This publication was developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist in the

planning and development of Neighborhood Networks centers.

The guides in this series offer “how to” information on starting up a center, creating programs and identifying

center partners; center and program profiles and a wealth of resources.

Neighborhood Networks is a community-based initiative established by the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development (HUD) in 1995. Since then, hundreds of centers have opened throughout the United States.

These centers provide residents of HUD-assisted and/or -insured properties with programs, activities and

training promoting economic self-sufficiency. These guides contain examples of successful center initiatives and

how you can replicate them.

To receive copies of this publication or any others in the series, contact:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Neighborhood Networks

9300 Lee Highway

Fairfax, VA 22031-1207

Neighborhood Networks Information Center

Toll-free (888) 312-2743

TTY: (703) 934-3230

All publications are available from the Neighborhood Networks website at:

www.neighborhoodnetworks.org
YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKS CENTERS

JUNE 1999
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page i

June 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers.............................................................1

Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................1

Part One: Key Challenges and Effective Strategies in Youth Programming..............................................1

Highlights of Effective Programs and Strategies ...........................................................................................3

Homework Help...............................................................................................................................................5

Part Two: Case Studies and Examples.............................................................................................................7

The Gateway@Edgewood Terrace: Washington, DC ..................................................................................7

MACademia! at the Somerville Community Computing Center: Somerville, MA.........................................8

The Youth Center at the Bresee Foundation: Los Angeles, CA...................................................................8

Lansing Housing Commission: Lansing, MI.................................................................................................10

Other Examples.............................................................................................................................................10

Part Three: Resources.......................................................................................................................................11
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 1

June 1999

Youth Education Programs for

Neighborhood Networks Centers

Introduction

Youth education programs are a major focus for

Neighborhood Networks centers serving HUDassisted and/or -insured apartment properties with a

large proportion of families. Many of these centers are

using technology to help children achieve academic

success, foster joy in learning, expand career

horizons and promote critical thinking skills.

In 1998, only about one quarter of inner city homes

had computers – compared to about 80 percent of

homes in affluent suburbs. That makes computer

access at Neighborhood Networks centers especially

critical for low-income children. In Impact of CTCNet

Affiliates (1998), the research team of Chow, Ellis,

Mark and Wise found that “providing a friendly,

supportive environment in which to learn about

computers or use them in the pursuit of other goals is

a key feature of community technology centers.” In a

1997 study, Community Technology Centers: Impact

on Individual Participants and Their Communities, the

researchers found that young people went to the

centers because their parents believed the centers

were safe and helped children stay out of trouble and

away from drugs. The centers also offered access to

“learning opportunities, computers, fun activities, and

people to help with homework,” the research team

concluded.

This handbook is designed for Neighborhood

Networks center sponsors, staff and partners who

want to create effective programs for young people

under the age of 18.

Part One identifies key issues in creating programs for

youth and highlights effective strategies – including

how to design youth programs that correspond to

child development stages, how to support and

augment the school experience, and how best to find

staff, partners and volunteers for youth programs.

Part Two includes case studies of successful youth

programs in Neighborhood Networks centers and

other community settings.

q Gateway@Edgewood Terrace: Washington, DC

q MACademia! at the Somerville Community

Computing Center: Somerville, MA

q The Youth Center at the Bresee Foundation: Los

Angeles, CA

q Lansing Housing Commission: Lansing, MI

q Other Examples

Part Three provides an annotated list of resources

that can help Neighborhood Networks center staff

develop youth programs.

Part One: Key Challenges and Effective

Strategies in Youth Programming

Neighborhood Networks centers face five key

challenges in developing effective youth programs:

q Articulating a clear guiding purpose. Youth

activities will vary depending on each center’s

overall mission and program goals. Whatever the

specific mix, however, youth programming should

help young people master technology. The idea

is to reinforce children’s basic technology skills

and enable them to handle with confidence

whatever technology they may later encounter.

q Determining the focus of youth programs.

Some Neighborhood Networks center programs

help young people with homework and tie

technology use to school-related projects. Others

focus on offering non-school related activities and

structured projects. Most centers allow for free

time or games after homework is completed.

Some programs use an open lab approach.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 2

June 1999

Others use the computer lab as an adjunct to

other after-school activities, such as art and

crafts, scouting, or a broader enrichment or

personal empowerment program. Neighborhood

Networks centers sometimes include programs

for pre-schoolers, and some have

intergenerational activities.

What’s the best approach? The one that fits best

the needs and goals of residents. Ideally, centers

will provide school support programs – but these

will just be the beginning. Whatever the mix, staff,

children and parents all should understand the

scope and limits of the center’s youth activities.

q Paying attention to developmental stages.

Devising a learning environment and activities

that are appropriate for different age groups is a

critical challenge in youth programming. Activities

will need to accommodate children’s varying

developmental and social skills. The space itself,

for example, should be adaptable for small as

well as full-sized people and arranged for ease of

supervision. Scheduling must take into account

children’s attention spans and enthusiasm. And

center staff need special information about

younger users, including parental permissions

and telephone numbers.

Software choices should include carefully

selected programs. Software that requires fine

motor control of the mouse and an understanding

of relatively advanced facts or complex concepts

will be inappropriate for younger children.

Software stressing simplicity and repetition will

bore older children. While the center should

always be staffed, younger children need more

structure and supervision, while older ones need

more flexibility and independence. Younger users

probably will need some assistance in focusing

their attention and energy in the lab. This need

not be intrusive control; asking them to stop to

sign in and designate a preferred activity may be

sufficient.

Ideally, different age groups will be scheduled to

be in the center at separate times, although there

may be some open family time. The center may

need different rules about which equipment can

be used for what. For example, while eight-year

olds may confidently use a “paint” program

independently, use of scanners and photo

imaging software might be restricted to older

children or require direct staff supervision.

