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GROUP DETAILS
Created: Nov 20, 2007
Updated: Nov 23, 2009
Membership: Invitation Only
Semi-Private
Information Technology Club
Training children to compete in the labor market,Porto Alegre,RS ·
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Solution Info Hide
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Problem
In 1999 Mrs. Suzy Tse Lee had the idea of giving the
students of the Clube da Criança (Children´s Club) computer skills so
they would be able to compete in the labor market upon completing the
Eighth Grade. She started a trial project at the Methodist Central
Church of Porto Alegre, an accessible location in the downtown area.
She started with several old typewriters and one 386 computer. The
students learned to type on the machines first before moving on to the
computer, since there was only one computer. In 2000 some members of
the International Women´s Club (IWCPOA) donated two 486 computers and
one printer. The Church also gave permission to enlarge the computer
classroom. We have now a total of 15 Pentium computers donated by the
companies where IWCPOA members’ husbands are working. We have a regular
telephone line and an Internet line.
In 2001 we received from a non-governmental organization based in Rio de Janeiro, the Comitê para a Democratizacão da Informatica – CDI (Committee for the Democratization of Information Technology) license to use the Microsoft software legally, so that we felt confident to push forward with our work. We have a total of 30 students from the Clube da Criança and from the slums. In November 2005 we opened up computer classes to Senior Citizens who pay a small nominal fee of US$8.00 to help with expenses.
In 2002 we made a covenant with Centro Integrado Empresa-Escola, State of Rio Grande do Sul – (CIEE), to give apprenticeship jobs to the students that graduated from our computer program. It is through this first job that they are inserted into the labor market. In this way they will be able to build a CV for future jobs. This year we graduated ten students, four of whom were hired.
In 2003 we admitted 18 qualified Eighth Grade students from Antão Farias, a State Public School in the slum of Vila Pinto. We also accepted young adults to learn computer skills in order to find jobs.
In 2004 we opened the program to the Municipal Public School Mariana Beck in Vila Bom Jesus.
In 2005 we had 60 students per week in the program. At the end of the year we partnered with a school called José de Patrocínio in the Southern slum of Restinga, to give computer lessons to their students.
The computer course is a two year course since the students have just one lesson per week. In this way we can reach more students. It will give them more time to familiarize themselves with the machines and to learn. After all, they can only get an apprenticeship once they turn 16 according to Brazilian law. The more time they stay with us, the more we can talk to them about culture, globalization, religion, and work ethics, so that they will be prepared to integrate into the labor market. Every two years we have an average of 19 students graduating.
We have written our own computer lesson manuals in a simple everyday language, so that the children from the slums can understand. We have a leadership program to teach the youth responsibility, honesty, and punctuality while they are with us in this program.
In 2001 we received from a non-governmental organization based in Rio de Janeiro, the Comitê para a Democratizacão da Informatica – CDI (Committee for the Democratization of Information Technology) license to use the Microsoft software legally, so that we felt confident to push forward with our work. We have a total of 30 students from the Clube da Criança and from the slums. In November 2005 we opened up computer classes to Senior Citizens who pay a small nominal fee of US$8.00 to help with expenses.
In 2002 we made a covenant with Centro Integrado Empresa-Escola, State of Rio Grande do Sul – (CIEE), to give apprenticeship jobs to the students that graduated from our computer program. It is through this first job that they are inserted into the labor market. In this way they will be able to build a CV for future jobs. This year we graduated ten students, four of whom were hired.
In 2003 we admitted 18 qualified Eighth Grade students from Antão Farias, a State Public School in the slum of Vila Pinto. We also accepted young adults to learn computer skills in order to find jobs.
In 2004 we opened the program to the Municipal Public School Mariana Beck in Vila Bom Jesus.
In 2005 we had 60 students per week in the program. At the end of the year we partnered with a school called José de Patrocínio in the Southern slum of Restinga, to give computer lessons to their students.
