NEWS: COMPUTERS AT MULTICULTURAL YOUTH CENTRE
Community Access Program
The Multicultural Youth Centre has computers as part of the Community Access Program (CAP) site.
The CAP site is quite busy now that we have regular after-school hours. During the day, the general public can use the computers when office staff are present. After hours, youths are the priority. If there is a crowd waiting, they take turns to share time.
Most of the users to date have been Aboriginal students from “up north”. We have done some publicity at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, to let the boarding students know they can have free access to computers. We are promoting the Youth Center as a safe place for them to hang out, meet new friends from other cultures, and stay out of trouble. Using computers is an ideal pass-time, and resource for assignments, homework, to browse the net, and for e-mails. Sending e-mails is a cheap and convenient way to communicate with friends and other folks back home. Computers also provide entertainment—playing games, listening to music, watching videos, etc. This counters the boredom many youths claim contributes to problems.
The CAP site is supported by Fednor. The Youth Centre has been very
fortunate to get computers donated by StarTek, the Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
Students waiting their turn to use computers can do homework, access tutoring, play
games or watch live entertainment –karaoke. We also have television sets to watch movies.
We are pleased that the back room where the ten computers are situated also has a big-screen television set. The theatre-style arrangement is ideal for watching movies. We are averaging 130 youths using the computers on a regular basis each month. More youths are now coming to mix and mingle and this keeps the Youth Center busy. We believe that we are doing our part to familiarize more youths with computers, train them, as well as keep them busy. Through all this, we are helping to keep the youth occupied and off the streets at night.