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TechMission Corps: Chicago

  

TechMission Chicago Program Description:

Our programs target low-income, minority communities in large metropolitan cities across the U.S that are typically under-resourced. Disparities in academic achievement for low-income youth and for Black and Latino youth are prevalent in our target cities. Census 2005 data indicates a startling 31 percent of Chicago children under age eighteen live below the poverty line, and 85 percent of students in the Chicago Public School system qualify for free/reduced lunch. We have found that poverty and other social pressures have created areas of need that are addressed by TechMission Corps Sites such as the need for academic improvement, for academic and college readiness programs and for technology in youth program

 

TechMission Chicago (TM-Chi):

Our TechMission Chicago program provides four FTE TechMission Corps Members to support academic enrichment, technology and volunteer recruitment activities in afterschool and teen programs in Chicago. We provide each of our TM-Chi Members with an intensive multi-day training as well as monthly training so they develop the skills they need to provide technology and other skill building activities at their program Sites. Our TM-Chi Members all serve at existing program Sites of our partner agencies as a resource to provide technology activities and other academic support to the program participants. TM-Chi Members will also recruit and/or coordinate more than 150 volunteers and/or work study students to serve at these Sites. In addition, we provide four FTE VISTA Members (at headquarters) to assist with building the capacity of our TechMission Corps program and partners.

 

K-8 Afterschool Programs:

Our TechMission Chicago Members are currently assigned to provide technology and academic enrichment activities and other program support to afterschool programs of Circle Urban Ministries, Breakthrough Urban Ministries and Pui Tak Center. Each of these ministries provides holistic services to program participants, and each ministry is indigenous to the communities it serves, providing services to program participants regardless of faith. In the 2006-07 school year our TechMission Boston program (our Flagship program) served approximately 300 disadvantaged youth in K-8 afterschool programs five days a week and provided technology activities as part of the afterschool programs. Members also assisted with academic enrichment and other program activities at their Service Sites. That year, 75% of all children in the programs improved by at least one letter grade in Math and/or English and 100 percent of all program participants were promoted to the next grade level. Although we are just beginning our TechMission Chicago program, our Chicago Members are already engaged with more than 100 K-8 youth, providing tech activities, tutoring, mentoring and homework assistance. It is our goal in the next year to expand the TechMission Chicago program, increasing by at least one additional Site, and at least two additional Members.  TechMission also provides training to these Sites in operating technology programs and assists Sites in securing and selecting hardware and software.

 

Teen Programs:

One of our TechMission Chicago Sites also provides technology and academic enrichment activities and other program support to high school teens. We are integrating aspects of our TechMission Boston teen program into the TechMission Chicago program. In 2006 the TechMission Boston program served more than 200 disadvantaged teens through academic support and college preparation. This program (a partnership between the Higher Education Resource Centers and TechMission) was funded by a $495,000 grant from the US Department of Education’s Community Technology Centers program in 2003, with TechMission serving as the lead agency on the grant.  We are currently working with about 25 teens in Chicago, and hope to work with additional teens through the expansion.

 

Volunteer Recruitment and Capacity Building:

TechMission Chicago Members are also responsible for helping to build and maintain our TechMission Volunteer Network and TechMission Online Urban Resource Network. TechMission Chicago Members use the TechMission Volunteer Network to help recruit volunteers for their Sites and also for other faith- and community-based organizations connected with their programs. We anticipate that TM-Chi Members will recruit/coordinate at least 150 volunteers. Members also contribute content to the TechMission Online Urban Resource Network to help share best practices with each other and others working in their fields.

 

Program Activities for TechMission Chicago:

The TechMission Chicago program is a 12 month program which operates from September through August to coincide with the school year. All of these activities will be performed within the 12 month cycle in order to meet stated goals and objectives.

 

Activities for K-8 Afterschool Program

We have partnered with the Pui Tak Center, Breakthrough Urban Ministries and Circle Urban Ministries to assist these five-day-a-week programs by providing homework help, mentoring, technology activities and character building with a primary focus on increasing academic success in core subjects. These services are provided to all participants regardless of faith.

