Advanced
Technology Training And Information Networking (ATTAIN):
Helping Under-Served Communities Cross the Digital Divide.
To gain educational
opportunities and critical occupational skills that can lead
to meaningful jobs, low-income residents in under-served and
under-employed urban communities need help to achieve “digital
parity.”
Since 1999, the
Advanced Technology Training And Information Networking (ATTAIN)
program has been “leveling the educational playing field”
by providing increased community access to education, training
and technology resources. It is now a proven technology-based
solution to the unemployment and basic skills deficiencies
of out-of-school and out-of-work youth and adults.
ATTAIN is an innovative
model developed by the State University of New York's (SUNY)
University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD)
and implemented by ISI. Thousands of individuals of all ages
have used ATTAIN labs to access the Internet and use interactive
multimedia education and training software. The results have
been dramatic: a new gateway to education, improved occupational
and life skills, better job opportunities, stronger families
and more enlightened communities.
There are currently
dozens of ATTAIN labs in the Educational Opportunity Centers
(EOCs) run by SUNY/UCAWD, along with community-based organizations
(CBOs) and housing authorities in New York state. ISI provides
the hardware, software, training, and service and support
for the labs. SUNY/UCAWD handles the project oversight program
staff, assessments, counseling, training and job placement
activities.
Each ATTAIN lab
includes state-of-the-art 24-station networks with:
-
Full T1 Internet
access
-
A wide array of academic, life skills and occupational
skills training courseware
-
A comprehensive
management system that tracks each participant’s progress
- Staff training
-
Videoconferencing
- Message boards
and discussion forums
- Individual e-mail
accounts for all participants and staff.
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