NorthCamden.Org

WASHINGTON – As a teenager in Camden, N. J., Mario Arriola was on his way to becoming a high school dropout like most others in his family. But after Arriola enrolled in Hopeworks, a program that provides training in computer applications, he ended up sticking around to graduate.

Mario Arriola was at a Capitol Hill briefing Thursday as an example of what nonprofit children’s advocacy groups such as The Children’s Partnership and the Alliance for Public Technology believe should become a top national priority –  information technology access that will improve children’s health, education and job preparation

 Ken Kelly, director of the Washington office of The Children’s Partnership, said that while a good number of kids and young adults are benefiting from the digital revolution, “there are still segments of the population like rural areas or families with kids with disabilities that are missing these powerful opportunities.”

“It’s not only about to have a computer but also about how to educate people on how to use technology,” said Kelly. “But despite these benefits, theUnited States does not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that children benefit from technology.”

 One of biggest sources of federal funding for technology in schools is called “Enhancing Education Through Technology,” but  the Bush administration has not included funding for it in its budget proposals for the past five years, Kelly said.

 While Congress has stopped in to provide the money, more money is needed so that middle and elementary schools can have technology training at an earlier stage, he said.

 “Last year the program was funded at about $267 million dollars for the entire country, and a lot of advocates are saying that it should be at around $400 million,” Kelly said.

Alliance for Public Technology Executive Director Sylvia Rosenthal said the briefing was intended to push for “policies that will foster investment in broadband network deployment and foster adoption of information technologies. We want our policymakers to make broadband adoption a national priority.”