 

Activity 1: Provide students with homework assistance and academic enrichment activities.

  • TM-Chi Members will use a computer-based academic curriculum from Eduss, a rigorous educational software program, to assist the students in English, Math and Phonics. Members will also provide homework help and other general academic enrichment activities.

Activity 2: Provide students with technology and online safety training.

  • Members also provide technology and/or online safety activities to program participants for at least one hour per week, helping provide them with skills to thrive in our technology-driven society. Lessons may include PowerPoint, digital photography, web design, basic typing, Internet research skills and online safety.

 

Activities for Teen Programs

Pui Tak Center also provides services to teen participants. Since the TechMission Chicago program is a new program for us, we are in the process of implementing curriculum that has been used, and has been proven effective, in Boston programs.

 

Activity 1: Provide students with intense curriculum which includes test-taking skills.

  • Members assist in serving high school students to equip them to pass the ISAT and to graduate high school. It is our belief that by providing students with academic assistance and test taking skills, we can equip them to pass their standardized tests and prevent them from dropping out due to failing the test.

 Activity 2: Provide students with academic and homework assistance and mentoring.

  • TM-Chi Members provide academic enrichment and college prep activities to assist youth with meeting graduation requirements. TM-Chi Members are involved in providing some combination of homework help, tutoring and mentoring.

Activity 3: Provide students with assistance in completing college applications.

  • TM-Chi Members will also assist the teens with applying to college, giving them an important boost toward their future success.

 

Activities for Program Support Services Across All Sites/Program Areas

Our TM-Chi program also helps to provide Sites with the resources they need to operate effective programs. In particular, TM-Chi assists with volunteer and work study student coordination, capacity building training and providing equipment that Sites need to operate their programs.

 

Activity 1: Recruit volunteers to assist with providing services in afterschool programs.

  • Our TechMission Chicago Members assist Sites in recruiting and managing volunteers and work study students to assist in operating their programs. We also provide training sessions to support our volunteers and to equip them to effectively serve in our programs. Each TM-Chi Member will post volunteer opportunities for their Site online using the TechMission Volunteer Network website. Potential volunteers can search this website for opportunities by location, service area or skill.

 

TechMission Chicago Goals and Objectives:

The TechMission Corps (TMC) program began operating in Boston and Los Angeles and as of September 2007, we have replicated the program to three additional cities: Chicago, New York and Denver. This has allowed us to expand the program to twenty-three K-8 and teen afterschool programs Sites, serving more than one thousand children.

The TMC program has had great success: in the 2006-07 school year, the program served more than 800 youth in K-8 afterschool and teen programs. In our past K-8 programs, more than 75 percent of participants increased by at least one letter grade in math and/or English, and 100 percent of all participants were promoted to the next grade level. Similarly in our past teen programs, more than 100 eligible high school seniors were placed in college. For the 2007 – 2008 school year, we have established the following goals for the TechMission Chicago Sites:

 

Short-term Goals:

  • 150 K-8 youth will receive academic enrichment and homework assistance

  • 75% of K-8 youth receiving assistance will increase by at least one letter grade in at least one subject or maintain an “A” or “B”

  • 90% of K-8 youth receiving assistance will be promoted to the next grade level

  • 75 K-8 students will receive an average of one hour of technology instruction and/or online safety instruction per week

  • 85% of children receiving tech instruction will increase in their knowledge of technology

 

Long-term Impact:

  • K-8 youth will continue to excel at the elementary level, continuing to be promoted to the next grade level, and enter High School on time.

 

Short-term Goals:

  • 50 teens will receive academic assistance, tech training, college and SAT/ACT prep services

  • 10 teens receiving assistance will apply to college

  • 80% of teens applying will be accepted and enroll in college

  • 75 volunteers will be recruited to serve/assist our Sites

  • $15,000 worth of in-kind donations will be secured for our Sites

 

Long-term Impact:

  • Those teens enrolling in college will complete two/four years of college and graduate with an Associates, or BA/BS degree.

 

Although these goals are aggressive, we believe that we have a program model that is being effectively replicated into the expansion cities that will allow us to reach these goals.