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New $4.5 Million Digital Literacy Partnership to Aid HISD Students

Through WeCAN Works, at-risk HISD students will be identified and assessed by district educators, then provided with training, career counseling, and opportunities for internship.

On April 20, 2009, HISD Superintendent of Schools Abelardo Saavedra joined Mayor Bill White and representatives from the Microsoft Corporation, the Houston Public Library (HPL), the Houston Community College System (HCC), Workforce Solutions, and the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) to announce a $4.5-million grant from Microsoft benefiting WeCAN Works, an innovative effort launched recently as part of the Houston Digital Inclusion Initiative’s “Wireless Empowered Community Access Network” (WeCAN).

The Microsoft Unlimited Potential grant, which includes $4.3 million in software and $200,000 in cash over a two-year period, was awarded to the Houston Public Library Foundation, which will manage the Digital Inclusion Initiative. This public/private partnership will enable local community organizations to offer training in digital literacy and job readiness to Houstonians, including current HISD students who are deemed “at risk,” former district students who have dropped out of school, and their parents.

“We are excited about the possibilities WeCAN Works provides in the area of technology,” said HISD Superintendent of Schools Abelardo Saavedra. “This collaboration will support our students in being college- or workforce-ready at graduation, and provides an opportunity for our parents to be engaged in the educational process.”

Assistance will be offered to young people and adults through a three-track system:

• Track I: At-risk high-school students will be identified and assessed by HISD educators, then provided with training, career counseling, and opportunities for internship. Training may include digital literacy instruction, Business Computing Information System coursework, and MOS and A+ Computer Support/Technician Certification.
• Track II: Unemployed youth and adults who do not have a high-school diploma will be identified by HCC and given access to classes that prepare them for the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Certification test. In addition, these participants will receive digital literacy training, career counseling, and job-placement assistance.
• Track III: Parents of HISD students in high-need communities who would benefit from the program will be identified by HISD and referred to the WeCAN Works program. Digital literacy and workforce skills training will be offered at HPL locations, established WeCAN community access locations, and on-site at partner organizations.

“The ability of all Houstonians to access and use digital technology is important if our city is to remain at the top of the list at attracting business,” said Mayor Bill White. “Just as important, the ability to stay in touch with loved ones, to learn, or to browse the marketplace is important to us all, and adds to the quality of life here. Through the Digital Inclusion Initiative and the WeCAN Works program, Houston has just that much more to offer.”

For more information about WeCAN Works, call 832-393-1313 or visit www.houstonwecan.org.