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Venture Description: The Community Learning Center is an independent ecumenical organization located at 4500 S. Prescott Ave. in Lyons. The Community Learning Center is open to all local area residents regardless or creed, nationality or sexual orientation. The Center was founded in 2005 by several local educators with a goal of teaching other local residents about technology. The Community Learning Center hopes to break the digital divide between generations through creative uses of technology. The center hopes to instill the joy of lifelong learning in each participant in its programs. For more information, call 708.871.0030 or write to The Community Learning C

Venture Origin: After a need int community was noted for technology training, the idea for The Community Learning Center was founded.

Innovation: The Center funds itself without charging market rates for its services. It brings people of all ages together to learn about computers and technology. We provide a classroom and teacher based learning unlike libraries with computer terminals.

Impact: So far the Community Learning Center has had nearly a dozen community open lab times, drop in after school homework times and over 90 people have visited to learn more about what we offer.

Engagement with the community: We are presently working with a local community college, Morton College to host citizenship classes at our facility. Other teen youth members are also working with local schools to sponsor programs at out location.

Impact and engagement progress since launch: Since our inception we have involved the community with construction, renovation, installation and input from our local community advisory board.

Impact and engagement strategy: In the future we hope to reach school age youth through unique partnerships with local school districts and after school programs.

Awards: We have been granted donated software from Microsoft for our work, received other grant monies and been recognized as a PearsonVUE training center.

Money raised: We were able to bring in approximately $7,000 to support equipment, supplies and teaching expenses.

Creative ways of raising resources: We have partnered with other l0cal area businesses and nonprofits to secure donations and donated labor to maintain equipment.

Expansion plan for next 6 months: To continue our expansion, we have partnered with more organizations, including a local college and possibly a school district.

Plans for sustaining the project: Our venture has been promised a small endowment from local community members, and we continue to receive support from local churches and advocacy groups.

Vision for three years from now: Three years from now we hope to have an established name in the community as more people learn about our classes and want to learn about technology.

Project impact: So far the venture has become a resource for local community members with a variety of computer expertise levels. We regularly receive computer calls and emails about all sorts of questions and problems. We love being a community based organization that can help people learn to solve their own questions and needs through technology while developing skills needed for work in an advanced society. In the future we hope to have a toll free phone line for local residents to call in and speak to live experts about technology and computing needs, and possibly offer a computer placement program for gently used computer equipment and peripherals.

Youth Venture movement - what it means and how you can contribute: I believe that Youth Venture provides young people with the abilities to make their service based dreams happen. Our team can continue to support Youth Venture by hosting local youth venture events, and by bringing the relatively unknown Youth Venture name to the community of those we serve. We further feel that partnering with other local service organizations can help us to expand Youth Ventures presence in our community. By raising awareness about this type of program, we feel that more youth can be inspired to follow their own service based dreams and provide them with skills they will need for the rest of their life while bettering their community.

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Hi Scott and the CLC Team! I have a few comments and questions: 1. In the Venture description, I...

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A few comments... Posted February 7 '07, 13:58:27
Hi Scott and the CLC Team! I have a few comments and questions:

1. In the Venture description, I would talk more about the types of programs the CLC has and explain how youth have been instrumental in the creation and development of the Venture.

2. Was there a pivotal event or moment that made you decide that the community really needed this center? How does the Venture relate to your interests and passions? These are questions that can be addressed in your entry.

3. To measure impact, I would hand out short surveys to patrons of the center to better gauge the impact of your programs and services.

4. What type of school programs will you be sponsoring?

5. What kind of unique partnerships do you plan on creating? The key here is to be specific.

6. Describe how you were able to raise $7,000 because that is VERY impressive. Great job!

7. What local area businesses and nonprofits have you partnered up with and what have they donated?

8. When addressing the question about sustainability and how you plan to make your Venture a lasting asset, make sure to talk about how you plan on being financially sustainable, how you will transfer the leadership of the Venture once everyone graduates and how you will recruit new members.

9. The last sentence in your Venture description is not complete.

10. Double check your entry for typos. What I would suggest is cutting and pasting into Microsoft Word and editing your entry and from there cut and past the answers back into your entry.

- Angeline Mutima