Neighborhood Networks centers using the

Internet also must give attention to special issues

of access and safety for their younger users and

be prepared to work with parents in setting

boundaries for children’s activities.

q Designing learning experiences that use

technology as a tool. The prime time for youth

programs is late afternoon when centers offer

after-school activities. Some centers may want to

respond to the needs of working parents by

providing general child care and entertainment.

But Neighborhood Networks centers and center

youth programs can – and should – be much

more. To make best use of the investment in

technology, it’s important for the center to

develop an active and clearly communicated

educational program that complements

recreation programs and hanging out with

friends. The center is a place to learn by doing.

When staff create that expectation, children

respect it, and the center can be both

manageable and enjoyable. In creating a safe

and comfortable activity space, the center can

teach the key lesson that learning is fun.

q Securing resources to maintain an effective

learning environment. Money is essential for

the Neighborhood Networks center – but it’s only

part of the equation for the best youth-oriented

centers. Equally important are thoughtful, creative

and flexible staff members – paid and volunteers.

Developing effective working relationships with

other community organizations, especially

education agencies, is also a key program

component. Good partnerships not only attract

varied resources to the center, they also create

community and a sense of being connected to

the larger society for residents.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 3

June 1999

Highlights of Effective Programs and

Strategies

Supporting School Success

Neighborhood Networks centers can support

academic success by helping with homework and

school projects, providing information for children and

parents about working effectively with the schools,

and offering opportunities for participation in special

programs and events to strengthen academic skills. In

developing effective school support programs

Neighborhood Networks centers should:

q Learn about your residents’ schools. Centers

should make a special effort to reach out to the

schools their residents attend. The centers

should ask school principals and technology

coordinators about the computer technology used

at school and the school’s expectations about

computer access at students’ homes. Teachers

and school officials will be glad to learn about the

Neighborhood Networks center offerings and

many will be eager to help center staff provide a

smooth connection between school and home. It

may also be possible to develop relationships

with particular teachers. Among the topics to

discuss: What kind of computers are the schools

using and what software for different ages? At

what age and for what types of projects are

children expected to use the Internet for

research? What policies do the schools have for

Internet use? Are there curriculum frameworks

and standards for technology skills? Will the

schools provide free or low-cost copies (including

manuals and teachers’ guides) of educational

software currently in use? Will the schools

provide training or other resources for center

staff? How can your center benefit from a

community service requirement?

q Provide an appropriate working space. If the

Neighborhood Networks center will serve as a

homework center, it needs work tables and

materials as well as computers and related

equipment. Some centers may be able to find

additional space (and staff or volunteer

supervisors) for homework activities. Very small

centers may be precluded from offering general

homework supervision but may be able to help

children use computers to work on specific

projects.

q Use appropriate equipment and software.

The most versatile software programs are the

standard office packages that can be used for

writing, math and organizing stories and reports,

supplemented by reference programs on CDROMs and the Internet. Because younger

children may find a full-fledged word processor

overwhelming, centers with very young

participants may want to use a simplified “Works”

program for them. Matching the center’s word

processing software to school software is

advisable. Other core software might include a

childrens’ drawing program, publishing program,

typing program and web page editor.

There is an evergrowing supply of software

labeled “educational” available in the

marketplace, but some of it is not very

educational. Among the academic software of

interest to young users are varying levels of

math, grammar and language reviews, and SAT

preparation software. Often, such software uses

music, graphics and games designed to make the

work more fun. In choosing software, the most

important questions are:

• Will it actively engage users in learning

rather than just mouse-clicking drills?

• Do games and other features support or

detract from learning?

• Will the software help users do something

new or better?

• Is it easy to use and support in your center?

• Is the software — especially games —

consistent with the values of your program?

Center staff should ask children what’s on their

software wish lists before purchasing programs.

The center may be able to get a review copy and

have the children test it. Center staff may also
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 4

June 1999

want to consult a software review site through the

World Wide Web or software reviews in various

publications. For example, check out

www.superchildren.com or another site listed in

the box below.

q Provide adequate and appropriate

supervision. Many children will need help

developing good homework habits, in addition to

help understanding specific assignments and

tasks. Neighborhood Networks centers may need

to recruit parents, grandparents, older youth or

other volunteers to oversee homework, offer

encouragement and recognize their progress. All

staff need to understand how to help without

taking over. Some schools provide a call-in

telephone line or television program for

homework help, and some teachers now arrange

for e-mail help. Online homework resources are

also available such as those listed in the resource

section of this guide and in the following box.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 5

June 1999

Software

These websites review software for young people. Many sites accept reviews from teachers and students.

Reviewing software can be an excellent project for children of all ages.

Children’s Software Revue (http://www2.childrenssoftware.com/childrenssoftware/) — This site complements

the Children’s Software Revue, a print magazine with news about the Internet and software, feature articles and

book reviews. The site's most popular feature is the searchable database, the Children’s Software Finder that

includes thousands of software reviews. Children’s Software Revue is published by Active Learning Associates,

Flemington, NJ, 1-800-993-9499.

Superkids Educational Software Review (http://www.superchildren.com) — This excellent site includes

software reviews by children, parents and teachers. There’s also a set of forms for contributing reviews.

TERC Math Games List (http://www.terc.edu/mathequity/gw/html/gameframe.html) — This website – part of a

project to encourage greater involvement of girls in math, science and technology – describes dozens of math

games and software for children of all ages. There is also a helpful article about what makes good software

good.

