TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

The goal of “The Forest at Columbia Technology Center”, which is located in the low-to moderate income “Forest at Columbia”, is to bridge the "Digital Divide" in the Forest at Columbia and the surrounding community. The "Digital Divide" is a term coined by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, (NTIA) who in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education commissioned a three part study which measure household connectivity as a means of determining which Americans are connected to the nation’s telecommunications and information infrastructure.

The data reveals that the digital divide -- the disparities in access to telephones, personal computers (PCs), and the Internet across certain demographic groups -- still exists and, in many cases, has widened significantly. The gap for computers and Internet access has generally grown larger by categories of education, income, and race.

Technology Education is vital to vocational advancement and education achievement. To this end, The Forest at Columbia Community Technology Center makes a measurable difference in the lives of participants. The education intervention will serve as a basis for life-long learning.

PROGRAM DESIGN