The computer course is a two year course since the students have just one lesson per week. In this way we can reach more students. It will give them more time to familiarize themselves with the machines and to learn. After all, they can only get an apprenticeship once they turn 16 according to Brazilian law. The more time they stay with us, the more we can talk to them about culture, globalization, religion, and work ethics, so that they will be prepared to integrate into the labor market. Every two years we have an average of 19 students graduating.
We have written our own computer lesson manuals in a simple everyday language, so that the children from the slums can understand. We have a leadership program to teach the youth responsibility, honesty, and punctuality while they are with us in this program.
Action
Provide students of the Clube da Criança with computer skills so they would be able to compete in the labor market upon completing the Eighth Grade.
Services offered by the project:
Results
Centro Integrado Empresa-Escola, RS – (CIEE) gives apprenticeship jobs to the students that graduate from our computer program;
Every two years we have an average of 19 students graduating from the computer course;
Four have been hired by apprenticeships;
Young people begin building a CV for future jobs;
Students and parents learn that sports or other activities cannot replace education as a way out of poverty.
Limitations
Students are continuously reminded to take the program
seriously: that being on time, completing homework and doing well in
school are part of preparing them for a successful future. Students and parents need to learn that sports or other activities cannot replace education as a way out of poverty.
When to Use
What to Do
Prospective students learn about the project through
thier school, church and community organizations plus word-of-mouth.
They contact the project through a friend or one of the above stated
places. Students must verbally explain their interest in computer
studies and bring progress reports from their school.
The computer course is a two year course since the students have just one lesson per week. In this way we can reach more students. This gives them more time to familiarize themselves with the machines and to learn. After all, they can only get an apprenticeship at 16 years of age according to Brazilian law. The more time they stay with us, the more we can talk to them about culture, globalization, religion, and work ethics, so they will be prepared to integrate into the market. Every two years we have an average of 19 students graduating.
We have written our own computer lesson manuals in a simple everyday language, so that the children from the slums can understand. We have a leadership program to teach the youth responsibility, honesty, and punctuality while they are with us in this program.
Our instructors of IT are all formed from our ex-students. The leaders in the group are given special courses and leadership training so that they develop their personality and skills. They know what it is like in the slum and how to help the others and we prepare them to assume leadership when they become adults where they live. So, kids can look up to them and mirror themselves to our leaders and not look up to the drug traffic mafia leaders.
We work in partnerships with the local churches. One of them is on the borderline of the slum with the project of the Clube de Criança. The other one is in the Center of the city. We chose this location because it is in the basement of the church and we did not have to be afraid of people coming through the roof to steal computers. We have 15 computers and give classes to two groups: morning and afternoon the whole week. We have students from 5 neighborhoods from the North to the South.
It is impossible for us to work inside the slums. It might be classified as an invasion to their area if we went. Our volunteers might not even be comfortable going inside the slums. It is always good to have the kids come out and see how others live, so as to broaden their horizons. Because we are not located inside the favela, we recently had to end our partnership with CDI-RS. We had received IT manuals from CDI published by UNICAMP university. It was in the language for university students so we re-wrote the whole manual in simple everyday language, so that the kids could understand.
We have a good friend who had once worked for CDI but now has her own business called Pensamento Digital. She has offered us the licence. We believe in these sorts of partnerships, organization-to-organization, one-on-one.
The computer course begins with an (1) Introduction: Familiarization of the Equipment, and provides (2) Introduction for the Instructor. Then the students use a (3) Typing program -- Brazilian software because of the accents. After 10 lessons we go on to the history of the computer while they continue on typing until the whole typing program is finished. We do these introductions one at a time: (4) History of Data Processing, (5) Introduction to Software and Hardware, and (6) Measures Introduction.
We also test them through simple exams to see if they gain a general understanding from the course. If there is doubt we go over the materials again to make sure they understood everything. They don´t have any chance of getting to a computer outside of the classroom and try to find out themselves.