Computer Museum Guide to the Best Software for Children — This excellent guide, written by Cathy

Miranker and Allison Elliott (NY: Harper Collins, 1995), is available in print only. Additional information is on the

Computer Museum website (http://www.tcm.org). Located in Boston, the museum has a children’s software

gallery where visitors of all ages can try out and rate software. Highly rated programs can be bought through the

museum’s website.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Homework Help

New sites are routinely coming online. Center staff may want to bookmark homework sites in the center’s web

browser or set up a homework help web page.

Ask Dr. Math (http://forum.swarthmore.edu/drmath/dr-math.html) — Learners of all ages can ask math

questions at this site, which also features archives of answers and other information about math problems and

topics.

B.J. Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper (http://tristate.pgh.net/~pinch13/) — This guide to reference works and

other resources was created by and for a middle-schooler, with links appropriate for all ages.

Ask A Scientist/MAD Scientist Network (http://www.madsci.org) — There’s interesting and fun scientific

information on this site (it divides home experiments into edible and inedible, for example). Centers may find it

especially useful for homework help. Professional scientists answer questions for students of all ages. The site

includes an archive of previous questions and answers.

StudyWeb (http://www.studyweb.com) — This collection of links to educational and reference sites is organized

by subject matter and is especially useful for older children working on papers.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 5

June 1999

Offering Independent Learning Opportunities

Neighborhood Networks centers can provide a wide

range of learning experiences for young users to

develop creativity, intellectual independence and

critical thinking. The center can encourage children to

learn in a more relaxed environment, without the

structure and pressure of tests and grades. Staff can

work with children to identify their interests and devise

appropriate projects. Activities can range from simple

drawing or illustrating stories with clip art to more

complex projects like creating web pages or learning

to write a new game program with audio and video

effects.

Activities can readily be geared to different ages and

computer skill levels. A group of 12-year olds, for

example, might help plan a community garden and, in

the process, learn to use a variety of computer

programs, including drawing programs, word

processing to write a survey identifying residents’

plant preferences and the Internet or a CD-ROM

program to research growing cycles. Another group

might write a cookbook of residents’ favorite recipes,

or prepare a community newsletter with photographs

taken by a digital camera. Younger children might use

a paint program to outline pictures for placemats,

which they could then color with crayons and

laminate. Or they could use word processing and clip

art to write and illustrate a joke book. Older children

might participate in a college or job preparation

project where they use computers to research job

opportunities and prepare resumes and applications.

Such activities may be organized into larger projects

or clubs.

Participating in Special Learning Opportunities

Neighborhood Networks centers may be able to

participate in special projects and competitions

designed primarily, but not exclusively, for school

classes. These include programs such as the

ThinkQuest web design, the Bayer-National Science

Foundation Award for Community Innovation, the

Computer Learning Foundation’s Our Town project,

and International Education and Resource Network

(I*EARN) communications and writing projects.

Contact information for these organizations appears in

the resource section of this guide. Centers might also

create joint projects with other Neighborhood

Networks centers, community technology centers or

nearby schools. Such activities may demand a

different kind of staff involvement beyond coaching

children in computer programs or helping with

homework. But these activities can offer a richer

educational program at Neighborhood Networks

centers. Community or industry volunteers are

excellent resources.

Providing Free Time and Special Events

A center that targets homework support ideally also

will provide free time or open lab time. Most children

are motivated by the chance to pursue their own

projects. Older youth may be independent enough to

participate in adult open lab time and appreciate being

considered as adults for that purpose. Younger

children may need separate time set aside as part of

the after-school program or as family time, when they

bring an older sibling or adult to the center.

Intergenerational activities can contribute significantly

to the quality of life in a housing development.

Possible projects might include working together on a

residents’ newsletter or designing decoration for a

community room.

Most centers will develop a core program that fills the

daily schedule and weekly calendar. But time can still

be set aside for special programs. It is especially

important to provide opportunities for parents to learn

about the center and their children’s activities. A

Neighborhood Networks center can give parents a

safe, comfortable place to raise questions about

technology issues, even if they are not participating in

other center programs. In addition to “show and tell”

sessions where the children display their new skills for

their parents, centers might offer special events like a

student-parent session on using the Internet to

explore college options or a discussion on Internet

“safety” issues such as participating in “chat rooms”

and dealing with inappropriate materials on the World

Wide Web. Public school and library staff may be

available to participate in such programs.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 6

June 1999

Finding Staff and Volunteers for Youth Programs

Computers are no substitute for good coaches and

teachers. The most effective Neighborhood Networks

center youth programs feature a strong center

director, funding for additional youth staff and

volunteers to complement center staff. Centers use a

variety of staffing arrangements, including part-time

and contract employees. A few centers have a fulltime youth education coordinator. Increasingly,

centers are training residents to help staff youth

programs. Even the strongest centers rarely have all

the paid staff they need for their youth programs.

Therefore, centers should think of volunteer staffing

as a strategy, with a plan for recruiting, training and

recognizing the volunteers.

National programs, such as AmeriCorps VISTA:

Volunteers in Service To America, can be an excellent

source of volunteers for Neighborhood Networks

centers. These volunteers are recruited for year-long,

full-time positions in local public agencies or private

nonprofit organizations. For more information about

the VISTA program in your state, visit the AmeriCorps

website (http://www.americorps.org/) or call

1-888-507-5962.

Churches and other private organizations also have

volunteer programs, as do a growing number of

colleges and high schools which now have community

service requirements. Centers may be able to interest

individual college and graduate/education students or

employees from a nearby business in volunteering.

Residents who have graduated from adult programs

at Neighborhood Networks centers can be trained to

help with youth programs. Such volunteer work may

be structured as part of a path leading to paid

employment.

Many centers use volunteers to supervise children,

but often volunteers can play a more significant role.

