PACOIMA, Calif., Aug. 10, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Families from Pacoima in the Northeast San Fernando Valley graduated from a ten-week comprehensive technology course today and received new computers from the Youth Policy Institute's (YPI) Valley Family Technology Project. This is the third graduation for the program, which teaches both children and their parents technology skills to prepare them for the digital future.
Parents and students celebrated their accomplishments in the Pacoima Elementary School auditorium alongside Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla; YPI Director Dixon Slingerland and Mario Matute, Project Director for the Valley Family Technology Project. Councilman Padilla initiated the project in his hometown of Pacoima in 2001.
These families have demonstrated that it is never too late to learn new skills. The growing digital divide in California puts low-income families at risk of falling behind in education and other life and career skills, thus seriously limiting opportunity for those who already face immense challenges. In an effort to bridge the divide, the Valley Family Technology project works with fourth graders at Pacoima Elementary School, their parents and teachers through innovative technology programs. To date, more than 125 families have received a computer, printer, Microsoft Office software and one year of free Internet access.
"Pacoima parents and their children are taking steps to ensure that they will be well equipped with technology skills for the future," said Dixon Slingerland, YPI Director. "After seeing how our families have improved their computer skills over the past year, I'm proud to see so many gain new tools to improve their lives."
YPI's Valley Family Technology Project is a collaborative effort among numerous community organizations, sponsor corporations, and government agencies. Its mission is to build a model bilingual technology project providing services to meet the education, workforce development and computer literacy needs of Pacoima residents. The Valley Family Technology Project was recently the recipient of a $1.3 million grant from the California Workforce Investment Board.
The Youth Policy Institute (YPI) is a nonprofit organization serving disadvantaged communities in California. YPI was founded in 1983 as an outgrowth of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial and has been operating in California since 1996. Over the past three years, YPI has raised more than $10 million in technology, education, and workforce grants from federal, state, city, and corporate funders. YPI's showcase projects in California are the Valley Family Technology Project in Los Angeles and the Western Addition Community Technology Center in San Francisco. The Valley Family Technology Project is a $2.6 million partnership between YPI, L.A. City Council President Alex Padilla, the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, Pacoima Elementary School, Pacoima Skills Center, and corporate donors including Verizon, SBC Pacific Bell, Microsoft, AT&T, IBM, and Washington Mutual. VFTP Graduation, Page 2