Connected Tennessee Launches its ‘Computers 4 Kids: Preparing Tennessee’s Next Generation for Success’ Program in Jackson
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act-funded program awards the Boys & Girls Clubs of Jackson with 50 new computers
Jackson, TN. (May 19, 2011) – Today, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids officially kicked off its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded "Preparing Tennessee's Next Generation for Success" program in Jackson. The C4K project deploys computers, academic support programs, and workforce training to two disparate, but especially at-risk, populations: those in the state's foster care system who are "aging out" as they turn 18, and youth who are active in the state’s 76 Boys & Girls Clubs.
Fifty new computers were donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Jackson-Madison County. City of Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist, in attendance at the launch, remarked that the impact of the computers on the communities of Jackson and Madison County would be significant.
REPLACE_THIS_TEXT_WITH_OPENING_IMAGE_TAG id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608509002284014306" style="float: left;margin: 0 10px 10px 0;cursor: hand;width: 400px;height: 348px" src="/sites/default/files/blog/connected-tennessee-launches-its/GirlsBGCJackson.JPG" alt="" border="0" />“Computer skills are vital in today’s global economy, and computers today are the highways to the future for our children,” said Gist. “We are thrilled to welcome this exciting program to Jackson and we know that this donation marks an exciting new chapter for our city in providing these deserving youth with the ability to further develop their technology skills.”
The “Preparing Tennessee’s Next Generation for Success” project is a result of a $2.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant awarded to the C4K program in August 2010 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.
Today’s event was the first of several celebration events that will take place across the state throughout the summer. To date, the Computers 4 Kids program has distributed more than 2,000 computers statewide.
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About Connected Tennessee: As a public-private partnership, Connected Tennessee partners with technology-minded businesses, government entities and universities to accelerate technology in the state. For more information about what Connected Tennessee is doing to accelerate technology in Tennessee’s communities, visit www.connectedtennessee.org.
About Computers 4 Kids: Preparing Tennessee’s Next Generation for Success: Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids project is helping to prepare Tennessee’s most vulnerable youth for success by providing them with connectivity. The program promotes economic, career, and educational development through the provision of computers and broadband Internet, online technology training, career training, and community awareness that highlights the benefits of technology adoption.