The initiative kicks off with the opening of the first Achievement Center at the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Montana today and will continue over the next three years with the opening of five Achievement Centers on rural and low-income reservations.
"IBM is proud to sponsor this groundbreaking initiative," said Ron Glover, vice president, IBM Global Workforce Diversity. "As Native American reservations are geographically distant from metropolitan centers and often lack community infrastructure, they are often left behind in the information age. This program really aims to help them realize the education and communication benefits of technology and to bridge the Digital Divide."
The Lenovo PC-based Achievement Centers will offer computer and Internet access, education and training for reservation residents of all ages. In addition to computer training that covers the fundamentals through more advanced courses, the Achievement Centers will serve as an education center for the communities, offering classes on topics such as Family History and Genealogy, Health, Language Training, Work Skills, and Tutoring, as well as a host of life skills and enrichment curriculum.
"Many are not aware of the extreme poverty that exists on the Blackfoot Nation which leads to a daily dismal picture of everyday life," said Carroll Cocchia, president of the Native American Chamber of Commerce in Houston, Texas. "With the help of exceptional corporations like IBM through their participation in the Hope and Harmony for Humanity initiative, we are helping to better the situation for tribal communities like the Blackfeet Nation, and leveling the playing field by giving them access to computers and technology education."
"In SeniorNet's 20-year history we've brought over one million older adults around the world together with computers and technology, and IBM has been a key contributor to this milestone," said Kristin Fabos, SeniorNet's executive director. "Despite this success, the 'Digital Divide' remains a very real issue, and as we embark upon SeniorNet's next 20 years, we're expanding our mission and leveraging our proven curriculum to bridge the Digital Divide for older adults in underserved and rural communities. We're thrilled to partner with IBM and the Native American Chamber of Commerce to enable the residents of the Blackfeet Nation to experience the benefits of computers and technology education."
This first IBM-funded 'Hope and Harmony for Humanity' Achievement Center at the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Browning, Montana will offer its first semester of courses this Fall, beginning with the SeniorNet Computer Curriculum.
