17 Youth Complete Program to Bridge the Digital Divide

Mi Casa is proud to announce the graduation of the second class of Digital Connectors! These 17 youth ages 14 to 21 successfully completed this rigorous nine-month digital technology training program, and their achievement was marked by a celebration on June 4.

The Digital Connectors program engages youth to bridge the digital divide – the gap between those with access to digital technology and those without – by educating youth about digital technology, financial literacy, and leadership and encouraging them to share their knowledge with the community. During the 2010-11 school year, Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors performed nearly 300 hours of community service, which benefitted nearly 400 community members.

The graduation ceremony was another opportunity for the Digital Connectors to share the skills learned in the classroom with members of their own diverse communities. Over 60 people attended the event, which included a screening of the students’ final video projects. These videos showcase unsung heroes and leaders in the Connectors’ lives who were identified and interviewed to produce a final video testimonial project. Though the videos are as unique as each Connector, common themes include encouraging people to recognize their own inner hero and the joy of paying it forward.
The 17 students who graduated from the Digital Connectors program this month all earned a financial literacy certification from EverFi, as well as a Cisco Authorization diploma. Armed with these valuable certifications, Digital Connectors graduates are poised to capitalize on the leadership and career-readiness skills they gained in the program to excel in school or in employment.

In recognition of their hard work, all Digital Connectors graduates receive a new netbook computer, a flip camera, a USB drive, and a $250 stipend. The Digital Connectors program is made possible by a collaboration between Comcast Foundation, One Economy Corporation and Mi Casa Resource Center.

Congratulations to the Digital Connectors Class of 2011!

School's Out for Summer!

The Mi Casa Neighborhood Center at Lake Middle School held its Summer Orientation BBQ today (June 2) for youth participants in Mi Casa's summer programs and their families. More than 35 families attended and enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers and hotdogs and hot sunny (if a bit windy) weather.

Mi Casa has 100 youth participants registered for summer programs with a waitlist already started for other interested youth. Following a Denver Public Schools turnaround strategy, Lake Middle School is now home to three seperate but co-located schools - West Denver Prep, Sixth Grade Academy, and Seventh/Eighth Grade Academy. The Mi Casa Neighborhood Center is a fun, safe place to go afterschool for children who attend all three co-located schools. Despite the big changes at Lake, the afterschool hours have become a time for building connections and friendships among students from the different schools.

Now that the school year is over, summer programs at Mi Casa are set to begin on June 6! Today's BBQ celebration was to welcome families and kick off the summer in fun fashion. Arturo Jimenez, the representative on the Denver Board of Education for Northwest Denver, stopped by to chat with families and grab a bite.