International Student Technology Enrichment Program (ISTEP)

from Simon Gratz High School to St. Thomas, July 2006

Temple University faculty and students are working in partnership with students at Simon Gratz High School in North Philadelphia to collect computers and fundraise for the next Edu-Tourism trip.  Jon Zemanek and the ISTEP team are planning an intensive three week course (90 hours) in July 06 that will lead to the A+ Certification.  The course tuition of J$10,000 (approximately US$150) is well below rates charged even by a government agency that conducts similar training (J$16,000 for a 30-hour 3-week course!). They also hope to be able to include at least some of the cost of the certifying exam in this fee. The US trainers will include current Simon Gratz High School students, recent graduates of Simon Gratz who are receiving further training through the Digital Miracle project, and some of their teachers/mentors. Two groups will conduct the training and each will stay approximately 10 days. The first group will teach the software part and the second the hardware. The training will be followed by Jamaican students doing a practicum and community service: we will set up a week-long community clinic to which people will be able to take their computers; the new trainees will perform the needed repairs (including replacement of some parts). A small fee will be charged for the clinic, which will support one or two scholarships for the Jamaican students.

We welcome your timely support to this important initiative through the ISTEP Donations page (PayPal).

For more information, contact John Zemanek, Coordinator of the Digital Divide Program