ENGLEWOOD — For the second time in three years Teamwork Englewood will conduct a summer, technology workshop for youth.
The first technology workshop ran for six-weeks in 2011 was citywide and attended by 15 youth. This time though the workshop is limited to high school students living in the Englewood community on the South Side.
"There are so many youth living in our own back yard that do not have (marketable) technology skills," said Demond Drummer, the organization's technology instructor. "Yeah, they know how to use Google, Facebook and other sites, but know little about building a website."
Applications would be available starting Monday, April 8, at the organization's office, 815 W. 63rd St., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. The workshop begins Saturday, June 15, and ends Thursday, Aug. 22. Until public schools end for summer break the workshop will be held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until July 1, and then it would run Mondays through Thursdays.
A location for the 10-week workshop has not yet been determined although Drummer said that decision will be made soon. The last workshop was held at Kennedy-King College, which is less than a block away from Teamwork Englewood, which is currently expanding its technology center.
Funding for the workshop a second time will come from After School Matters, another nonprofit organization, which offers citywide youth programs.
Still, even with a a grant from After School Matters, Teamwork Englewood must still raise $5,500.
"There are certain aspects of the workshop the grant would not cover like books and some supplies," Drummer said.
As of Saturday, there were 63 online pledges totaling $4,421. The deadline to raise the additional funds is May 18.
After School Matters officials said it was thrilled to fund the workshop again.
"This summer we will be funding the youth [technology] program for Teamwork Englewood," said Mary Ellen Caron, chief executive officer of After School Matters. "After School Matters also runs technology programs for youth and we absolutely think programs like these are needed."
According to Drummer, the workshop will teach youth how to build and host their own website from scratch; learn basic HTML, JavaScript code and more. Youth would also compete in a website makeover competition for a local organization.
And at the end of the workshop, there would be a final demonstration where students showcase their websites to family and friends.
