Children go high-tech for free

By Amanda Stewart

Published: May 28, 2008

Woodbridge resident Danita Campbell said she knows her 7-year-old son Terrell will soon need a computer.

Terrell is in the first grade at Springwoods Elementary School now, but as he gets older more and more class pro-jects and homework assignments will require a computer, she said.

But Campbell noted computers are expensive. "I know I wouldn't be able to afford one anytime soon," she said.

Luckily, she didn't have to buy one.

Terrell was one of about 50 county elementary school pupils who received free computers at Forest Park High School's Bridging the Gap Night on Tuesday.

The old computers were donated by local businesses and repaired and refurbished by students in Forest Park's Information Technology program.

"I think it's really nice that they did this. We really appreciate it because he's going to need it," Campbell said as she and Terrell waited to get their computer.

Tuesday night the families waited in Forest Park's cafeteria before going into a computer lab, 10 at a time, for a quick computer lesson from Forest Park students, most of whom were members of the school's SWAT team (Students Working to Advance Technology).

When it was his turn to go to the computer lab, 8-year-old River Oakes nearly ran down the hallway.

"He's had ants in his pants all day waiting for this," his father Matt Oakes said.

Forest Park sophomore Jessica Nixon showed River and his father how to set up and use their new computer.

Most of it was new information to Matt Oakes, but not to River who said he's had experience with computers at school and at a friend's house.

"He's going to show me how to use it. I know that," Oakes said.

Forest Park Instructional Technology teacher Brian Hackett said the program gives access to technology to students who would not otherwise have it.

"The majority of jobs in the future are going to require computer skills," Hackett said. "Everybody should have a chance. The playing field needs to be level."

In addition to the computers distributed Tuesday night, Forest Park students have repaired computers that have been sent to New Orleans, Africa, Harlem and other places all over the world, Hackett said.

For Tuesday's event, instructional technology teachers at the county's elementary schools picked pupils who didn't already have computers at home and who could benefit from having them, Hackett said.

He said Forest Park has received more than 200 requests for computers for students at schools throughout the county.

Hackett was there to supervise the Forest Park students Tuesday night, but he mostly let them run the show.

After giving the pupils and parents a brief how-to lesson on the computers, the Forest Park students loaded the computers and monitors up on carts and delivered them to the parents' cars.

"It's good to give back to the community. It's nice to help low-income families out like this," Forest Park junior Thomas Donley said.

Donley and the other students said life without a computer at home would be tough.

"You kind of need a computer these days," senior Rafael Stewart said. "[Without a computer] you can't type papers or anything without going to the library."

Before their computer was even in their mother's car, Jackie Horner's children, both students at Lake Ridge Elementary School, already had ideas of what to do with it.

"We can play games," said Keithon Quincy, 9.

"And e-mail our friends," his sister, Daizah Harrington, 11, said. "And get e-mail addresses."

"And do homework," their mother added.

For more information about the Bridging the Gap Program, visit Forest Park's Web site at forestpark.groupfusion.net.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.