Program Offers Technology To Edgecliff Residents
Phyllis Parks says it’s about time she entered the technology age.
The 77-year-old Edgecliff resident doesn’t own a computer and admits this cyber-savvy world sometimes leaves her speechless.
Sitting in front of a computer at Pratt Elementary School, she looks at the the screen running Windows 95 and says hesitantly,“I didn’t know what to do with it.”
Pratt educators and members of SCOPE Edgecliff are hoping by the end of the year that folks like Parks will know exactly what to do with a computer.
This month, the school has opened its doors to the Edgecliff community two nights each week, allowing residents of the low-income area access to computers they normally might never encounter.
“With today’s technology you need to learn how to use it,” said Pauline Smith, who oversees Pratt’s Technology Night. “It’s not really realistic for a low-income family to go out and buy a computer when a year from now it won’t be what’s new.”
The technology night - actually, two nights - is offered every Tuesday and Thursday in the school’s newly remodeled library.
It gives schoolchildren a chance to search the Internet for a school report or type up an essay. It allows parents and other residents to use the school’s computers for everything from typing a letter to searching for recipes or pricing a car.
“We’re trying to meet the needs of the community, to engage the community in a bold partnership” said SCOPE Edgecliff president Jackie Ash.
For seniors, who are taxpaying citizens and voters, this is precisely what they need to feel a part of the community, she said. “They’ll see their investment in the future.”
Library staff volunteers are on hand to help with such computer questions as how to use a mouse or a search engine.
A $7,500 state grant helps pay for staffing the library. Child care is also offered and SCOPE volunteers patrol the streets to make sure residents make it to and from the school safely.
Parents can also bring their children to school to work on homework or read books in the library. The library is also open to children weekdays after school so the students can work on homework.
“Today, when you’re educating a child, it’s a team effort,” said Pratt principal Jeanne Baynes. “They should reap the benefits and see what kids are learning.”
“I think we’re fortunate because this community is so small,” Baynes said. “They want to come in and learn as well.”
This sidebar appeared with the story: INFORMATION Technology Night The library and computers at Pratt Elementary School, 6903 E. Fourth, are available for use by neighborhood residents every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call the school at 353-5204.