Computer Corps | American Youthworks

Americorps and YouthBuild funding cuts have impacts on service organizations

On March 8, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, General News, Green Energy Corps, By Rachel Matvy

A Congressional vote to reduce the federal budget could threaten American YouthWorks as well as many other service oriented nonprofit organizations. The House of Representatives passed a bill that would eliminate funding for YouthBuild and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), both of which provide funding for AmeriCorps and thousands of grants to nonprofits that deliver essential community services. The bill is under consideration in the Senate.

American YouthWorks receives funding from both CNCS and YouthBuild for its Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps and Green Energy Corps. These programs allow students and graduates to participate in community service, gain job skills and earn money for college while serving low income Austinites by building energy efficient homes, refurbishing computers and performing weatherization measures and by improving public lands through trail building and maintenance, habitat restoration for endangered species and invasive species removal.

Here are a few things that our students and Corps members have accomplished in 2010 alone:

Casa Verde Builders program participants built two houses, repaired eight homes and 33 participants graduated.
Computer Corps saved 59 computers from landfills by refurbishing them and donating them to nonprofits and low income Austin residents.
Environmental Corps completed the restoration and construction of 28 miles of trails, restored 337 acres of native habitat and performed $61,000 worth of in-kind work.
Green Energy Corps members made improvements to 200 homes for low income families; including weatherization, repairs and accessibility projects.

Please help us continue to serve our community.

Tagged with: careers • green jobs • service

Computer Corps Awarded GTOPS Grant

On May 3, 2010, In Computer Corps, General News, By mmiller

On Tuesday, April 27th Emily Mathon, AYW Deputy YouthBuild Program Director, accepted the Grants for Technology Opportunities Program grant award on behalf of American YouthWorks’ Computer Corps. As Chair of the Emerging Technology and Telecommunications Committee, Council Member Laura Morrison presented the grant awards to the nine recipients of the $150k grant that connect the public with information technology, computers and the internet.

American YouthWorks is the largest grant recipient with an award totaling $24,700. American YouthWorks will use the funding to support the Computer Corps program, which combines computer repair training, refurbished computer distribution and a computer workshop series. Corps members will gain computer and life skills while providing a service to the community

Emerging Technology and Telecommunications Committee

AIA and AYW partner for Open Architecture Downtown event this Saturday

On April 30, 2010, In Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, General News, Green Energy Corps, Special Events, By devintern

This Saturday, May 1st from 1 to 5 pm, Casa Verde Builders and other AYW service program members will showcase AmericanYouthWorks’ service programs as part of a special event hosted by AIA Austin (American Institute of Architects). The event is an open house and tour held all over downtown Austin and will highlight twenty-two downtown architectural firms.

Wristbands for the event are $5 and all proceeds benefit American YouthWorks.

For more information and to purchase wristbands, please visit the AIA website.

AYW Corps Members Share the ‘Green’ Word at the Green Living Expo

On April 29, 2010, In Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, General News, Green Energy Corps, Special Events, By devintern

“Being Green” just got a little easier with The Green Living Expo at the Austin Convention Center!

American YouthWorks Corps members set up booth at the Convention Center to present their skills and efforts, discover new green information, and fundraise on the weekend of April 23-25 at Austin’s Green Living Expo.

The Green Living Expo was an excellent opportunity for the various corps organization members (Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, and Green Energy Corps) to work together and learn more about each other as well. Generally, Corps headquarters and activities do not afford additional time toward getting to know in-depth the objectives of fellow Corps programs.

This was also an opportunity to share the passion harbored from work done in the community from weatherization and home construction, park/trail/forestry and habitat restoration, refurbishing computer and technology donations, and generally working to assist and strengthen low-income and at-risk communities in the Austin area.

The booth was decorated by each Corps with ther respective individal flair.

