TechPoint Foundation Awards Grant to DePauw-4Community Partnership

May 24, 2005, Greencastle, Ind. - A just-received grant highlights and expands a new partnership between DePauw University’s Community Technology Enhancement Program (CTEP) and 4Community, an initiative of the United Way of Putnam County. 4Community has been awarded a $1,000 Partners for Youth grant by the TechPoint Foundation, in partnership with the Central Indiana Community Foundation. CTEP has committed to provide 100 refurbished computers each year to students who enroll as 21st Century Scholars or are otherwise identified through the 4Community initiative. To receive a computer, students and a parent must attend a computer workshop provided by CTEP students and staff.

“This partnership allows Putnam County students who need a computer the most, to have access and be technologically prepared as they enter the workforce or go to college,” says Eric Wolfe, coordinator of 4Community and 2004 DePauw University graduate. “I would like to thank the administrators, faculty and students at DePauw for their partnership in improving our community.”

CTEP was created to proactively address the inequities of a growing digital divide in the greater Putnam County region. University faculty, staff, and students and local high school interns administer the program as part of the 361° Initiatives. CTEP collects donations of used computers from DePauw University and the surrounding community. Members of the program test the equipment and install operating systems and other software. Then, computers are distributed to qualifying organizations and individuals in the local community for a minor fee. Along with computers, CTEP also accepts and redistributes printers, scanners, and other computer peripherals.

“We're very excited about the 4Community-DePauw Partnership," says Bob Hershberger, associate professor of modern languages and film studies at DePauw and coordinator of CTEP. "This program adds an explicit focus to our organization and provides the framework to support a sector of our community that has the most to gain with improved access to technology. By helping the youth of Putnam County get their hands on a tool that is increasingly central to their preparation in higher education or the workforce, we're not only making a solid investment in their future but also in the future of our community as a whole. We couldn't be happier about this opportunity and we thank Eric Wolfe for his advocacy in this project."

Established in 2001, the TechPoint Foundation provides financial grants in support of high-impact programs that address issues of technology access, education and sustainability for Indiana’s at-risk children. It also promotes philanthropic values and volunteer activism within Indiana’s technology community, to improve the opportunities and quality of life for Indiana’s children and their families. Learn more by clicking here.

The 4Community initiative represents a community effort to address issues and accomplish goals more effectively by working together in new ways. To date, 4Community has focused its planning efforts in the area of education, in hopes of increasing the number of 21st Century Scholars from Putnam County and providing resources to students and their families for continuing education beyond high school. For more information, contact Wolfe by sending an e-mail here or call (765) 653-5638.

Learn more about CTEP in this previous story.

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