[NUGA] Parent's University at North Star Elementary School

December's Successful Project

Project Overview

Network Users Group Alaska is currently partnering with Anchorage
International Rotary to bring the world of computing to North Star
Elementary School.

North Star Elementary is one of the most diverse elementary schools in
the Anchorage School District, consisting of grades K through 6. The
school principal, Mr. Marcus Wilson, reports the school teaches children
whose 37 native languages bring special challenges to his creative,
talented faculty. Mr. Wilson explains North Star Elementary with all its
diversity includes many young families just getting an economic foothold
in this Anchorage, Alaska community. He finds families often do not have
financial means of providing tools, such as computers, to access the
cyber community.

Ms. Ella Brown, Vice Principal, and several other faculty members had
been looking for an answer. They conceived an outreach program, which
they dubbed Parent's University. Their academic background provides an
understanding of their student's need to utilize Internet resources to
assist learning of the world and to provide meaningful research. Ms.
Brown recognizes the family is key to motivating it's children even
though parents may have limited computer literacy.

Ms. Brown approached Rotarian Ted Trueblood, who participates in the
"Read to Me" program at North Star Elementary. The seed of the idea was
planted. Would it be possible for Rotary to provide computer systems for
families unable to purchase new computers? Certainly, Anchorage
International Rotary could provide financial means but faced a challenge
providing technical wherewithal to pull the program together. That is,
until, Tim Trueblood, Projects Chair with Network Users of Alaska and
also a Rotarian, saw a synergistic opportunity. With the backing of John
Tibor, President of NUGA, and members of the NUGA Board of Directors and
with the generous donations of both Rotarians and NUGA members, the
project was under way.

On the evening of December 10th, North Star Elementary hosted the first
Parent's University. The evening consisted of 12 families receiving
instruction on fully reconditioned computer systems while learning about
the Internet. NUGA members Jerry Tibor and Tim Trueblood and Rotarians
Tim Ellis and Ted Trueblood acted as instructors and lab assistants. At
the conclusion of the one and one half hour orientation, each family
will took "their" gift computer system home to retain for their personal
use.

Ms. Brown visualizes this as the first of several such Parent's
University evenings over the next year.

Anchorage International Rotary provided a cash grant to purchase 17” LCD
monitors and XP Professional for that first evening, as well as
volunteer workers and a number of the computers. NUGA generously
provided many volunteer hours to recondition the computers, instructors
and lab assistants to assist the attending families.

Thanks to NUGA Members

My personal thanks to the following NUGA members for their willingness
to assist:
Jason Christy
Rica Gaines
Scott Gurisko
Brian Metras
Frank Okamoto
John Tibor
Jerry Tibor
Sam Wasson

McKinley Capital Management and Greg Morgan provided a lion's share of
the computers. Thanks, Greg.

I would be remiss if I didn't extend special thanks to Scott Gurisko,
Sam Wasson, Jerry Tibor and John Tibor for all their over-the-top
efforts to make this a successful first phase of the project.

What About Future Parent's University nights?

At a January 14th meeting with Mr. Wilson, Ms. Brown and staff member
Sharyl Steiding, the praise for NUGA ran as high as their enthusiasm for
the next phases of the project. The feedback has been uniformly positive
from the families. Even from the one family who forgot their password
and needed NUGA assistance to renew it. Thanks Greg Morgan for your
understanding.

Our next evening at North Star Elementary School is planned for March
2nd; beyond that, the next (and last this school year) is April 20th. I
will be contacting all you volunteers for assistance as we spread the
happiness of recycling 12 computer systems for each evening.

THANKS NUGA.

Tim Trueblood
home: 272-1627
cell: 441-0319
ttrueblood@alaska.net
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Received on Tue Feb 2 22:12:48 2010