news features, cartoon animations, multimedia self-portraits, interactive newsletters, slide shows about community and responsibility, and personal Web sites featuring creative writing and original art.
In addition, Plugged In provides training classes for adults in the community, including clients of Free At Last, a program for those recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, and Hope House, which serves women returning from prison. Plugged In also has worked on collaborative family history projects with Families in Transition, a community program for immigrant families.
To support similar efforts throughout the country, Plugged In provides curriculum materials, examples of student work and organizational information via the Internet. Plugged in also hosts internships for community leaders and educators interested in adapting the Plugged In model to other communities. (For more information on Plugged In, point your Web browser to www.pluggedin.org).
Plugged In contact: Celia DuBose, (415) 322-1134. Email: celiad@pluggedin.org