San Bernardino County Foster Youth Complete Technology Boot Camp

San Bernardino County Children and Family Services (CFS) offered foster and kin-gap youth who actively participate in the Independent Living Program (ILP) with a free Technology Boot Camp training and incentive to earn a free lap top

computer and printer upon completion of the two-day workshop held March 31-April 1, in San Bernardino.

ILP provides youth ages 16-18 years, in foster care or emancipated, with resources and incentives to attend college, vocational training, assist with transportation, housing, and other needs.  Social workers nominated youth for the Technology Boot Camp who met the criteria of being a junior or senior in high school with a 2.0 GPA or better, an active participant in ILP events, and college-bound.  CFS Director DeAnna Avey-Motikeit says, “It is rewarding to have a program that allows our youth to earn the opportunity to attend classes and receive the tools to help them complete school assignments and support them in their next big steps in life.”

Eighteen at-risk youth were afforded the opportunity to attend the first of three Technology Boot Camp trainings through Telios Training Solutions who covered the following topics:  Introduction to Windows 7, Microsoft 2010 and web-based applications and tools; integrating life skills and developing transferable job skills.  One student says “I benefitted from this class tremendously because I not only learned the basics, but I also learned valuable ways that my computer can help me.”

These workshops teach at-risk youth the computer skills that they may not otherwise be able to obtain, but are necessary to succeed in both an educational and work environment.   “It is exciting to see the increase in the number of youth committed to graduating high school and continuing onto higher education, said DeAnna Avey-Motikeit, Director of CFS.

Upon completion of the two-day training, the youth earned a free Dell lap top computer and HP printer to help them continue their education.  “By receiving this lap top computer I can now further my education in ways I would not otherwise be able to,” noted a youth.