Graduation Day Means New Technology

Carl Vogel
Published: September 29, 2011

Thumbs up at the Englewood graduation for a new netbook and the skills to use it everyday.

Gordon Walek

Graduations usually come around in June, but more than two hundred Smart Community families were very happy to be celebrating in September. This month, the first round of residents who earned a netbook computer by taking a training participated in graduation events in the five Smart Communities.

Englewood got things started with a graduation for 60 adult participants on Sept. 15 at the Kennedy-King College Center for Working Families. The event included a ceremony, presentation of netbooks and a celebration of the citywide commitment to galvanize tech capacity and expand digital access within moderate and low-income communities.

The graduates were excited to receive their new computers, and the room was buzzing with anticipation as they turned them on for the first time.

“We are thrilled that today’s graduates are setting off on a path of true digital access and empowerment,” said Rosalind Moore, program manager of the Englewood Smart Communities Program. “Digital access and basic computer skills are vitally important in today’s globally networked world, and today these committed individuals have taken the next step in using this critical technology to participate in the civic and economic life of our city and nation.”

Brian Powers explains how to get the most from the new computers to the graduates at Talman Elementary in Chicago Lawn.

Gordon Walek

In Chicago Lawn, 60 parents graduated at Talman Elementary School in a bilingual ceremony that was large enough to require use of the school’s gym. Pilsen will add 90 graduates at the end of September, and dozens of families will have new netbooks in Auburn Gresham and Humboldt Park soon as well.

A total of 1,280 HP mini netbook netbooks will be distributed through the Smart Community Earned Computers for Training (ECT) program. Each participant must be at least 18 years old, live in one of the Smart Communities and complete 10 hours of Smart Community coursework.

To see a slideshow of the happy graduates, click on the images below.

Graduation in Englewood

A version of this story first appeared at the Smart Communities website.

Keywords: Graduation in Englewood, HP mini netbook, Kennedy-King College, Smart Communities