The best programs invite volunteers to add to the

knowledge and skills available at the center and

expose young people to a larger group of successful

adults and mentors.

Building Community Partnerships

Successful youth programs draw heavily on

partnerships with public and private agencies to

support their youth education activities. Schools and

community colleges are a key place to seek partners

and such relationships can be extremely beneficial for

the center and its users. Successful partnerships

take real effort to establish and sustain. Schools

operate in a more structured and formal system than

Neighborhood Networks centers and some officials

may be slow to see centers as educational peers. It

can be helpful to cultivate one person in the school as

a “champion” to help develop a good working

relationship.

Good communications skills also are necessary for

establishing and maintaining strong school

partnerships. Both schools and Neighborhood

Networks centers share a mutual interest in helping

children learn. Focusing on specific projects —

creating successes in the partnership — can provide

a basis for more far-reaching activities.

Federally funded education programs now stress the

importance of community collaborations. A strong

relationship with education agencies may open up

opportunities for acquiring equipment and materials,

volunteers, or even participating as a community

partner in a large scale grant or other program not

otherwise open to Neighborhood Networks centers.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 7

June 1999

Federal Education Initiatives

Three federal initiatives may offer special opportunities, resources and ideas to Neighborhood

Networks youth education programs:

America Reads seeks to ensure that every child develops strong reading skills by working at the

local level through partnerships between schools, businesses and community organizations to provide

reading tutors, books, summer reading programs and tips for parents. A new part of this program

called America Counts focuses on building math skills for middle school students. Materials created

for these programs may be helpful resources for Neighborhood Networks center staff. For example,

Yes, You Can is a guide to setting up mentoring programs. See http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads.

21st Century Community Learning Centers is a federal program which funds school-based afterschool learning activities. Each project must establish a working partnership with community partners,

such as Ys or Boys & Girls Clubs. In some communities, Neighborhood Networks centers may be

able to become partners or provide services. See http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/21stCCLC.

Gear Up is a new program to help low-income middle school students and their families become

more aware of and prepare for college. The program will provide grants for local collaborations that

sponsor information, mentoring and enrichment programs. See http://www.ed.gov/gearup.

For each of these programs, funds are provided through competitive grants to schools or school

districts. Interested Neighborhood Networks centers should reach out to their local school system to

learn about participating. In some cases, a center representative may be asked to sit on a local

coordinating committee, which can open doors for other resources. Materials developed for these

programs will be available, usually at no cost, for use in center programs. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

Part Two: Case Studies and Examples

The Gateway@Edgewood Terrace:

Washington, DC

One of the first Neighborhood Networks centers, the

Gateway@Edgewood Terrace, located near Catholic

University in Northeast Washington, DC, has tried

several approaches to after-school programs. The

center is owned and operated by the Community

Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC),

a nonprofit organization. Andrea Rosenthal, a

seasoned educator and experienced community

center staff person, directs Edgewood’s youth

education programs. Gateway@Edgewood Terrace

expanded its youth offerings in 1998, based on

programs that have worked at another CPDC-owned

property, Essex House Apartments, in Montgomery

County, MD.

Gateway@Edgewood Terrace has offered a

traditional homework program through a partnership

with Beacon House Community Ministries. At the

Beacon House drop-in center at Edgewood, children

can work on their homework, receive tutoring and

help each other. Related crafts projects sometimes

reinforce lessons. Edgewood youngsters can also go

into the computer center during open lab time to do

homework or pursue other technology-based

interests. For instance, a student might work on math

problems, then design her dream house on the

computer. She would combine the math skills she

learned with technological applications to create the

design.

Gateway@Edgewood Terrace expanded beyond

homework assistance to engage students of all ages

more intensively in activities that combine academics,

technology skills, enrichment and recreation. In one
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 8

June 1999

project, Edgewood children used Microsoft’s Magic

School Bus software to learn about the solar system.

Then they used Microsoft Paint to draw the solar

system. They took a field trip to the National Air &

Space Museum, after which they conducted research

on the Internet and typed or drew (depending on their

age and skill level) final reports about the solar

system. The Edgewood youth program offers

activities at all grade levels, on a rotating schedule.

Ultimately, it will serve as many as 200 young people

from the development.

Gateway@Edgewood Terrace established a special

working partnership with local schools. The Schoolto-Home partnership engages teachers and

principals in addressing school concerns through the

youth program at Edgewood. Rosenthal negotiates

with schools to share materials, and she recruits

volunteers from the school community to help staff the

center’s youth programs. Gateway@Edgewood

Terrace has arranged for students to fulfill the city

schools’ community service requirement by

volunteering in the technology center or elsewhere at

the complex. Partnering schools provide the

Neighborhood Networks center with lists of the

software used at school and other student activities so

that the center can reinforce these learning activities.

Rosenthal is now instituting at Edgewood a Home-toSchool program that has worked well at Essex

House. The program encourages parents to become

more active in their children’s education by helping

them learn more about how the schools are organized

and how to interact effectively with school staff.

Rosenthal helps parents prepare for teacher

conferences and sometimes accompanies parents to

these sessions. In addition, a city school

representative comes to Edgewood for monthly

parents’ workshops on such topics as helping children

with homework and getting access to summer

education programs.

MACademia! at the Somerville Community

Computing Center: Somerville, MA

MACademia! at the Somerville Community Computing

Center welcomes neighborhood youth twice a week

for 1.5 hours to learn to use Macintosh computers and

engage in creative projects.

