overview

Parent Empowerment Project

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http://www.dca.net

Hi Everybody!

Executive Summary: The State of Pennsylvania through Senator Tartaglione's Office will be providing a $250,000 grant to the School District of Philadelphia. The purpose of this grant is to develop a pilot program that would deliver computers into the homes of low-income families as a cost-effective model for eventually improving academic achievement of all youth. Now with additional contributions from Apple Inc., Pennsylvania State University, Communities In Schools Philadelphia and Wireless Philadelphia, we will be able to deliver new iMac desktop computers with wireless Internet access to the homes of all of the 3rd and 4th graders at Sheppard Elementary School in Kensington. In addition, parents will receive training to use the technology to help their children, their family and themselves.

Additional Background: This project builds on an established service-learning partnership between Pennsylvania State University and the Sheppard Elementary School. This partnership placed approximately ten Pennsylvania State University future teachers in the classrooms of Sheppard Elementary in order to assist the teachers and learn, first hand, the experiences of teaching in an urban setting. In the last year, this partnership has grown to include a parent literacy and involvement component resulting in a unique relationship that is benefiting college students as much as it is benefiting the teachers, students and parents at Sheppard.

Approach: The project includes 4 classrooms of students (about 120 students) at Sheppard Elementary School. Two of these classrooms are from the 3rd grade and two of these classrooms of students are from the 4th grade. Each classroom of students will form one cohort such that there will be a total of four cohorts of students in the project this year. Each cohort will receive 1) an orientation where they will receive their computer, 2) a home visit by a Digital Service Fellow / Computer Support Specialist Team where they get their computer setup for the Internet, 3) a follow-up training at the school to learn how to use email 4) a follow-up training at the school to explore ways of connecting the school with the families (e.g., FamilyNet and web sites such as FirstInMath), 5) a follow-up training to show parents how they can use the Internet to help each other, 6) a follow-up training to provide the parents with literacy & job skills.

Process: In November, 155 computers from Apple were delivered to 440 North Broad. In December, we took one class from the 4th grade as the first, and pilot, cohort. This 1st cohort consisted of approximately 30 families. Based on a review of this first cohort we will deliver the 2nd, 3rd and 4th cohorts after January, 2008.

Partners: State of Pennsylvania, Office of Senator Tartaglione, The School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State University, Apple Inc., and Wireless Philadelphia, Communities In Schools Philadelphia, Inc.