High School, LAPD Share Computer Lab

A new computer lab at Alexander Hamilton High School was booted up Tuesday for the West Los Angeles high school students and young people in an after-school gang prevention program, the result of a partnership between the West Los Angeles police station, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer and the school staff.

Students will use the 30 computers after school three times a week as part of the West LAPD’s Jeopardy program, which provides at-risk youths with counseling and alternative activities. During the day, Hamilton students will use the lab in classes and for research.

Feuer got a $60,000 grant from the city’s Community Development Department for the expansion of Jeopardy, funding that helped pay for some of the computers, software and refurbishing a counseling room in the school.

Police officials decided to expand Jeopardy by adding a computer lab after many young people interviewed by Jeopardy officers expressed the desire to learn more about the technology that was not always accessible to them, said Capt. Mark Leap, commanding officer of the West Los Angeles station.

School officials said Hamilton could not have afforded a complete computer lab without the partnership with Jeopardy.

“We’ve been trying to raise enough funds for a computer lab for some time,” said Principal David Winter. “Jeopardy offering to pay for about one-third of the cost was just the boost we needed.”

The computers will get Internet connections in January, which will give the school “a global perspective,” said Fred Von Dohlen, a science teacher who helped design the new lab.