Thread: MN: $45,000 grant to help teach immigrants computer technolo

$45,000 grant to help teach immigrants computer technology

Winona Daily News
February 13, 2011
By Amy Pearson

A $45,000 grant awarded to Project FINE will help ease the transition to America for some area immigrants.

The city of Winona awarded the Winona organization the money to help fund its new Technology Education for Immigrants and Refugees Program. The program aims to teach immigrants how to use a computer and the Internet.

"It's the 21st century, and we still have a large population without any experience with technology," said Fatima Said, executive director of Project FINE, an organization that helps immigrants assimilate into the community.

The city received $100,000 in grant money from the Blandin Foundation, which works to improve rural communities in Minnesota, said Judy Bodway, the city's director of economic development.

Project FINE was one of five local organizations to submit an application to the city in hopes of receiving funding, Bodway said.

Everything is new to many of America's immigrants, Said said. Technology is often the last thing they're introduced to.

The program will begin with several group education sessions that detail the basics of a computer, said Katie van Eijl, Project FINE's program manager.

Many of the program's 40 participants have never used a computer, she said. Mentors will spend time explaining the functions of its keyboard, mouse and monitor.

"There's so much to learn," Said said.

Technology tutors will then introduce participants to the Microsoft Office programs, she said.

Almost every job today requires some knowledge of how to navigate a computer and its basic programs, Said said. The experience will better prepare area immigrants to enter the workforce.

At the end of the course, Project FINE, along with PCs for People, a program that provides computers for people in need, will supply the program's participants with a refurbished computer, van Eijl said. Tutors will make house calls and provide individualized training that meets the specific needs of each user.

The one-on-one training will help immigrants learn more about being independent employees, Said said.

"They want to learn," she said. "They want to do business on the Internet.

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/loc ... 002e0.html

I suppose the generous taxpayers of Winona will also provide the high speed internet connections to go along with the free computers, and pay for them as well?

They need to think of the AMERICAN people first and let the immigrants take a back seat.

Bill Cunnane wrote: "They need to think of the AMERICAN people first and let the immigrants take a back seat."

EXACTLY!!!!! THEY NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS MONEY IS NOT GOING TO TRAIN LEGAL U.S. CITIZENS ALREADY OUT OF WORK AND WHO DESPERATELY ARE LOOKING FOR TRAINING IN OTHER AREAS OF WORK!!!!!

We need many people to contact the Blandin Foundation and write them in PROTEST here:

http://www.blandinfoundation.org/contact/email-form.php