University of Pennsylvania's Program to Bridge the Digital Divide

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Netter Center for Community Partnerships

Computer Labs in West Philadelphia

|Youth|Adult|Access|

Youth

Beulah Baptist School
Penn students assist with teaching second and third grade students basic computer literacy.
Community members served: 35


• Calvin Presbyterian Church
  Penn students run an after-school, interactive computer literacy program for pre-school and elementary school children.
  Community members served: 100
  
  
• Curriculum Sharing
  Digital Divides website provides computer literacy tutorials, curriculum and games for K-12 classrooms.
  Community members served: Countless
  


• New Beginnings Church at Rhodes Elementary School
  Penn students develop computer curriculum for pre-school and elementary school aged children.
  Community members served: 120
  
  
• University City High School - EcoTech
  Working to support UCHS's Learn and Serve grant, Penn students assist in web design, GIS, and A+ classes. This small learning community is coordinated by Martin Galvin. He can be contacted at martingalvin02@hotmail.com.
  Community members served: 250
  
  
  
• West Philadelphia Public Libraries
  Penn students work with teenagers in a Teen Cafe where they are taught basic computer skills.
  Community members served: 30
  
  
• Drew School
  Penn students instructed 8th graders in creating web pages about themselves to send to students in Japan.
  Community members served: 20
  
  
• Media Arts Program
  Housed at West Philadelphia High School,Penn students utilized their knowledge of digital video shooting and editing, macromedia flash (for animation), and HTML by teaching high school students to work with digital video, animation, and web design. MAP students created useful products for the community or themselves. Penn students teaching it to others.
  Community members served: 15
  
  
• Middle Years Alternative
  Penn student assisted in researching robotics with Lego Mindstorm Robotics kit.
  Community members served: 30
  
  
• Turner Middle School
  Penn students assisted middle school students in the Water/Air study project which compared water and air samples in the Turner and Haverford areas.
  Community members served: 20
  
  
• West Philadelphia High School - TechCOM
  Penn students helped support their Learn and Serve grant by mentoring high school students in hardware repair and maintenance, web design and print media, and general community outreach, so that they could technically support the high school as well as local community organizations.
  Community members served: 10

Adult

• Cyber Outreach
  Volunteers from Penn teach local community members basic computer and internet literacy.
  Community members served: 150
  
  
• E-Lit
  Penn students educate women from local shelters in adult literacy courses.
  Community members served: 50


• Potter's House Mission
  The Digital Divide class at Potter's House Mission teaches basic computer skills to adults with little experience in using computers. Participants learn to the basics of how to use a computer and become familiar with commom computer programs. After mastering basic skills, participants are taught to use a graphic design program and the Internet.
  Community members served: 20
  
  
• Training the Trainers
  Students from Penn provide guidance to community members interested in improving their neighborhoods on how to use their existing knowledge of computers to teach others.
  Community members served: 50
  
  
  
• West Philadelphia Community Schools
  Penn students teach adult computer literacy to the community at Lea-West, Sayre, UCHS-Drew and Shaw Community Schools run by the West Philadelphia Partnership. Courses include Intro to Computers, Intro to the Internet, Intro to Microsoft Suite, and various professional development classes.
  Community members served: 70
  


• Turning the Tide
  Penn students led adult computer literacy and job development classes at Taylor Tabernacle Church. Students also developed curriculum that is now being taught by community members.
  Community members served: 30
  
  
• White Rock Baptist Church
  A Penn student worked with community leaders and a Penn city planning professor and student to survey and map the community around White Rock Baptist Church using GIS technology.
  Community members served: 3 neighborhood blocks surveyed
  

Access

With the donations we have already received, we have been able to set up 25 labs and given numerous computers to organizations and individuals. We have also supported 13 other organizations in setting up labs. If you are interested in starting your own lab, please see our guide to starting a refurbishment center. Guide.

Below you will find a map and a list of sites that we have assisted by establishing labs, providing technical assistance, or aiding in computer literacy programming. Links indicate a picture of the lab.

Map ID	Organization	Type of Organization	Type of Assistance
1	Bridge the Gap Learning System	Non Profit	Setup
2	Calvary Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
3	Christ of Calvary Church	Community of Faith	Setup
4	Conquerers CDC	Community of Faith	Setup
5	Crusaders CDC	Community of Faith	Setup
6	Eastwick United Methodist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
7	Ford McKarobin Foundation of Learning	Non Profit	Setup
8	Gate to Heaven Ministry	Community of Faith	Setup
9	Metropolitan Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
10	Millennium Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
11	Mt. Olivet Tabernacle Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
12	New Beginnings Church	Community of Faith	Setup
13	New Life Development Corporation	Community of Faith	Setup
14	Philadelphia Beauty Showcase National Museum	Non Profit	Setup
15	Philadelphia Prayer, Praise and Worship Center	Community of Faith	Setup
16	Potters House Mission Church	Community of Faith	Setup
17	St. Barnabas Bethsaida United Methodist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
18	Sayers Memorial United Methodist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
19	Second Antioch Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
20	Simpson Fletcher	Community of Faith	Setup
21	The Stone Center	Non Profit	Setup
22	University City High School	School	Setup
23	West Park Cultural Opportunity Center	Non Profit	Setup
24	West Philadelphia High School	School	Setup
25	Wharton-Wesley United Methodist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
26	White Rock Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Setup
27	Woodland Presbyterian Church	Community of Faith	Setup
28	Word Tabernacle	Community of Faith	Setup
29	Calvary Lutheran Church	Community of Faith	Support
30	Church of God in Prophecy	Community of Faith	Support
31	Holy Cross Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Support
32	Monumental Baptist Church	Community of Faith	Support
33	St. Cyprian's Catholic Parish	Community of Faith	Support
34	Turning the Tide	Non Profit	Support
35	Belmont Charter School	School	Support
36	Blankenburg Elementary School	School	Support
37	Drew School	School	Support
38	Hamilton Elementary School	School	Support
39	Lamberton School	School	Support
40	Lea Elementary School	School	Support
41	Leidy Elementary School	School	Support
42	Turner Middle School	School	Support
43	Sayre Middle School	School	Support