Project TEACH

Project TEACH is an innovative program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This one-year pilot program will provide the residents of Los Angeles' Skid Row area with training for and access to the education and employment resources available on the Internet and through other computer technologies. It is a collaborative community partnership between the lead agency, the Weingart Center Association, and three other major homeless services providers located in Downtown Los Angeles: Chrysalis, Skid Row Housing Trust, and the Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) Housing Corporation.

Project TEACH is a two-component program, each addressing specific access-to-technology obstacles faced by members of the Downtown community. Clients are able to participate in either or both of the components and enrollment in one component does not require successful completion of the other. This design allows clients to interact with new technologies at their current level of education and job preparedness. Their movement through the continuum of services offered by the program is based on their individual skill level, knowledge, interests, and needs.

Component I - Using the Internet to Find Employment

• Students participate in a five-day instructor-led curriculum entitled, Put a Dot.com in Your Job Search (TM)
  
• Skills learned will include: creating and utilizing personal email accounts, posting on-line resumes, navigating common job sites, and general knowledge of the Internet.
  
• Classes are conducted at both the Weingart Center's Leavey Learning Center and Chrysalis.
  
• Morning and afternoon sessions available – up to 30 students per week.
  

Component II - Equal Access; Bridging the "Digital Divide"

• Residents of the Weingart Center, Skid Row Housing Trust, and SRO Housing will have access to twenty-five Internet-capable computers located throughout their places of residence and in two point-of-access sites.
  
• After-hours access to computers will allow Component I students to practice their job search skills and to find employment.
  
• Peer-mentoring programs within each agency will provide students with an opportunity to receive technology training outside of a traditional classroom environment.
  

Goals and Objectives

• Project TEACH seeks to bridge the "Digital Divide" currently facing underserved communities, such as the Downtown homeless community, by making computer technology and training easily accessible to participants, both in formal and informal settings.
  
• The training and access to current Internet and computer technologies provided through the program will increase the employability of participants as required by the 1996 Welfare Reform Law.
  
• Community-specific content that is relevant and meaningful to residents of the Downtown area will be developed using Project TEACH computers.
  
• Technology's ability to function as a self-directed, problem-solving tool will be utilized to encourage and build self-sufficiency among Downtown area residents.
  

How can you become involved?

For information on this program, please contact the Weingart Center Community Technology Manager at (213) 689-2257 or by email at matthew@weingart.org.