It really took a lot of searching for me to find posts for this week! Luckily, my life involves non-profits that I didn’t know about. I regularly volunteer at a community center that is run by the Fairfax County government. However, my sorority sisters and I volunteer at the Computer Clubhouse which is a nonprofit organization. It was founded in 1993 by The Computer Museum and the MIT Media Lab. There are six community centers in the state of Virginia that offer the program. Surprisingly, the news section of the website displays numerous articles spotlighting the Clubhouse. The reason I say it is surprising is that the program in Fairfax is in serious need to participants. When I visit there are usually more volunteers than children. This gave me a better idea of the program on a much larger scale. The Clubhouses are usually under privileged areas. Since Fairfax County is not exactly poor, I assume less children need to take advantage of the program because they have more options.
The mission of the Computer Clubhouse is as follows: “The Computer Clubhouse provides a creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from underserved communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology. Using the “original” Clubhouse as a model, the Computer Clubhouse Network supports community-based Clubhouses around the world, providing thousands of youth with access to resources, skills, and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.”
My sorority works with this organization because one of our platforms focuses on technology. The leadership in my sorority believes that it is important for undergraduate members to do as much as we can to ensure that people in our community are technology savvy.
