Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 4-24-20

Feature
Bank Donates $20,000 To Help Bridge Digital Divide
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Recently, a local bank do- nated $20,000 to a computer training organization. This marks the 15th consecutive year that the bank has made this contribution.
The goal of Bank of Amer- ica is to help “bridge the digi- tal divide” in the Greater Tampa Bay area. The contri- bution will be directed toward operational support for Com- puter Mentors Group’s (CMG) two programs and the administration of the organi- zation.
The bank has supported the organization and its mis- sion to provide opportunities for educational and employ- ment success by bridging the technology divide for popula- tions without sufficient eco- nomic resources, especially as
it relates to children and youth.
Ralph Smith, founder and Director of Computer Mentors Group said, “Having great partners like Bank of America and others is the en- gine that makes what we do work. I’m sure that I speak for other nonprofits when I say that there is no way we would be able to offer these types of programs without the finan- cial support from our part- ners. Thank you, Bank of America!”
Currently, CMG hosts two programs, the TEENtech Pro- gram and the KidsCode Pro- gram. TEENtech is a program that the organization has hosted since its inception, some 23 years ago. The em- phasis of the program has al- ways included a “Digital Divide” focus.
That could mean making
RALPH SMITH Founder of Computer Mentors Group
sure local youth have access to advanced technology or providing skills training so they can eventually compete for employment in the field of Computer Science. In any case, the organization at- tempts to diversify the field by providing opportunities.
The other program, Kid- sCode, was one of the original programs in Tampa Bay to teach computer coding to younger students. The pro- gram began in Tampa in 2014 and is now the largest CMG program, in terms of annual enrollment, with 4th through 8th grade children earning certificates in Computer Sci- ence 1, Computer Science 2, Computer Science 3, Web De- sign, and Game Design.
Bill Goede, Tampa Mar- ket President for Bank of America said, “We are com- mitted to supporting organi- zations making a positive impact in the community and contributing to the education
of our youth.
“The virtual resources will
help ensure that students have access to Computer Mentors Group and can con- tinue to learn over the weeks and months ahead.”
Smith said, “In light of the coronavirus and social distancing, CMG is transi- tioning to a virtual, instruc- tor-led training model. Training will occur through an online meet- ing platform with live teachers assisting chil- dren through the stan- dard curriculum. The newly formatted online classes are expected to begin in May.”
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020