| Description: |
Students at Crown Point High School (Crown Point, IN) have a greater awareness of the positive impact that technology makes possible. The school opened its doors and technology resources to students and adults after hours. This effort was an attempt made to reduce inappropriate behaviors after school behaviors and increase students' educational achievement. As a result, the citizens of Crown Point now have a technology community resource center. This program registers successes of assisting the students to develop greater skills and self-esteem, and a community of life long learners.
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Board of Trustees awarded Crown Point Community School Corporation (CPCSC) a $35,000 Safe Haven grant. Governor Frank O'Bannon instituted the Safe Haven Education Program to provide funding to Indiana school corporations and communities to jointly develop plans to open local school buildings for extended hours to its students. The plan is designed to accomplish the following goals: 1) reduce substance abuse, 2) reduce violent behavior, and 3) promote educational progress. Since Crown Point students and community members have continued to request access to Internet and computers during after-school hours, the funds from the Safe Haven grant have been successfully implemented to meet community needs and the Safe Haven grant goals.
Crown Point's project is a collaborative effort among CPCSC, the Crown Point Police Department, businesses, community members, and parents. The vision is to provide opportunities to link the faculty, students, and the Crown Point community to the various components of the global community. This grant has enhanced the mission of the CPCSC, which fosters a partnership of students, families, staff, and community to ensure that all students become lifelong learners through the highest quality educational program. The goals of the grant proposal are to provide training, equipment, and support so that all participants can utilize computers and Internet to enhance learning. To accomplish these goals, the participants have access to the high school media center's Macintosh lab and business department's Wintel lab, both of which include a T1 connection to Internet. Grant funds have been used to hire 10 Crown Point High School teachers, 13 high school students, and 4 policemen so that participants may access computer labs during after-school hours under the guidance of instructors that use technology as a tool to enhance learning.
Although the original grant was directed toward the Safe Haven project goals, the program blossomed and became a community resource center. Results of coalition building include: 1) the development of an informational World-Wide Web site by Crown Point police; 2) collaboration of parents and students on multimedia projects; 3) usage of the two labs by K-12 students to complete class projects; 4) daily searches of Internet sites related to retirement, health, and investment issues by involved senior citizens; 5) e-mailing among family members to foster communication; 6) introduction and improvement of keyboarding and software application skills; and 7) production of instructional videotapes by high school students for first-time computer lab users.
All participants continue to have the opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and establish a wider community network. They are able to access state-of-the-art computers and peripherals, utilize Internet to access on-line resources and exchange e-mail, use software effectively, improve keyboarding skills, and design personal web pages.
This project is being developed through the Pioneering Partners Program. |
