New tech program targets students of color

Teaching computer and information technology skills to high school students of color is the focus of a new pre-college program at the university.

The Information Technology Academy is a four-year program targeting African American, American Indian, Latino/a and Southeast Asian students who will be entering ninth grade in the Madison Metropolitan School District. The academy is sponsored by the Division of Information Technology, with support from the UW–Madison PEOPLE program.

“The Information Technology Academy seeks to prepare students for the information technology marketplace of the 21st Century, while simultaneously building and supporting their academic talents in preparation for admission to UW–Madison,” says Calvin Williams, assistant director of DoIT’s Department of Learning Technology & Distance Education.

“The demands of an increasingly competitive national and global marketplace require that current and future generations of students possess highly sophisticated technology skills if they are going to compete for jobs in the next millennium. Given the rapidly changing information technology landscape, students seeking gainful employment must be equipped with more than rudimentary academic knowledge if they are to compete for jobs.”

The Information Technology Academy kicks off Sunday (July 16), with an open house for participating students and their parents from 5-6:30 p.m. at Union South, 227 N. Randall Ave. On Monday (July 17), students begin a two-week summer training camp at DoIT that runs through July 28. They will be trained in computer literacy, web design, and desktop publishing and presentation software.

This fall, academy participants will take part in an online technology training program, which will include monthly group meetings, academic planning and support, and the pairing of students with DoIT employees as mentors. Each student will also receive a computer for home use.

Next spring, students will work on special projects that will be highlighted during a Spring Showcase and Recognition Ceremony planned for May 2001.

During their 10th, 11th and 12th grade years, academy students will take part in advanced computer and technology training, leadership development, internships, community service, and activities designed to ease their transition to college.

The inaugural class of 17 students was recruited and selected this spring from MMSD middle schools. A new class of at least 15 students will be selected each spring for the next four years.

Lisa Peyton-Caire, coordinator of the Information Technology Academy and a UW–Madison doctoral student in educational administration, says Madison students of color are showing a high amount of interest in the program.

“We received 35 applications this year from students across the Madison school district,” Peyton-Caire says. “Applications were evaluated for academic merit and potential, interest in technology, and commitment to long-term participation in the academy.”

Peyton-Caire says students were required to submit academic transcripts, letters of support from parents and teachers, and write a personal statement that outlined their interest in the program. She stresses that the criteria for selection and continued participation in the program is strenuous.

Students accepted into the academy must commit to participating throughout their high school careers. They must have earned a 3.0 grade point average after the first year of the program, with the goal of attaining a 3.5 GPA or better by their junior year. They also agree to maintain a 94 percent attendance record at school and a 90 percent attendance rate in academy activities.

“The Information Technology Academy will propel these students towards high academic achievement, university admission and future careers in leadership with the information technology field,” Peyton-Caire.

The Information Technology Academy is an outgrowth of collaborative efforts between DoIT and the university’s Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, known as PEOPLE.

PEOPLE is a summer academic enrichment program that helps minority and disadvantaged middle school and high school students from Madison, Milwaukee and Racine acquire the skills, information and resources needed for college.

PEOPLE is also a major component of Plan 2008, the university’s comprehensive initiative to increase campus diversity. The Information Technology Academy is DoIT’s contribution to Plan 2008.