These one day Tech Saturday sessions are intended to provide Harlem families with free home computers along with
the skills needed for successful usage with their children. Other topics include understanding wireless options in
Harlem, honesty issues and Internet Safety issues for families.
Primary focus? Harlem families with a child in K-12 who have
Hi-Speed Internet access, or are seeking to acquire affordable and
reliable Internet access; also those who are interested in taking advantage of
online educational opportunities and networking options via
this innovative collaborative program.
Steve Bergen
On 1/24/08 -- Thursday morning 8:30-9:30 am -- we hosted a breakfast to publicize this collaboration
and appropriate 2008 planning ... click here
02/09/08 (2)
03/08/08 (3)
05/31/08 (4)
05/31/08 (5)
09/27/08 (6)
9/29/08 ... Click here
to read the testimony of Michael Lewis before the New York City Council
10/18/08 (7)
12/6/08 (8)
Click here for press release by Michael Lewis 2/3/09
03/07/09 (9) ... first Tech Saturday for "Young Ones" grades K-3
06/06/09 (10) and (11) ... 9-11:30 for "Young Ones" and 12-2:30 for Grades 4-12
09/26/09 (12)
11/21/09 (13,14,15) ... 9-11 for "Young Ones" ... 11-1 for Grades 4-12 ... 2-4 for Adults
more dates to be announced in 2009 and 2010 (not sure yet)
Tech Saturdays: A Typical Tech Saturday
Volunteers arrive at 8am and we physically move the 15 computers and monitors across the street and set them up
At 9am, the Harlem residents who have been selected via our lottery arrive and the workshop begins; participants must know or show their confirmation numbers and prove that they are residents of Harlem
The workshop lasts 2 or 3 hours and involves both lecture and hands-on
Volunteers interact one on one with participants teaching them how to connect keyboard, mouse, monitor and how to load software and how to do some administrative functions on the computer
Participants pack up and leave; volunteers help and then cleanup
Some days, we have a second Tech Saturday that goes from 11-1 or 12-3
The success of Tech Saturdays has been based on the theme that "it takes a village" -- our team of 10-20 volunteers contribute their time and energy out of a sense of mission and no one gets paid even 33 cents ;-)
