Integrated Technology Classroom

It is widely acknowledged that information technology (IT) skills-mastery is rapidly becoming a prerequisite for educational success and for competing in the 21st century job market. Not surprisingly then, an emerging body of research shows that robust technology access and education is a key component in high school dropout prevention effort. Further evidence highlights that at-risk boys, who are most vulnerable to high school dropout, experience the greatest benefit in educational engagement and achievement from programs incorporating well-designed IT education.

Accordingly, quality instruction utilizing state-of-the-art educational technology will be an integral feature of NorthStar’s after-school service delivery. Through the generous donation of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation, NorthStar boys will experience this level of academic programming in the Suzanne and Walter Scott Integrated Technology Classroom.

In the Suzanne and Walter Scott Integrated Technology Classroom, NorthStar boys will have access to modern educational technology, including desktop computers, laptops, large flat-screen TVs for presentations, and mobile tablets. This space has been designed to reconfigure easily for evolving room and student needs, allowing boys to work independently and in small groups during the course of a single learning session. The Suzanne and Walter Scott Integrated Technology Classroom, and the resources within it, will be utilized by NorthStar boys to prepare for exams, and for the completion of homework, each and every day.

“The Suzanne and Walter Scott Integrated Technology Classroom will be a key asset in NorthStar’s portfolio of academic programs for boys enrolled in after-school services,” said Scott Hazelrigg, NorthStar President. “Within the walls of this classroom, NorthStar boys will participate in core learning experiences that will empower them to recognize the value of their educational efforts and access relevant curriculum directly related to their goals and future aspirations.”

For the vast majority of future NorthStar students, a notable consequence of residing in circumstances of multi-generational poverty is a lack of access to basic computer technology and high-speed internet connectivity. The Suzanne and Walter Scott Integrated Technology Classroom, then, will be a resource producing substantive and sustained dividends in building school readiness, academic engagement, and IT skill development for NorthStar students.

“The broad efforts of NorthStar, and the role the Integrated Technology Classroom will have in supporting NorthStar’s programming, align well with the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation’s mission of enhancing quality of life for all Omaha’s citizens,” said Walter Scott. “We are pleased to know that the Classroom will accommodate academic achievement for students in a positive and safe environment.”