Hollister Youth Alliance sets up lab in the Rancho Park
Apartments
Everyone needs the right tools to succeed, and with that in
mind, the Hollister Youth Alliance has installed a computer lab at
the Rancho Park Apartments’ community room.
Hollister Youth Alliance sets up lab in the Rancho Park Apartments
Everyone needs the right tools to succeed, and with that in mind, the Hollister Youth Alliance has installed a computer lab at the Rancho Park Apartments’ community room.
The project was a collaboration between the Youth Alliance and Community Services and Workforce Development, part of the state Health and Human Services Department. It provides resources education and housing assistance to low income individuals and families to help them attain the skills, knowledge and opportunities to become fully self-sufficient
The goal is to bridge the technology gap for low-income families. The project has spanned six months and the coalition hopes the lab will significantly benefit Rancho Park families.
Six months ago, the community room at Rancho Park was a different atmosphere. Paint-chipped walls and drab furniture created an environment that was neither warm nor welcoming. The apartment complex already had an ad hoc computer lab with outdated computers that kids had to wait long periods of time to use, which made it easier for Holly to come in and update the computers.
Jennifer, a 16-year-old who uses the new lab, said that the difference between what the lab was like before and now is huge. Hollister Youth Alliance instructed the youth not to provide The Pinnacle with their last names.
“Instead of having to use books to do research we can go online now and before there was like only one computer for 20 kids and the Internet was really slow,” Jennifer said.
Today the center has had a facelift and features not only new office furniture, but also new state-of-the-art computers networked with DSL accessibility and all the software programs one could need.
“We have waited for this for years,” said Diane Ortiz Peterson of the Hollister Youth Alliance. “The opportunity to provide state-of-the-art technology and Internet access has been a goal for a long time. These computers will be used for homework, research, job searches, a teen page for the HYA Web site, and for community service projects.”
Workforce Development donated obsolete computers to the Youth Alliance.
“Our office was changing locations and we didn’t have the room for a [large] computer center any longer, so we jumped at the chance to do something positive with them,” said Bonny Wells, employment counselor and computer specialist with Workforce Development.
Wells administered the project with volunteer labor – even recruiting her own husband to help with installation of the network. Rachael Castro of South County Housing facilitated a complete refurbishing of the room, including fresh paint and new carpet.
The Youth Alliance’s Teen Leadership group has already made good use of the lab to conduct research for an upcoming mural project to take place next spring, said Ortiz Peterson.
“The youth have been able to search the Internet for interesting historical facts and other symbols relevant to San Benito County,” said John Delgado, a volunteer youth outreach coordinator for Hollister Youth Alliance. “We would have been severely limited in our ability to prepare for the mural project without access to the Internet. And now, with multiple computers able to access the Internet, we can accommodate more youth in the process of research and artistic development.”
Rancho Park apartments were chosen as the host site for the new computer lab because of its continuing work with the Hollister Youth Alliance. The two organizations have been working together for 10 years. There are other complexes where Youth Alliance wants to install computer labs, but some of the facilities have space issues.
“Hopefully if this is successful we’ll be able to work on getting labs set up at other complexes as well,” Ortiz Peterson said.
One additional benefit of the lab at Rancho Park is that during the day, when the students aren’t using it, parents can go there and use the computers as a tool for looking for jobs and working on resumes. Ortiz Peterson said that she could see the project being a great opportunity to partner with organizations that provide job training to help the parents in need learn more computer skills.
“If it makes it possible to help parents, then in turn, it helps the kids,” she said.
