Verizon,
students help residents
By Akiko Sugimori
On-line Forty-Niner
The
College of Business Administration at Cal
State Long Beach was awarded $100,000 from
Verizon to establish a Community Information
Clubhouse to work with unemployed or underemployed
local residents to increase job skills.
The
grant will enable the college to work with
residents who have basic computer literacy
skills, but need help with the Internet.
They will understand the information that
is available and apply that knowledge to
benefit them economically.
The
project targets approximately 4,400 individuals,
who will work in a classroom environment
with CSULB faculty and student assistants
at 20 computer workstations. Participants
will complete a minimum of 45 hours in the
program, some of it working together on
team projects.
“I
am very proud to receive this grant from
Verizon,” said CSULB president Robert Maxson.
“It allows the wonderful men and women who
work in the College of Business to share
their knowledge and expertise with members
of our community in an effort to make a
difference in their lives. The award will
allow the College of Business to make a
meaningful contribution to the local economy
and to people who living in the surrounding
community.”
“Verizon
made the grant to the College’s Center for
Information Strategies and Technologies
to establish a Community Information Clubhouse
in collaboration with the City of Long Beach,”
said College of Business Administration
Dean, Luis Calingo. “The proposed center
will involve our faculty and students in
delivering [information technology]-based
services to the economically disadvantaged
communities of Long Beach.”
“Our
partnership with the Center for Information
Strategies and Technologies and the Community
Information Clubhouse is exemplary of how
business and education can make a difference,”
stated Tim McCallion, President of Verizon’s
Pacific Region. “This partnership
brings technology and technology awareness
to those who might not have the chance to
receive it. Without a basic knowledge
of technology, not many employment doors
can be opened.”
Verizon
foundation investment priority focuses on
improving basic and computer literacy, community
technology development, workforce development,
and employee volunteerism. The foundation
promotes nonprofit organizations that support
education and literacy, health and human
services, and community technology development.
Verizon’s mission is to provide an online
philanthropic community network that aims
to support the more than 750,000 nonprofit
organizations in America.
“It
is through the generosity of companies like
Verizon that it is possible to make meaningful
changes and contributions to our society,”
Maxson said. “Education is the most important
way of changing an individual’s life for
the better, and the willingness of companies
to use their resources to contribute to
this mission is extremely important. When
two very important and powerful parts of
our society — education and business — work
together, it is possible to make very meaningful
changes and bring about dramatic results.”
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