THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607270200
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 90 lines
Jemika Scutchings wants to brush up on her typing skills. She doesn't want a secretary when she becomes a doctor, she said. She would prefer to do the work herself. So the 11-year-old didn't hesitate to get to the new computer lab when she learned it was right in her Friendship Village housing community.
Her can-do attitude and will to learn is consistent with the goal of what sponsors hope to get across to other residents of a community once afflicted by drugs and crime.
Residents of Friendship Village will receive free job and computer skills training and education through Virginia's first active ``Neighborhood Networks'' site.
Neighborhood Networks is an umbrella concept under which a variety of public and private organizations and residents are connected by computer hardware and software for job-related educational and community purposes.
``The computer training will act as a springboard to help get people off welfare by preparing them for the job market where computers are increasingly playing a major role,'' said Charles Famuliner, director of Multi-family Housing for the Virginia state HUD office in Richmond.
This Virginia Beach community will serve as the pilot test site and model for other programs across the nation.
The Virginia State Housing and Urban Development office, WHRO, Old Dominion University, and NASA Langley Research Center, are jointly supporting the Application of Affordable Technology to Link America's Schools, a program which brings computers programs to schools, as part of the Neighborhood Networks project within the state.
Inside a two-bedroom apartment, the Neighborhood Networks site is the first used and tested by residents. If it does well, this site will be used as a model for future programs in Virginia. It will also serve as the Internet and job skills training ground to residents.
An FBI special agent and computer specialist from the FBI's Norfolk office, will be on hand to provide support for the initial computer training sessions. Organizers asked for the FBI's assistance because the Norfolk organization heads other community programs, such as DARE, an anti-drug campaign for children.
``Usually when we come to places like this, we arrest people,'' said FBI special agent, Richard ``Butch'' Holtz. ``This was a chance to show kids that we don't always carry a gun and badge and arrest people. We can also help with teaching abilities.''
Follow-up training on Internet use and job skills for the residents will be made available by teacher interns from Old Dominion University's School of Education.
As residents crowded into the computer site for the first time Friday, it was apparent that there would be no arm-twisting to get them to participate in the program.
Barbara Sexton, a three-year community resident, was one of the first to try out the new computers. She was enthusiastic as she stroked the keys of the $2,000, IBM-compatible computer, but she knew it was not her own. Still, it was enough to encourage her to want to go to school.
``I think I want to go to school and take up computing now. I'm ready.''
Many others huddled around the six computers. Adults probed for information, while kids surfed for games and fun activities in the computer databank.
Through a federally assisted low-income housing drug elimination grant, $4,000 was alloted for the Neighborhood Networks project. Other amenities like posters with inspirational messages were donated by groups like Birdneck Elementary School, which will work closely with the project and the 100 housing community kids who attend the school.
One long-time community resident, Jackie Dunbar, will go to Boston, Mass., for a three-day workshop to learn more about computers and the Neighborhood Networks program. When she returns, she will serve as the ``expert,'' helping other residents get acquainted with the new technology.
``I told the head of my community council that if I can ever do anything, I would help her,'' the 18-year housing resident said. ``So she called me on that. To break it all down, I was drafted.''
Being drafted and being a model to others is something Dunbar doesn't mind doing. The children's church coordinator of New Jerusalem Church of God works closely with kids and is willing to share her new experiences.
``The biggest thing I'm excited about is learning the computer myself,'' she said.
Sponsors of the program are optimistic that in the coming months other housing communities will benefit from this program's success. Norfolk's Oakmont Apartments community may be in line as the next test site, officials said.
``We hope this program will hit the ground running,'' said Barbara Barnes, regional director of property owner VMH Inc. ``And it should operate within the next 30 days.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT, The Virginian-Pilot
Nicole Hills, 5, left, and Jemika Scutchings, 11, play a game Friday
at Friendship Village in Virginia Beach. A new program offers
residents computer job training and an introduction to new
technology. by CNB