CSUN Wins Grant for Computer Classes

Cal State Northridge received an $80,000 grant to establish a computer laboratory and related classes for students at a San Fernando charter middle school.

The university, which created the community-campus partnership, was one of only 20 institutions that received the two-year grant. The money came from WorldCom and Brown University, sponsors of the $5-million “Making a Civic Investment” program aimed at benefiting thousands of schoolchildren over the next five years.

The funded project will give 300 sixth- and seventh-graders at the Community Charter Middle School and their families basic computer and Internet skills. Over the course of the first year, about 60 CSUN minority students will teach the classes.

The middle school students will also conduct neighborhood surveys about local issues and post the results on a school-based Web site no later than November.

“This project will focus a variety of the university’s educational resources on eliminating the digital divide for charter school students and members of their community,” said Dr. Maureen Rubin, director of the Center for Community Service Learning, which will administer the program.

The center was established in 1998 to encourage and support CSUN students and faculty involved in community service.

“CSUN students will be able to use the community as their classroom, teaching entire families the computer and Internet skills that will spell success in the future.”