Tech Corps is a US-based non-profit organisation. Its mission
is to recruit, place and support volunteers from the technology
community to assist those without access to technology, particularly
children. It operates with a small headquarters staff who set
its agenda and has a structure of state chapters, which work autonomously,
to identify and match volunteers to local projects according to
interest, skill and school district priorities. It began as a
way of transforming and opening schools up to the wealth of technological
experience around, allowing dedicated professionals, community
members, teachers and pupils the chance to interact around technology
and its uses in furthering learning. In the United States, 8.4
million Americans are listed as being information technology professionals
but 70 per cent have no children of school-age. Their precious
knowledge has no means of being shared and most children, who
could benefit, have no contact with expertise and material in
their school or community. It is this situation of "haves"
and "have-nots"
that is being challenged by Tech Corps.
Tech Corps volunteers work primarily with secondary school teachers
and school administrators in their local communities to provide
assistance in technology planning, technical support, advice,
staff training and classroom instruction. Volunteers bring their
knowledge into schools, providing opportunities for inter-generational
learning, mobilising pupils and raising awareness of technology
in the classroom. All parties benefit. Schools benefit from the
help of individuals willing to share their expertise to support
local initiatives and information on the latest technological
advances, while volunteers gain the satisfaction of making a significant
contribution to the education of today's
youth. Finally, business benefits from a better-trained workforce.
Tech Corps is funded through contributions from the private sector,
primarily corporations and foundations. Volunteers are generally
from the technology and telecommunication industries but also
from hospitals, banks, government offices, insurance companies,
colleges, consulting firms etc. Some are former teachers, some
are retired professionals. They all share a desire to make a difference
and share their knowledge with those whom they feel need it or
who could exploit it to the maximum.
Volunteers have several ways of operating in and around local
schools:
-by conducting teacher training seminars, giving demonstrations
and lectures
-by mentoring students and staff, helping with homework, intervening
on specific issues
-by repairing and installing computers
-by participating on technology planning teams
-by working side by side with teachers in the classroom, tackling
everyday problems
-by assisting teachers with the integration of technology into
the curriculum
-by supporting a wide variety of local technology activities involving
the community.
Projects are determined by schools matching their needs with the
volunteers' expertise.
Contact Information:
Tech Corps : Tel: 508 620 7749/Fax: 508 875 4394
e-mail: info@ustc.org
http://www.ustc.org/