Community House to Hold Fund-raiser With Hopes of Bridging a Digital Divide

Matthew Hersh

Four years ago, Princeton University's development office approached Community House because there was an anonymous alumnus/alumna interested in giving money to the University. The donor did not want to donate a building, or have his or her name gracing the as-yet-unnamed Princeton Stadium, but wanted the money to go to something worthwhile that would help the community.

A venture capitalist, the donor was involved in computers and was aware of the so-called "digital divide" that has become increasingly prominent as the world has become more reliant on computers. The digital divide indicates a disadvantage to people who do not have the luxury of access to a computer or Internet.

"The donor decided he wanted to do something where Princeton students could help disadvantaged youth in the community around the digital divide," said Marjorie Young, director of Community House, located at the Carl Fields Center on Olden Street.

That was in 1999, and the donation proved to be the inspiration for Community House's Computer Summer Camp, which has been bridging the gap between minority and non-minority students ever since.

But the funding from the original donation diminished significantly after the acquiring of equipment, paying of staff, and keeping down the cost of camp registration. Charging high rates to campers would defeat the purpose of the program. Consequently, Community House will host a fund-raiser this Saturday and Sunday to benefit the summer camps.

"Basically, the idea is that you have kids who have computers in their home and access to programming, and then you have these kids who don't have that at all," Ms. Young said.

During the four-week program, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the children, who typically fall somewhere in the middle school age range, are immersed in a computer-dominated environment.

"The morning part is all computers, and they're either programming or working on Robolab, which is a program where they build with Legos and then program them to do things; they're working with PowerPoint presentations. It's just a lot of hands-on computer stuff in the morning," Ms. Young said.

Things reboot a bit in the afternoon, when the children do what Ms. Young calls "academic enhancement. All the kids we get are recommended from guidance counselors or school teachers and the application asks what kids would like to learn in addition to computers."

It's an actual class, not tutoring, Ms. Young said. "It's pretty intense," she said, adding the camp does all it can to make subjects like math more interesting to young children. "We incorporate cooking and different pieces into it so it's more interesting, but they're still learning math."

In recent English classes, the camp has included more riveting events like poetry slams, bringing in a prominent Harlem poet to read for the children.

"They would do a slam on Shakespeare, and they really got into that kind of stuff," Ms. Young said.

The camp works in conjunction with Jahmal Lake, Princeton Class of '97, who has a company in Harlem, "Imagine Access," that is essentially a year-round version of the Computer Summer Camp. Mr. Lake sends his instructors to help Community House's efforts, including the artists who have assisted in the poetry segment. Those instructors are also brought in to teach Flash and other web design programs.

For the past two years, Computer Summer Camp has benefitted from the assistance of University engineering students who teach the Robolab segment.

Of all the accomplishments of Community House, originally formed by a group of University students in 1969 to address the needs of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, the summer camp is the one Ms. Young, who came onboard in 1998, is especially proud of.

"I think it's one of the more affordable options for kids in the community who would otherwise not be able to do this. We provide a quality camp that people can afford," she said, adding that other camps of its kind can cost up to $400 a week.

The initial funding for the Computer Summer Camp dried up after about three years, and Ms. Young is working with her office in establishing an endowment that would ensure the program's longevity. Looking to raise about $50,000, she knows it's an uphill battle, but she has seen the students reap the benefits of this "good cause."

The Holiday Extravaganza, scheduled for this Saturday, November 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 14, noon to 4 p.m., at the Carl Fields Center at 86 Olden Street, will feature stationery, jewelry, toys, handbags, and other items. For more information, call (609) 936-8885.