News Media Home | Hopkins Medicine Home
September 13, 2001
MEDIA CONTACT: Terry Todesco
PHONE: 410-614-4976
E-MAIL: ttodesco@jhmi.edu
Johns Hopkins announces the opening of the first of four community computer labs in East Baltimore at a kickoff celebration Friday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. at Trinity A.M.E. Church at 2030 E. Hoffman St.
Collaborating with representatives at Trinity A.M.E. Church, Johns Hopkins Medicine's Center for Information Services and Johns Hopkins Health System's Community Services Department are providing an upgraded computer lab to give neighborhood children access to computers. Hopkins replaced older systems with 12 computers no longer in use on the medical campus, upgraded them with added memory and appropriate new software, and installed them at the church. Now, children who attend Collington Square Elementary School, directly across the street, can attend an after-school computer program at the church and learn basic computer skills as well as various software applications educational games.
Steve Sears, director of Hopkins' Desktop and LAN Services, devised the plan
for the computer network at the church applying the same technical processes
used by large businesses and institutions such as Hopkins. The system setup
is stored on a disk, so if one computer fails, it can be restored quickly. His
goal was to keep the center operating for a longer period of time with a minimum
amount of assistance. "This is a commitment, not just a one-time deal.
We're going to respond to them as we would any of our clients," said Sears.
" We've also told our staff that they can go to the church and help the
kids out as much as necessary, and we're hoping that it is just as rewarding
to them as to the kids."
Hopkins hopes some of its future communications employees are among students
at Collington Square. "I'd like to think that this is the farm team,"
says Sears. "It would be great if students got exposure to computers and
came to work with us in 10 years or so." Plans are also under way to find
a local high school student with an interest in computer science to maintain
the site.
Hopkins is planning three more centers in the East Baltimore area. Bible Way Baptist Church, Israel Baptist Church and Dayspring Inc. are all slated to receive computer labs in the near future.
Computer Lab Kickoff Celebration
Date: Friday, Sept. 21, 2001
Time: 3 p.m.
Place: Trinity Baptist Church, 2030 E. Hoffman Street
For information the day of the event, page Terry Todesco at 410-283-2729.