Dart Foundation - ITEC of Lansing

ITEC Prepares Lansing Area Children to Participate in a Global Information Technology Economy

by Claudia Deschaine

Put these together:

An urban school district with a drop out rate of over 54%
A thriving local Information Technology (IT) sector
A large university with expertise, student interns and research capabilities
A shuttered school building nestled in a Lansing neighborhood and
Prima Civitas, a group dedicated to the revitalization of Lansing’s economy.

What emerged was ITEC, the Information Technology Empowerment Center. With the help of a start-up grant from the Dart Foundation in April 2008, ITEC made plans to locate in the former Holmes Street School alongside a Lansing IT firm that would be headquartered there. While waiting for building renovations to be completed, ITEC began offering after-school classes at three Lansing schools, the Black Child and Family Institute, and Impression Five Museum. ITEC will officially open at the Holmes Street School in March of 2009.

While the demand for IT professionals grows, student interest has declined. Low income students have poor access to technology, exacerbating the digital divide. ITEC addresses this problem with programs for children in grades K–12 with a goal to improve student performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, reading, writing, and digital media.

With the help of a start-up grant from the Dart Foundation in April 2008, ITEC made plans to locate in the former Holmes Street School....

ITEC represents an extraordinary partnership of academic, governmental, business, and nonprofit leaders with a vision to strengthen technology education in Michigan’s Capital region. ITEC intends to work with 500 students per year in programs held after school, Saturdays and over the summer. Michigan State University will research and evaluate whether ITEC helps students stay in school, how students’ math and science skills improve, and how many go on to successful futures in higher education and the workforce.

ITEC, opening at the former Holmes Street School, helps to improve student performance in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, reading, writing, and digital media.