HC Sponsors Multimedia Clubhouse/Community Access Center for Worcester Youth

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the Multimedia Clubhouse/Community Access Center at the Worcester Common Outlets Food Court, located in downtown Worcester.  Ernest C. Floyd '84, president of Pride Productions, in cooperation with the Worcester Boys and Girls Club and the City Manager's Executive Offices of Neighborhood Services and Economic Development, sponsored the event.

The Multimedia Clubhouse is designed to assist youth in developing skills in television/video production, video editing, Web site development, interviewing skills and DV camera operation. The Community Access Center, sponsored by Holy Cross, Coghlin Electric/Network Services, Dell Computer, EMC, Grafton Job Corps, and Verizon, will be housed at the Worcester Common Outlets and will provide youth public access to computers and the Internet.

The goal of the Community Access Center is to assist youth in the development of IT applications, like PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and Excel. Workshops, mentoring, peer coaching and various support services will be available to individuals and/or organizations. The Center will provide young adults the technical skills and experience to compete professionally in today's digital economy.

Floyd's efforts to secure funding and computer equipment for the Center were helped by President Michael C. McFarland, S.J., who supported the project, and Stephen J. King, director of Holy Cross Information Technology Services, who assisted in the successful request processes for equipment from Dell Computer and a grant from EMC.

Dell Computer was represented at the event by Reed Kalagher, regional sales manager. EMC was represented by Jennifer Fleming of the Community Partnership department. Coghlin Electric, represented by Ted Coghlin, will donate networking and electrical services to the Center, and Tony Kalinowski, general manager of the Worcester Common Outlets, negotiated the donation of a store in the mall for the Center.

Also attending the event were Thomas Hoover, Worcester city manager, and James Caradonio, superintendent of Worcester Public Schools. Both men spoke of the importance of the Center for Worcester youth and Floyd's dedication to the Worcester community. William Meinhofer, director of the Donelan Office of Community Based Learning at Holy Cross, noted the potential of the Center for community based learning opportunities for students and faculty. The Community Access Center will link many organizations and programs, public and private, through the Center's location and its variety of community programs in computer technologies.

The Center will be begin operation in January 2002, and a grand opening is planned for spring 2002.