For immediate release
For further information, contact:
Giant Campus
David Kinard, Director of Marketing
Phone: 206-442-4518
davidk@giantcampus.com
www.giantcampus.com
www.gcprofessional.com
Seattle - December 2006 - Giant Campus, a Seattle-based provider of technology training for the youth and education markets, has donated more than $80,000 worth of technology education courseware to the Associated Recreation Council's (ARC) after school programs at 9 different locations in Seattle. ARC has received 10 Giant Campus curriculums that range from basic word processing and C++ programming to digital photography and Web design. The hope is that the Giant Campus programs will be fully integrated into all of ARC's RecTech Community Technology Centers (CTCs) by January 2007.
The ARC, a nonprofit partner of Seattle Parks and Recreation, added the computer-based recreational programming in September 2006 to increase the academic success and technology skills of middle and high school students. The mission of RecTech centers is to provide programs that effectively utilize technology for education, recreation and community services for children, youth, adults, and neighborhoods.
"Support from Giant Campus allows us to offer engaging courses to our youth and expand their horizons in ways they thought not possible,� said Christina Arcidy of the Associated Recreation Council. �We absolutely rely on partnerships, like this one with Giant Campus, to support our mission of preparing our youth for success in our digital world."
Pete Findley, CEO of Giant Campus, said, "The latest data is showing that today's youth are not learning the 21st century technology skills they need to thrive in the future workforce. Equipping the ARC program with our research-proven curriculum is an obvious choice if we are going to bridge the gap and prepare youth to be effective contributors in a future workforce."
"The programs we offer give youth opportunities for self-empowerment, valuable life and employment skills, and access to critical digital resources," said Young Pham, Lab Coordinator at Rainier Beach Community Center. "By reaching teens in their neighborhood, we bring learning to students at a place much closer to home."
Lupe Hefa, a participant at Rainier Beach's CTC, added, "The lab feels like home to me, and I feel comfortable when I'm here. The Internet is always reliable, I can check my email, do my homework, and the friendly staff helps."
ARC has partnered with Seattle Public School's Community Learning Centers, operated by Seattle Parks and Recreation and YMCA of Greater Seattle, as well as a variety of other community based organizations to implement this innovative program.
"The partnership between ARC and Parks has been a great success," said Ken Bounds, superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation. "Expanded programs at the Community Technology Centers are an excellent example of how we can build on that current success."
Future support will help fund programs essential to bridging the digital divide, including those that offer technology access and courses for low-income residents, after school technology programs that serve all grades and workforce development programs for youth and community members.
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About Giant Campus, Inc.:
Fueled by demand to deliver technology training to different types of customers, Giant Campus has grown to serve a broad audience. For nearly a decade, Giant Campus has provided fun, project-based technology training for children, teens, and adults touching more than 2.5 million learners.
Today, a Giant Campus customer could be a 10 year-old on his quest to become the next Bill Gates or a grandma learning to use a computer for the first time. From a school in Virginia to a U.S. Army base in Washington State, Giant Campus is fulfilling multi-year and project-based contracts with all four branches of the United States Armed Forces.
Giant Campus continues its heralded tradition of providing technology training, consulting, and staffing services to the youth and education markets; the U.S. Armed Forces, their families, and DoD civilians; the federal government; and private sector corporations. To accomplish this goal, Giant Campus launched GC Professional Solutions in 2005. Since its inception, GC Professional Solutions has obtained several contracting vehicles including GSA Schedules 69 and 736. These schedules enable Giant Campus d/b/a/ GC Professional Solutions to efficiently meet the needs of the federal government and its agencies. GC Professional Solutions is a GSA Contract Holder and SBA HUBZone company providing technology staffing, consulting, and training services for government and private sector corporations.
Giant Campus is a four-time honoree of Washington CEO magazine's Best Companies to Work For award, winning top honors in 2000 and finishing in the top ten for 2004, 2005 and 2006. Giant Campus is also the winner of the Homestreet Bank's Small Business Spotlight Award for 2006. Giant Campus is headquartered in Seattle, Washington with regional offices in San Diego, California; Washington, DC; Las Vegas, Nevada; Tacoma, Washington; and Tampa, Florida.