DATE: May 05, 2009

CONTACT: Harry Crissy, 843-722-5940 ext. 134
hcrissy@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226 ext. 118
phull@clemson.edu


Clemson University donates computers for workforce training in North Charleston

NORTH CHARLESTON — The Clemson University Restoration Institute's Healthy Communities focus area and the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development have donated 15 computers to the city of North Charleston for a computer training lab in the city's Chicora Cherokee neighborhood.

The Gussie Greene Technology Center will be used for workforce development skills to create opportunities for neighborhood residents.

Comcast Cable in Charleston provided a year's free high-speed Internet access and cable installation. The computer science department at the College of Charleston provided additional equipment and students helped install the machines.

The Charleston Linux Users Group donated the man hours to install software and develop computer management and Web site monitoring systems.

Community leaders expressed a need to improve the technical capabilities of the local population, said Harry Crissy, Clemson regional community and economic development agent for Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Clemson University and the College of Charleston will use the center as a classroom to help local residents develop computer skills.

"Modern technology moves so fast," Crissy said. "This project is designed to help residents of the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood become more marketable to potential employers."

Gussie Greene Community Center is at 2012 Success St. in North Charleston. If successful, the pilot program could spread to other communities in the three-county region, Crissy said.

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey said the computer lab provides many with the opportunity to establish and expand important skills that will enable them to gain meaningful employment.

"In an age where information prevails, becoming computer literate and technologically savvy is invaluable," Summey said. "I am very grateful for the many contributors to this project, and I am confident that the entire community will benefit from their generous deeds."

Collaborators in the project are:

  • Clemson University Restoration Institute
  • Clemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development at the Sandhill Research and Education Center, Columbia
  • Comcast Cable
  • City of North Charleston
  • North Charleston Mitigation Agreement Commission
  • Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities
  • College of Charleston computer science department
  • Charleston Linux Users Group
  • Free Linux Personal Computer Group

END

The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development
The institute believes that each community in South Carolina holds the keys to its own revitalization. It connects the resources of Clemson University and other agencies to the needs of the state's communities. On the Web at http://www.clemson.edu/sandhill.

The Clemson University Restoration Institute
Clemson University Restoration InstituteThe mission of the Clemson University Restoration Institute is to advance knowledge in integrative approaches to the restoration and sustainability of historic, ecological and urban infrastructure resources, and drive economic growth. The institute's vision is to build a sustainable future through education, collaborative restoration research and strategic partnerships. On the Web at www.clemson.edu/restoration/.