Floridaworks Computer Camp 

For most high schoolers, spring break is a time to sleep in, hang out with friends, and maybe take a road trip to the beach. However, 20 local students (10 each from Alachua and Bradford Counties) spent their spring breaks getting a leg up in the transition from high school to college or the workforce. The FloridaWorks youth program sponsored a computer camp during each school’s spring break. Participation in the camps was a reward for making progress in the FloridaWorks youth program. The youth program was created to assist individuals between the ages of 16 and 21 who meet Lower Living Standard income levels (LLSIL) as determined by the United States Department of Labor and who face additional barriers to employment, such as teen parenthood, literacy deficiency, or foster care. The ultimate goal is to provide enough support for the youth involved that they are able to be self-sufficient as adults. The computer camp was a special treat that honored the participants’ hard work while further increasing their potential to enter college or the workforce successfully.

On Monday morning of both camps, which were held at the Gainesville One-Stop in Alachua County and the Bradford VoTech, the students unwrapped laptops. Their first task was to set up the laptops, activate Windows, and install Microsoft Office and security software. This was an opportunity for the students to learn the importance of security updates and the potential impact of viruses. The students then spent the rest of the week exploring the intricacies and capabilities of their software before preparing a PowerPoint presentation about what they’d learned, and how it would help them achieve their future goals.

Because the students took the computers from the box to the final setup, they have more hands-on experience than many job seekers right out of high school, according to instructor Vince Tollick. “Getting to take the computers home is the real opportunity, because they will continue to learn,” he said. At the end of the week, the students gave their PowerPoint presentations in front of their classes and FloridaWorks staff. Then they received their graduation presents: brand new printers to accompany the laptops. But the computers, printers, and software aren’t the only lessons the students learned. “Hopefully, we’re also able to give them more confidence in themselves,” said Tollick.