Designing web pages provides a focus for these

activities. In a recent MACademia! class, younger

students created web pages displaying photographs

of themselves and drawings produced using Kid Pix

software. The pages also include autobiographical

paragraphs written with Microsoft Word. MACademia!

students also used Print Shop and desktop publishing

software such as Adobe PageMaker to create flyers,

banners, greeting cards and newsletters to share with

their families and friends. The students’ work can be

viewed at the Somerville center’s website at

http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/SCCC/macade

mia/ macademia.html

Because children learn by playing, MACademia! uses

selected computer games. Program directors are

careful to reject games that are too isolating and

violent or lack educational value; they are careful to

supervise the use of games so that they can be a

good learning experience and fun. An older group of

children in the MACademia! program became “city

planners” for several months using the SimCity 2000

simulation software. As described by the center’s

staff, the children learned by trial and error to build

workable towns and cities.

Starting with $10,000 and bare land which

they terraformed to their needs, the

children zoned areas into residential,

commercial, and industrial blocks, built an

entire infrastructure of roads and rail,

installed power plants and power lines,

constructed the city services of police, fire,

and hospital, determined funding for the

city services, set tax rates for property/

sales/industry, and more. They have

watched residents come and go, complain

about the lack of city services or

entertainment, and riot in the street when

too many trees were destroyed. They

have cajoled certain industries into

building in their cities by offering attractive

tax bonuses, and set pollution controls

that drove other industries out. They have

built homeless shelters and free clinics,

and collected parking fines and income
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 9

June 1999

taxes. They have had problems with

power shortages and floods, potholes and

land unstable for building. They have been

mayors to the fullest sense of the word.

This project is recounted in detail by staff and

participants at the Somerville Center’s website:

http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/

SCCC/macademia/simcity.html

The SimCity 2000 project also encouraged children to

evaluate their work and learn from their mistakes.

Making judgments about what they learned and how

they learned, they compiled a list of “SimCity 2000

Tips and Lessons Learned” for other users and

posted them on the website. In addition to giving

other players ideas about how to play the game, the

list demonstrates the kind of learning this group

experienced. Some tips suggest ways to evaluate

cost/benefit ratios in terms of mapping and using

terrain for building the most cost-efficient structures.

For instance, the students wrote, “Too much water

makes it hard to build; not enough water makes it

harder to support life as the pumps can only pump

water so far from the source. A pump’s ability to

pump water is increased if it borders water. If all of its

sides touch water, it will be four times more effective.”

Students also struggled with problems of providing

taxes to ensure adequate revenues for their cities and

keeping residents satisfied.

Another valuable lesson these children learned in the

SimCity 2000 activities was that civic issues frequently

don’t have clear-cut solutions. The children reflect:

One of the most difficult parts of the game

is the labor-education issue. At some

point in your city’s growth, development

will slow down and your revenue will

become thin because the industries

cannot find labor to meet their needs. The

reason for this is that the low-density

industries, like media and finance, need a

highly educated workforce. Schools,

museums, and libraries will raise the EQ

(educational quotient) of your citizens. But

these institutions cost money to build, and

you have to fund them each year, which

can be very costly. So it is a Catch-22:

you need to raise education in order to

raise your revenue, but you need to raise

revenue to be able to afford education.

There is no easy solution to this real-life

problem.

This project encouraged the children to work

collaboratively and to analyze why particular

decisions they made resulted in various outcomes.

The simulation provided engaging and intense

learning as well as fun. During the project, the group

met with city officials to discuss the real-world issues

and implications of their game. The whole experience

helped them understand relationships among people,

politics and the environment, and they gained

perspective about how public decisions and civic

participation can affect their lives and their

communities. This project also introduced them to

career fields in urban planning and engineering.

This example shows how a game that could be

isolating and time-wasting can become an exciting

learning adventure. Neighborhood Networks centers

can provide these kinds of learning experiences for

young users. A center could replicate this simulation

project or develop a comparable project using related

computer games (SimTower, SimFarm or, for younger

children, SimTown) or historical simulations (e.g.,

Oregon Trail, Yukon Trail) or simulated expeditions

(such as Maya Quest, Africa Trail, Amazon Trail). Key

factors in the success of such projects are building on

the learners’ interests to shape the activity and

providing appropriate staff guidance to help sustain

the project’s focus and draw out the learning in the

experience, while allowing the youth to work on their

own much of the time.

The Youth Center at the Bresee Foundation:

Los Angeles, CA

The Youth Center at the Bresee Foundation offers an

encouraging and safe atmosphere for children in the

dangerous neighborhood of South Central LA. The

center’s after-school program, for youngsters age 11-

18, takes place in two technology rooms. The

Learning Center has 10 computers where students

work on homework, receive tutoring or use selfguided educational software. In the Cyberhood
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 10

June 1999

Computer Center’s, 15 computers, students have

more freedom of activity. They can pursue computerbased educational opportunities or recreational

activities. Bresee encourages young people to move

through a self-guided computer skills curriculum that

rewards performance with increasing opportunities,

independence and sometimes, jobs.

Staff at the youth center rewrote software manuals

into youth-friendly tutorials. Once students complete

the basic Macintosh tutorial, they earn the privilege of

learning more complex applications like Microsoft

Word, Adobe PageMaker and Photoshop. After

mastering these programs, the young people can

attend advanced computer classes and use higher

end computer equipment in the center. Students who

develop an interest in desktop publishing are invited

to apply for jobs with Bresee Youth Design where they

earn $6 per hour producing desktop published items.

The youth center offers other job opportunities as

well. Some youth are hired as student employees

when they have achieved a good grasp of basic

educational software and demonstrate teaching

qualities. The student employees teach other

students, provide customer service and learn new

skills as they assist other young people. The center

pays its student employees’ salaries from an annual

grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning for

the City of Los Angeles.

A student-developed banking program helps children

learn about commerce. The students earn points for

productive educational work and they can deposit

these points into the student “bank” and redeem them

to purchase snacks or drinks in the student store or to

pay a participation fee for special field trips. Through

this activity, students learn math as well as such

practical life skills as banking and valuing products

and services.