GEC and ECorps constructed display boards using materials commonly worked with (natural woods or weatherization materials such as solar screens). E-Corps also had a table to display and demonstrate some of their commonly used tools. Computer Corps set up a powerpoint presentation with videos, photographs and information about all of the Corps programs and GEC guided booth visitors in online carbon footprint calculations.

To view the additional Green Living Expo snapshots, please visit our Facebook photo album of this event.

At the Convention Center, members also had the opportunity to explore what the Green Living Expo had to offer in more sustainable solutions for the way we live, food, entertainment, and build. There were hundreds of booths for sampling fresh organic cuisine and learning better ways to cook, book recycling programs through Austin Public Libraries, presentations and book signings from notable guest speakers in sustainability and green business, and various design ideas for work Corps members are utilizing (Rain water collectors, and innovative insulation and home construction designs).

Seminars were on three stages: Green Building, Sustainable Living, and Climate Change. Interim CEO Dick Pierce of Dick Pierce Designs presented on the Sustainability stage as an expert in Permaculture on Sunday, April 25th at 3pm.

In addition, GEC member Jake Clarke created an amazing magnet design that was offered to donors of $10 or more. This new American YouthWorks magnet has school location and contact information which an image depicting volunteers of all 4 Corps and Service Learning Academy programs working together. A number of these were handed out during the Green Expo weekend, but we still have a supply available for anyone interested in purchasing one now. The actual magnet size is 6.5” by 5”. Great for a refrigerator or filing cabinet, the magnet image actually pops out so you can use the border as a picture frame and have two magnets in one. For more information on donating and/or getting your magnet for a minimum donation of $10, please contact Brandon Kiger (bkiger@americanyouthworks.org). Quantities are limited so pick yours up today!

Blog written by Angela Garner, GEC Member

Computer Corps Visits Whole Foods Mentors

On March 9, 2010, In Computer Corps, General News, Service Learning Academy, By mmiller

On Tuesday February 16^th, ten Computer Corps (C-Corps) members spent the day with the Whole Foods IT Department. The members were paired up with Whole Foods IT Team Members in a Job Shadowing experience to learn more about the corporation, the career field, and themselves. Below is one member’s description of the event.

We viewed a highly planned presentation then C-Corps members were paired up in teams with mentors from Whole Foods. The store is connected to the corporate headquarters. We took a tour of the facility, the grocery store and the corporate offices. We saw the basic systems of a major company, how they function on a daily basis, and the opportunities for working for this company. During our tour we discovered that the departments are actually like small businesses and they manage their own budgets and buy their own supplies. After our tour, we had a lunch of assorted Whole Foods goods. It was delicious, and then we took a tour of our mentors work stations.

After that we went to the server room. Servers are basically huge computers which produce a lot of heat and they need to be kept cool in climate-controlled areas. The cooling systems and back up power systems keep them from overheating and losing important data. In addition, we viewed the server repair room.

Our mentors showed us what the corporate world has to offer us and the importance of graduating from high school and moving along to a higher education. We were there to see how information technology (IT) Staff perform their daily duties and work tasks.

This was an eye opening experience and we had a choice to attend this event. The choice to attend opportunities like this is yours. – Elais Laurila, C-Corps Member

AYW Member Videos on YouTube!

On February 26, 2010, In Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, General News, Service Learning Academy, By mmiller

Computer Corps has partnered with other AYW AmeriCorps members to record, edit and produce videos about the exciting events and activities taking place at AYW! The first two member produced videos include a presentation on integrated learning techniques with members and staff interviews and highlights from this year’s MLK Service Day with Foundation Communities and Tree Folks.

Check out the the American YouthWorks YouTube Channel and subscribe for regular updates as C-Corps members continue to document more happenings around AYW.

