Ppt Dd Final

“Bridging the Digital Divide”
{one person at a time!!!}
Brian Bell
Parkland College
DCEO Digital Divide
Grant Coordinator
Maria Mobasseri
Parkland College
CSIT Department Chair
DCEO, NSF, WIA
Grant Writer & PI

Types of Digital Divides
 Access to Education and training
 Access to physical equipment
 Access to the global network (internet)
 Access to broadband network speeds (UC2B HELP!)
 Sub categories
 Race
 Region
 Income
 Level of Education
“The digital divide is what happened to you while you were at
work”

Brian D. Bell Parkland College Outreach
Coordinator bbell@parkland.edu 217-373-3872

Illustration demonstrating some local areas are
competing with the developing word.

My office at Parkland

Six central Illinois colleges have joined forces to
address a common problem: the small number of
women and minority students completing college
programs in Computer Science and Information
Technology.
NSF GRANT
Mission: Building Communities

2008 Statistics for Women
 56% of Advance Placement (AP) test-takers were female
 51% of AP Calculus test-takers were female
 17% of AP Computer Science test-takers were female
 65% of Intel Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) finalists
in Biochemistry were female
 35% of ISEF finalists in Mathematics were female
 19% of ISEF finalists in Computer Science were female
(source: National Center for Women & Information Technology, www.ncwit.org)

2008 Statistics for Women
 27% of Computer Scientists were female.
 3% of Computer Scientists were female and African-American.
 3% of Computer Scientists were female and Asian.
 1% of Computer Scientists were female and Hispanic.
 57% of professional occupations in the US workforce were held by
women.
 24% of professional IT-related occupations in the US workforce were
held by women.
 16% of corporate office positions at Fortune 500 technology companies
were held by women.
(source: National Center for Women & Information Technology, www.ncwit.org)

Challenges
 Lack of numbers
 Lack of student interest about computers
 Lack of student knowledge about computers
 Minority and female students must be recruited in
different ways
 Lack of female and minority role models

Systemic Issues
 K–12
 Little Exposure
 Curriculum is weak
 Recruitment issues (female students must be recruited differently)
 Higher Education
 Curriculum needs revision; application areas
 Lack of “confidence”— different definitions of failure
 Law of low numbers — lack of role models
 Careers
 Advancement on the technical ladder
 Work / Home balance — job re-entry
 Lack of women technical luminaries
 Few IT start up business success stories

What have we done?
Recruiting
 Contests
 Open House
 College Class Visits
 Informational Kickoffs
 Women in Computer Science Clubs
 Workshops (Middle School, High School)

What have we done?
Retention
 Mentoring
 Study Groups
 Industry Tours
 Educational Trips
 Celebration and Retreat
 Fundraising for Scholarship

Retention

Minimizing the Digital Divide

Internships
(Summer 2005 to Summer 2009)
Total of 130 internships in the following fields:
• Networking Administration
• Microcomputer Support Specialist
• Digital Media/Web
Average of 33 graduates per year!

Industry Employers
(Where CSIT Grads Work)
ADM EA Games Precision Graphics
Amdocs Farm Credit Services Provena Medical
Area Wide Technologies Frasca International Riverbed Technology
Benchmark Computers Fusion Broadband Simplified Computers
Busey Bank Health Alliance State Farm
Carle Clinic Hobbico UIUC
Carle Hospital Horizon Hobby Unified Networking
CDG (Communications Data Group) Human Kinetics Visual Concepts (2K Games)
Champaign Consortium Industrial Light Magic Volition
Champaign Unit 4 Schools Intel Volo Broadband
Christie Clinic NCTE Willis Computing
CU Computing Parkland College Wolfram Research
Defense Training & Technologies Plastipak

DCEO / Digital Divide Grant
Mission:
(Parkland College) is to target 300 individuals from the lowest income
neighborhoods within Champaign-Urbana area. Each participant will
receive at least 28 hours of project based, hands-on and practical
technology training. Participants will basic computer skills, typing
instructions, internet connectivity and access to certification training.
Following our current format for Computer Literacy at Parkland
College's Mattis facility, participants will have access to GED training,
job placement information and printing services.

Who are our clients
 Currently at 1307 N Mattis Illinois Worknet Center
 Class dynamics, basic overview
 Over 40
 Unemployed
 50/50 Male – Female
 50/50 Minority – Non Minority (white non-hispanic)
 70% + no computer or internet access at home
 Some areas have no access at all (Comcast ,etc.) dial up only!

Our Partners: They help with donations,
resources and funds!!
Baltimore Air Coil

Our Class

What we give

Who we help
Donated Computer
Recipients
Raulene and Richard
Raulene Maria
Ester and Charles
(volunteer)
Judy

How we help
 Classroom style and one on one instruction.
 Move clients into the future with knowledge of
hardware, operating systems and applications.
 From the last computer they may have used to the
computer that’s coming out next month!
 Teach valuable skills to assist current needs.(JOBS)
 Bridge the gap, by bringing them up to speed, and give
the tools to keep that speed.

Curriculum : What they learn
Hardware:
The 2 Types of computers:
 PC or MAC
Operating systems:
 XP, VISTA, SEVEN LINUX
Applications:
 Types
 Embedded, Portable, Online, Virtual, Thinned
 And the NEW Cloud!!

Hardware evolution!!
10,000 pounds 4 pounds!

Human evolution: Success
Kimberly & Flora
Applications Certifications of
Completion.
Microsofts Elevate America

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