The Bresee’s program underscores the fact that some

children, especially older youth, are motivated to learn

when the skills help them achieve real-life goals. The

center also highlights the potential for youth

participants to contribute actively to operating a

Neighborhood Networks center.

Lansing Housing Commission: Lansing, MI

In central Michigan, the Lansing Housing Commission

created an innovative partnership for computer

learning centers in three housing developments.

Initially funded by a Drug Elimination Grant from the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

the centers provide after-school and weekend

learning opportunities for youth ages 8 to 18, as well

as computer skills training for residents through a

partnership with Lansing Community College. During

out-of-school hours, children play educational games

that help them with math, spelling and geography. The

principal of a local school says the children’s

involvement in the center has raised their school

performance. At least half the coaches hired by the

centers to supervise the young people are residents.

Lansing Housing Commission Executive Director

Chris Stuchell believes that it is critical for residents to

take ownership of the centers and that parental

support helps motivate young people to continue in

the program.

The Lansing centers receive vital support from the

police. Officers are present during most of the afterschool programs, working with children in the centers,

meeting their parents and becoming familiar with the

housing developments’ communities. “The

combination of the two — community policing and the

community technology centers — has resulted in almost

complete elimination of crime in the developments,”

says Stuchell. “Our multi-family developments went

from one of the most dangerous places in the city to

one of the safest” (from the Lansing Computer

Learning Centers video, Children, Computers &

Community: How You Can Push All the Right

Buttons).

Other Examples

The Pelham Network Center in Framingham, MA and

Grier Park in Charlotte, NC also forged relationships

with local law enforcement agencies to support youth

programs while extending the message against drugs

and violence. Local FBI agents work with the
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 11

June 1999

Friendship Village Neighborhood Networks center in

Virginia Beach, VA. Drug Elimination Grants can fund

such activity and a town or city may have community

policing funds that could be tapped as well.

At the South End Technology Center at Tent City in

Boston, MA, volunteers from a community

organization called Tecs-Change offer a computer

repair learning program for teens. Young people learn

how to repair donated equipment for recycling to lessdeveloped countries. As they successfully complete

the program, the youngsters earn a recycled

computer for themselves. (See

http://www.tecschange.org.)

Staff at the Grove Neighborhood Network in Greeley,

CO created an after-school Internet adventure called

“Romping Through the Rainforest.” The staff set up

four days of related activities on web pages, with

worksheets to guide the children in gathering

information about different countries, cultures and

animals, playing games, drawing and painting

pictures, and keeping a log of their adventures. The

center staff provided links to Internet sites and games

appropriate for different age groups, an “ecotourism”

simulation and a coloring book. Children who started

got “Rainforest Explorer” photo ID cards, and children

who finished (almost all) received self-designed Tshirts. (See http://www.islandgrove.org/aftintro.html)

Part Three: Resources

Neighborhood Networks centers can turn to a wealth

of resources to support their youth program planning

and activities. First among these are community

partners.

The nearest public library is a good place to start to

find a partner for a Neighborhood Networks center

youth education program. Many libraries have

received grants from government or technology

companies to expand computer access, and many

now provide free public Internet access. Library staff

can help develop or share teaching materials.

Libraries also have print resources that may be

useful, and they may be willing to acquire materials —

computer magazines, books, software, CD-ROMs —

that a center budget can’t support. Library staff often

have developed training on using web search engines

and other research techniques and probably will be

eager to help residents learn to use their online

catalogues. Again, the best partnerships will offer

mutual benefits. While the library may be able to

provide supplementary resources, center staff and

advanced users, including youth, may be able to

assist the library in presenting special events on the

Internet, for example.

Nearby businesses and labor groups may also be

interested in partnering with Neighborhood Networks

centers. A bank, for example, might provide funds,

volunteers or surplus furniture, office supplies and

equipment or help develop and present projects

related to banking and credit for older children. Other

nearby employers and unions also may be interested

in providing information about career possibilities as

well as volunteer opportunities for their staff, both in

person and online.

An excellent resource for new centers is staff from

other Neighborhood Networks and computer

technology centers. They have created an online

discussion, called NNLearn to explore issues of

teaching and learning. To join in, send an e-mail

message with contact information to

nnlearn@neighborhoodnetworks.org.

Other e-mail lists and Internet news groups dealing

with technology education — such as Ed-Tech and

Nettrain — also may provide opportunities to discuss

questions ranging from educational theory to installing

computer memory. Most states have an organization

serving school teachers using technology, and these

may provide center staff with useful contacts, program

ideas and even discounts on software. One contact

list for such groups can be found at

http://www.iste.org/Membership/OAs/USA.html.

This list includes a wide variety of resources providing

curriculum and activity ideas, as well as other useful

information for technology-based youth education

programs. The universe of such resources online is

growing rapidly.
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 12

June 1999

American Library Association (http://www.ala.org)

— In addition to comprehensive resources about

public libraries, this site includes an excellent page of

references for children and their care givers, including

suggestions for books as well as online links, and The

Librarian’s Guide to Cyberspace for Parents &

Children, which covers a range of topics and issues

about using the Internet safely and effectively.

Blue Web’n (http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/

bluewebn) — Blue Web’n is a searchable database of

outstanding Internet learning sites categorized by

subject area, audience and type (lessons, activities,

projects, resources, references and tools). It can be

especially useful for planning classes and activities for

all age groups, and includes online activities for

learners. The Blue Web’n Weekly Update is an e-mail

notice of the week’s new hot picks.

College Board (http://www.collegeboard.org) — The

section called “Starting Points for Students and

Parents” covers planning for, choosing and paying for

college and extensive information (sample questions,

test-taking tips, schedules and online registration) on

major examinations like the PSAT and SAT.

