WASHINGTON – About 700 low-income high school students in 15 communities will learn computer networking skills and help connect their neighborhoods to the Internet during summer internships funded by a $200,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by Communities In Schools (CIS), the nation’s largest stay-in-school network.

HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo and CIS President Bill Milliken announced the internships for junior and senior high school students living in public and other HUD-assisted housing, Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Indian Country.

The HUD funding will assist about 700 students training at Cisco Networking Academy Programs in:

• Sacramento, CA.
• Leon County, Manasota and Miami, FL.
• Albany, Fitzgerald and Thomasville, GA.
• Wichita, KS.·
• Detroit.·
• Union County, NJ.
• New York City.
• Philadelphia.
• El Paso and Laredo, TX.
• Washington, DC.

"This internship program can unlock new doors to opportunity for young people, by exposing them to careers that could change their lives," Cuomo said. "It will help us close the Digital Divide that separates those with computer skills from those without, at a time when knowing how to use computers is becoming more important every day to get a good job."

"Communities In Schools, HUD and Cisco and working together to link education, business and community development efforts to our nation’s most underserved areas," Milliken said. "We believe that providing marketable skills to students is one basic that every young person needs and deserves."

Funding for this work-based learning experience is provided through HUD’s existing grant with Communities In Schools. The organization operates programs in 32 states and the District of Columbia. With assistance from HUD, more than 1 million students and their families have access to mentoring and social service programs through CIS – all aimed at keeping at risk youth in school.

Students at Cisco Networking Academy Programs will be able to apply their classroom training in work-based settings, gain a better understanding of the Information Technology industry, and gain critical work-readiness skills. Some of the projects include installing computers in public housing job training centers, connecting computers to each other in a network, and monitoring and maintaining the computer networks.

HUD/Communities In Schools (CIS) Work-Based Learning Grants

CALIFORNIA
Sacramento - $8,500: 15 students will set up and maintain a Cisco Networking Academy computer lab at the Rural California Housing Corporation serving residents in Elder, Elder Creek, Oakpark, Lemon Hill and Tahoe Park.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington - $9,457: 6 students from Bell Multicultural will receive internships in area businesses and/or governmental offices. This is a special circumstance grant request included at the request of Cisco to assist this under-funded and underserved school. The local CIS program has agreed to help coordinate the program.

FLORIDA
Leon County - $13,215: 28 students will apply network designing, wiring, monitoring and trouble-shooting skills in one of the following venues: United Way, City of Tallahassee MIS Department, Florida Department of Labor, Occupational Health Care Administration, Leon County Schools Information Services Department, Governor’s Mentoring Initiative, Delta Technologies, Mainline Information, Consolidated Industries, Solution Skills, Greybar, Wholesale Suppliers, Inc.

Manasota - $18,841: Up to 30 students will participate by helping to wire classrooms, troubleshoot and repair network problems and help with network maintenance in one of the following venues: Manatee County School District, Sarasota County School District, SecurityLink from Ameritech. Additional internship/job shadowing opportunities are being developed through the Greater Sarasota and Manatee Chambers of Commerce.

Miami - $15,000: Approximately 60 students will participate in a week long Technician Career Readiness Camp and participate in the Prudential Youth Leadership Institute, with the students planning and implementing a community service project.

GEORGIA
Albany - $10,000: Ten students will participate in internship experiences in one of the following venues: Engineer Systems & Service, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Darton College, Dougherty County Public Schools, Albany State University, Miller Brewing Company. Students will also set up a Cisco Networking Academy Program lab in Lee County, and install a networking system for the Albany Housing Authority. Albany is an Enterprise Zone community.

Fitzgerald - $10,000: The grant will allow 13 students to design and build the network for a 10-station computer lab located at the Fitzgerald Housing Authority. Other opportunities for job shadowing and hands-on experience will be provided through the East Central Technical Institute, Fitzgerald Chamber of Commerce, Ben Hill County Schools, Micro Technology Consultants, and Dorminy Medical Center.

Thomasville - $13,500: 13 students, through the Youth Apprenticeship Program, will have internship experiences in one of the following venues: Archbold Memorial Hospital, Flowers Industries, Autry Petroleum, RoseNet, US Filter, and RESA.

KANSAS
Wichita - $6,009: 20 students will have internship experiences in one or more of the following opportunities: set up a Cisco Networking Academy Program at a local library; job shadowing at Vulcan Industries; and Koch Industries Information Technology Center. Sedgwick County and the school district are exploring internship opportunities.

MICHIGAN
Detroit - $20,000: A minimum of 50 students will prepare a computer lab in one of the following venues: Detroit CIS Power-Up; City of Detroit Employment and Training; and Youth Opportunities (YO!). Additional partners include DaimlerChrysler, Ameritech-Michigan, Bank One, Ford Motor Company, Suntel, and Detroit Edison.

NEW JERSEY
Union County - $20,000: About 45 students will participate in the WAVE job readiness curriculum, undergo individualized career counseling and internship placement in one of 100 community partner venues, including Plainfield Public Schools, Union County Community College, Plainfield Health Center, Kean University, Rahway Public Schools and Muhlenberg Hospital.

NEW YORK
New York City - $10,000: About 100 students will be placed in paid internship positions with local businesses throughout the city to facilitate the transition from the networking academy school site to the work site so students will have on-the-job experience to be ready for employment.

PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia - $10,000: A minimum of 200 students will participate in a variety opportunities, including wiring HUD Neighborhood Network computer centers through the Philadelphia Housing Authority, shadowing at partner organizations, and working with local businesses to assist in information technology and networking needs. Partners include Cisco Systems, Eastern Technology Council, QWEST Internet Solutions, Arthur Andersen, IT Profiler and IBM.

TEXAS
El Paso - $15,675: Up to 90 students will be placed in job shadowing, corporate tours and internships with area businesses and the local school districts. A minimum of 33 will have direct experience in wiring and network maintenance at the local schools.

Laredo - $19,803: 23 students will be partnered one-on-one with City of Laredo Technology Department employees to maintain and troubleshoot networks. The Laredo Junior Achievement program will provide additional training in business ownership and management.