After they have been with us a few months, they will start to navigate the Internet and find materials to make up their own newsletter or local newspaper. They have to capture and use all the material from the Internet to make up their newsletter, which constitutes the final exam of the software WORD.
We have a big graduation ceremony every two years. Students that graduate in between do so with the Clube de Criança.
The computer course is a two year course since the students have just one lesson per week. In this way we can reach more students. This gives them more time to familiarize themselves with the machines and to learn. After all, they can only get an apprenticeship at 16 years of age according to Brazilian law. The more time they stay with us, the more we can talk to them about culture, globalization, religion, and work ethics, so they will be prepared to integrate into the market. Every two years we have an average of 19 students graduating.
We have written our own computer lesson manuals in a simple everyday language, so that the children from the slums can understand. We have a leadership program to teach the youth responsibility, honesty, and punctuality while they are with us in this program.
Our instructors of IT are all formed from our ex-students. The leaders in the group are given special courses and leadership training so that they develop their personality and skills. They know what it is like in the slum and how to help the others and we prepare them to assume leadership when they become adults where they live. So, kids can look up to them and mirror themselves to our leaders and not look up to the drug traffic mafia leaders.
We work in partnerships with the local churches. One of them is on the borderline of the slum with the project of the Clube de Criança. The other one is in the Center of the city. We chose this location because it is in the basement of the church and we did not have to be afraid of people coming through the roof to steal computers. We have 15 computers and give classes to two groups: morning and afternoon the whole week. We have students from 5 neighborhoods from the North to the South.
It is impossible for us to work inside the slums. It might be classified as an invasion to their area if we went. Our volunteers might not even be comfortable going inside the slums. It is always good to have the kids come out and see how others live, so as to broaden their horizons. Because we are not located inside the favela, we recently had to end our partnership with CDI-RS. We had received IT manuals from CDI published by UNICAMP university. It was in the language for university students so we re-wrote the whole manual in simple everyday language, so that the kids could understand.
We have a good friend who had once worked for CDI but now has her own business called Pensamento Digital. She has offered us the licence. We believe in these sorts of partnerships, organization-to-organization, one-on-one.
The computer course begins with an (1) Introduction: Familiarization of the Equipment, and provides (2) Introduction for the Instructor. Then the students use a (3) Typing program -- Brazilian software because of the accents. After 10 lessons we go on to the history of the computer while they continue on typing until the whole typing program is finished. We do these introductions one at a time: (4) History of Data Processing, (5) Introduction to Software and Hardware, and (6) Measures Introduction.
We also test them through simple exams to see if they gain a general understanding from the course. If there is doubt we go over the materials again to make sure they understood everything. They don´t have any chance of getting to a computer outside of the classroom and try to find out themselves.
After they have been with us a few months, they will start to navigate the Internet and find materials to make up their own newsletter or local newspaper. They have to capture and use all the material from the Internet to make up their newsletter, which constitutes the final exam of the software WORD.
We have a big graduation ceremony every two years. Students that graduate in between do so with the Clube de Criança.
Tips
The IWCPOA has been dilligent with a "hands on" approach to the implementation of this project.
Every step of the participants´ process is monitored for the best or most successful results possible.
The participants feel a sense of belonging and know someone actually cares that they are successful in the program.
Equipment
Material donations:
Computers (donated by
IWCPOA members´ companies), software (donated by Microsoft thanks to
CDI) and space (donated by Methodist Central Church of Porto Alegre)
Assessment
n/a
Related Resources
Partners within the community:
Antão Farias, a State Public School; Municipal Public School Mariana Beck, José de Patrocínio school
Partners from outside the community: IWCPOA, Methodist Central Church of Porto Alegre, Centro Integrado Empresa-Escola RS –(CIEE), CDI-RS, Pensamento Digital
Partners from outside the community: IWCPOA, Methodist Central Church of Porto Alegre, Centro Integrado Empresa-Escola RS –(CIEE), CDI-RS, Pensamento Digital