Community Technology Centers’ Network

(CTCNet) (http://www.ctcnet.org) — A national

network of community technology centers, CTCNet’s

280 member centers offer computer access and

education. These sites are enormously diverse in

program areas and participating populations. The

CTCNet website links to a treasure trove of

information that may be helpful to Neighborhood

Networks centers. CTCNet has conducted two

research studies about the impact of community

technology programs. Both studies – Community

Technology Centers: Impact on Individual Participants

and Their Communities (1997) and Impact of CTCNet

Affiliates: Findings from a National Survey of Users of

Community Technology Centers (1998) – can be

purchased from CTCNet for a nominal price or

downloaded from the publications page of the

website. CTCNet is located at Education Development

Center, Inc., 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458;

phone: (617) 969-7100 x2735; e-mail:

ctcnet@edc.org.

Computer Learning Foundation

(http://www.computerlearning.org) — This website

provides free information to parents and educators,

including articles, resource materials, information

about Computer Learning Month activities and

competitions, Our Town (sites where children have

teamed up with local governments and businesses to

construct their own town websites), links to good sites

for children and families, and lesson plans and

software reviews.

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

(http://www.accesseric.org (1-800-LET-ERIC) — This

federally-funded information system provides services

and products on a broad range of education issues.

Offerings include practical and theoretical information

on teaching and learning, such as digests of journal

articles, lesson plans and links to other websites. The

ERIC clearinghouses have a variety of brochures,

guides and tip sheets for teachers and parents,

including Getting On Line: A Friendly Guide for

Teachers, Students, and Parents, and others on

topics from teaching children about the environment

to helping children with their homework, assessing

teacher qualifications, and evaluating the

appropriateness of school curriculum and instruction.

Many of the most useful and accessible sub-sites are

pulled together as the National Parent Information

Network (http://npin.org). Another service is

AskERIC, through which you can ask questions and

receive answers by e-mail about education topics

(send questions to askeric@ericir.syr.edu). The

question and answer service on the AskERIC web

page is at http://www.askeric.org.

Equity On-Line (http://www.edc.org/WomensEquity)

— This site, part of the national Equity Resource

Center for the Women’s Educational Equity Act,

provides data and resources on diversity issues,

access to online discussion and courses, and ideas

for curricula and projects promoting gender equity for

girls and boys of all ages. “Women of the Week”

features brief biographies of notable women in all

fields.

Healthfinder (http://www.healthfinder.gov) — This

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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June 1999

gateway site links to a wide variety of information and

resources on health, including medical dictionaries,

support groups, hotlines, clinical reports, medical

journals and other resources accessible to the

general public. You can also call the National Health

Information Center at 1-800-336-4797.

I*EARN (International Education and Resource

Network) (http://www.iearn.org) — I*EARN is a youth

telecommunications network that facilitates

international collaboration on classroom and other

projects. Based on e-mail exchanges, participants

from more than 30 countries prepare, share, and

develop opinions, research and writings on an

astonishing range of topics, from cultural matters to

environmental issues. While most projects have

involved teens in school settings, I*EARN welcomes

community-based participants as members.

Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org) — This

site aims to organize the Internet for all ages. It

includes separate youth and teen divisions, with ageappropriate activities and links. The Youth Division

page includes websites for science projects, a tour of

a car factory and a “story hour” page. The Teen

Division includes links to information on writing

research papers, careers, and dating and other social

issues. This section also has an extensive set of links

to homework help sites.

Children Food Cyber Club

(http://www.childrenfood.org) — This site includes

information, activities and even recipes geared to

teaching children about good nutrition.

Learn & Live (http://www.glef.org/learnlive/

gframe.html) — The George Lucas Educational

Foundation compiled the Learn & Live book and

videotape to support effective public education and

the innovative use of technology. While many of the

anecdotes are geared toward public schools, some

listed resources can help community-based

organizations and Neighborhood Networks centers.

The package (book and one-hour documentary film)

is available from the George Lucas Educational

Foundation for $20 by calling 1-888-4RKIDS1 or

centers can access the online versions of the book

and the video free of charge at the website.

MaMa Media (http://www.mamamedia.com) — This is

a free online community for younger children geared

to creative and fun activities and exchange, separate

from homework or school subjects.

NASA’s Quest Project (http://quest.arc.nasa.gov) —

The Quest project is a service of the Education

Program of the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA). Students can take virtual

NASA tours with experts and participate in online

projects with NASA scientists. The site also provides

tips for educators about using the Internet in the

classroom, as well as information about grant and

funding opportunities. Other NASA sites include

photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope and

other space activities, including shuttle missions.

National Geographic On-line

(http://www.nationalgeographic.com) — The site

contains feature articles from National Geographic

magazine, as well as educational features for adults

and children. A special section, National Geographic

CHILDREN, provides educational games, interesting

stories and a pen pal network. The Geography

Education page offers ideas for educators, as well as

networking opportunities and resources.

National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST)

(http://www.wellesley.edu/WCW/CRW/SAC/

niost.html) — The Institute’s mission is to improve

school-age child care programs nationally through

collaborations with communities, individuals and

organizations, and to increase public awareness of

the importance of children’s out-of-school time. It

concentrates on research, education and training,

consultation and program development. The National

Institute on Out-of-School Time is located at the

Center for Research On Women, Wellesley College,

106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02181; (781) 283-

2547.

