SAN Jos, Calif., July 10, 2002 — The City of San Jos-Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS), the San Jos Redevelopment Agency and Microsoft Corp. today announced the opening of the Gardner Computer Learning Center at 520 W. Virginia St.
“Many of the families in our community do not have access to computers in their homes, which puts them at a significant disadvantage to learn the technology skills needed to be competitive in today’s job market,” said Jim Norman, deputy director of the Recreation Community Services Division-PRNS. “With support from Microsoft and the San Jos Redevelopment Agency, our new computer learning center allows us to expand our technology-based after-school programs and job training to empower our community residents.”
“Through relationships like this one with the City of San Jos and the San Jos Redevelopment Agency, Microsoft is committed to helping people of all ages achieve their goals in a world increasingly driven by technology,” said John Litten, program manager for Youth & Learning at Microsoft.
The Gardner Computer Learning Center will host students for a self-paced summer program designed to expand their use of information technology, including the Internet, Microsoft® Office XP programs, the Microsoft Encarta® Reference Suite, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft FrontPage® and Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus®
. The center plans to create a more formalized curriculum for its fall after-school program.
Also this fall, the Gardner Computer Learning Center will offer family members ages 16 and older instructor-led technical job training courses designed to prepare participants for entry and midlevel information technology jobs. In addition, the job training program will teach basic job search skills such as preparing a rsum, posting a rsum online and using the Internet as a tool for employment searches.
Funding for the center’s full-time lab instructors, software, DSL lines, security upgrades, instructional supplies and materials, and other peripherals is provided by the final phase of a Microsoft grant made last year to the City of San Jos-PRNS. The computer hardware and furniture needed to outfit the center was provided by the San Jos Redevelopment Agency.
The Gardner Community Center is operated by the PRNS and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fall programs, including the job certification program and the structured program lessons for students, will begin Sept. 3.
About Microsoft Community Affairs in Silicon Valley
Created in 1983, Microsoft Community Affairs was one of the first philanthropic efforts in the high-tech industry. Today, Microsoft Community Affairs’ Giving is aimed at providing underserved communities with the resources they need to help realize their full
potential by supporting innovative programs and projects that enhance technology access, strengthen nonprofits through technology, diversify the technology work force and build the community.
As part of this effort, Microsoft is committed to creating mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships with Valley-based companies and the Valley nonprofit community. This includes sharing time and resources as well as innovative technology and ideas to help Valley-based nonprofits and the communities they serve realize their potential. In fact, since 1997 Microsoft has given more than $1.7 million in cash and $5.6 million in software to community organizations, educational institutions and human-service agencies in Silicon Valley. In the last fiscal year alone (2001–2002), Microsoft gave more than $650,000 in cash and $1.9 million in software donations to nonprofit organizations based in the Valley and nearly $1 million in cash through its employee matching program. These donations focused primarily on providing technology access and technological assistance and education.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Encarta and FrontPage are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Scholastic and The Magic School Bus are trademarks of Scholastic Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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