MLK Service Day

On February 1, 2010, In Computer Corps, General News, Service Learning Academy, By mmiller

Jenny Rodriguez plants a tree at MLK Service Day

Americorps members, Service Learning Academy students, and staff participated in the MLK service day January 16^th beginning at Huston-Tillotson University; hosted by Hands on Central Texas. We listened to the main speaker, Dr. Richard Reddick, and other amazing speakers, ate free breakfast tacos, and saw a performance by Cipher, a group founded by Jeff Da’shade Johnson. Cipher is a street project for outreach to youth in our community. Also, we heard a speech from a 4^th grader named Lamar, a little boy with a big heart. I must say he was an amazing speaker; his speech was about Dr. King and how proud of us he would be for the work we were doing that day. After the festivities, we went to a site and planted trees one by one. We also helped each other dig and break through compounded soil so we could plant the young saplings in their new homes in order to spread their roots through the foundation. In the midst of digging we learned an important lesson—team work. It was hot but we worked together in our efforts to help our community.

–Elais Laurila, Computer Corps member

Tagged with: MLK • service

CCorp's First Podcast

On December 17, 2009, In Computer Corps, Service Learning Academy, By servicelearningacademy

A podcast is an audio recording meant to be downloaded from the internet. This podcast took us a long time to make. We used mics, a mixer, a guitar, a laptop, and several hours of revisions and recording to make this happen. It took us about a day and a half to research all the information before we could even write the script. CCorps members were split up into groups of four and every group was assigned to make their own podcast. Our group chose evolution because we thought it would interesting for a large group of people. The members of our group were Gabrielle Morales, Randy Moreno, Evan Hobratsch, and me (Sam Lindsey). We enjoyed making it and we hope you enjoy it too.

EVOLUTION

–Sam Lindsey, CCorps member

Service Day with CCorps

On December 14, 2009, In Computer Corps, Service Learning Academy, By servicelearningacademy

On Saturday, December 12^th, Computer Corps and some members of Green Energy Corps took out time on the weekend to go down to Blue Santa and helped wrap presents for families to open on Christmas.

We arrived at Blue Santa around 12pm and when we got there we almost had to leave because they didn’t have enough for us to do but they said they would take us on a tour. While they took us on the tour of the warehouse they explained some details about what exactly they do. After that they took us into a big room filled with cardboard boxes and taught us how to fold up the boxes and tape them together. We folded up about 50 boxes and stacked them on top of each other.

When we finished that they took us over to some tables with bags that said boys ages 3-4 told us all to grab a bag and go over to the boxes of toys and pick out, 1book, 1game, and 1stocking stuffer which was like a hot wheels toy or an action figure. Once we filled our bags with toys we grabbed a piece of blue wrapping paper and wrapped up our bags and put them in boxes to be shipped off.

The Blue Santa service day was a lot of fun. After we finished all of our service we all got to sign our names on a big long wall so we could be recognized for our help!

–Alicia Ward, CCorps member

Computer Corps Orientation: paperwork first, fun second

On October 22, 2009, In Computer Corps, Service Learning Academy, By servicelearningacademy

CCorps Trainer, Matt, and Warnetta celebrat the induction of new members

CCorps Trainer, Matt, and Warnetta celebrate the induction of new members

Teisha's mom brought food for the potluck to show her support

October 4^th through the 17^th I, Caleb Jones, attended the Computer Corps orientation in hopes of having the privilege of joining the AmeriCorps program. Though a lot of the orientation involved paper work and reviewing the policies and procedures, other members and I, had a lot of fun with the teambuilding activities. I learned a lot of things about computers that I did not know before, and a lot about the actual program. The first week was basically paperwork, but when week two started–the fun began. I got to take apart and put together a computer, which is something I have never done before and it was an awesome experience. We also took a trip a Goodwill that refurbishes computers, and got to see their computer museum. AYW student, Ateisha Flint, said “I really enjoyed volunteering at the River City Youth, and the marble game we played.” Unfortunately, not everyone who attended orientation made it in, though everyone was a worthy candidate, there were only so many spots open. About twenty other students and I are now AmeriCorps members, and we all look forward to what lies ahead in the Computer Corps program.

By,

Caleb Jones, Service Learning Academy Student