National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov)

— Supplementing its primary mission supporting

scientific research and education, NSF sponsors an

annual National Science and Technology Week. It
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 14

June 1999

provides free educational materials and hands-on

activities about science for elementary through junior

high students, and it is adaptable for pre-schoolers

and teenagers. In 1998, the week’s focus was “Polar

Connections.” Activities included a simulated polar

visit with a rescue mission during whiteout conditions

and a project making arctic sun goggles. Some

centers may wish to join a local or regional partner in

the NSTW Network. The online materials include a

contact list. NSF also manages the Bayer-NSF Award

for Community Innovation, a competition in which

teams of middle school-age youth (with adult

coaches) apply science and technology to real-world

problems (e.g., building safe play spaces, cleaning up

pollution). While most teams are from schools, some

are from community organizations. Information on

how to participate is posted on the NSF website.

Neighborhood Networks

(http://www.neighborhoodnetworks.org) — The official

Neighborhood Networks website offers a wealth of

information about the initiative and centers’ activities,

including copies of newsletters, fact sheets and other

publications, and a searchable resource database

organized by topic. Neighborhood Networks centers

can use the contacts database to get contact

information for other centers.

PBS On-Line (http://www.pbs.org) — Many PBS

series have their own web pages, accessible through

the main PBS website, and the children’ section

includes contests and games. Major programs, such

as the fall 1998 series Africans in America, have

extensive supplemental materials, including audio and

video files, on the website. PBS also includes a

variety of learning activities and resources related to

literacy and learning English.

Science Junction (http://www.ncsu.edu/

sciencejunction) — This site contains information for

teachers and students about a wide variety of science

topics, with links to scientific journals, museums and

other resources. Its Student Station includes games

and experiments to try at home and demonstrations

and information on Internet-based science projects.

ThinkQuest (http://www.thinkquest.org) —

ThinkQuest and ThinkQuest Junior are international

web design contests open to Neighborhood Networks

centers. Youth (ages 12-19) and children (grades

4-6) team with adult coaches to develop educational

websites on topics of their choosing. These sites then

are hosted on the “library” section of the ThinkQuest

site and can be used for center program activities.

Uncle Sam for Children

(http://www.win.org/library/mats/

govdocs/children.htm) — This Missouri Public Library

site links to government information about a variety of

topics, especially American government and political

history, and also some world history, geography and

science. Links include the White House tour for

children, flags of many nations, the electronic zoo and

information on scouting merit badges.

U.S. Department of Education Publications and

Products (http://www.ed.gov (1-800-USA-LEARN) —

The Education Department’s website provides access

to education policies, statistics, resource directories

and catalogues, as well as newsletters, journals, and

a wealth of accessible publications for teachers,

parents and older students. Many of these can be

downloaded directly from the site or ordered for little

or no cost; some are published in Spanish as well as

English. Materials include tip sheets and project ideas

originally designed for K-12 school activities. These

can be used in Neighborhood Networks centers. The

department publishes the Helping Your Child series

(learn to read, learn math, do homework, etc.) and

Summer Home Learning Recipes. Publications

related to preparing for and funding college include

Think College? Me? Now? and the Student Guide to

Financial Aid. Neighborhood Networks centers may

also make good use of The Parents’ Guide to the

Internet as a reference or for parent information

programs.

Federally-funded regional technical assistance

centers support school districts and teachers in

various ways, from meeting the needs of bilingual,

high-poverty, migrant and at-risk youth to integrating

technology into education programs. These centers

conduct research, provide training, support school
Youth Education Programs for Neighborhood Networks Centers Page 15

June 1999

reform efforts and disseminate information on a

variety of educational issues. While they work

primarily with schools, Neighborhood Networks

centers may find the regional centers a useful source

of materials and, perhaps, staff consultation. The

Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers may

have useful resources on such issues as assessment

and working with special student populations. Contact

information can be found on the national website:

http://www.wested.org/cc/html/ ccnetwork.htm.

Similarly, the Regional Technology in Education

Consortia may have resources on using technology

for education of different age groups and related

professional development opportunities. The

consortia’s national website contains links to the

regional offices: http://www.rtec.org.

FREE (Federal Resources for Educational

Excellence) (http://www.ed.gov/free) is a sub-site that

links to scores of educational information and

activities at other federal agencies. Many, but not all,

use computers and the web. Information links are

organized by major topic (e.g., art, social studies,

educational technology) and then by agency; a search

engine called GEM is also available. This gateway

can lead to innumerable project ideas, resources and

research information for youth of all ages. The links

include virtual tours to the National Parks and the

National Gallery of Art, cool stuff at the FBI, a project

on making money at the Bureau of Engraving and

Printing, and others. There is access to many

collections of art, music and historical documents.

Older youth may find this a useful research route; for

younger children, staff may need to help find ageappropriate pages and adapt some activities.

Well Connected Educator (http://www.gsh.org/wce)

— This is a Global Schoolhouse project site for

information and discussion about educational

technology. It includes a variety of articles and

forums of interest to community-based as well as K12 teachers, including links to project and resource

websites.

Yahooligans! (http://www.yahooligans.com) —

Yahooligans! is the children’s version of the Yahoo!

search site. It’s designed to make web searching

easier for children, and helps them find sites

appropriate for their use. Search topics include:

Around the World (countries, food, holidays), Art Soup

(books, drama, dance), Computers & Games (games,

web, screen savers), Entertainment (TV, movies,

jokes, music), School Bell (social studies, homework,

math), Science & Oddities (space, animals,

dinosaurs), Sports & Recreation (football, hobbies,

wrestling) and The Scoop (newspapers, weather,

events).

Yucky (http://www.yucky.com) — Yucky describes its

focus as science entertainment. It provides

information and activities for children age 6-15 about

the natural world, with special focus on worms, bugs

and the human body (one section is called

“Gross/Cool Body”). It also includes a web page on

Internet safety issues, including links to about a dozen

web-filtering products.