Marcus Garvey Park

The Daily Plant : Monday, April 10, 2006

Take Advantage Of Parks’ Computer Resource Centers

One of the benefits of membership to many of our recreation centers is access to a Computer Resource Center (CRC).

At the Pelham-Fritz Recreation Center, the CRC has eight PCs, two MACs, a high-speed Internet connection, color printer, laser printer, digital video camera, digital still camera, scanner, digital projector, CD-burner, DVD-burner, and speakers.

The CRC is staffed for 35 hours per week with a Computer Resource Coordinator who is well versed in a wide range of computer skills. Each day, members of the Pelham-Fritz Recreation Center, who might not otherwise have the opportunity for hands-on computer access, take steps that increase their knowledge and move them further along in their quest to be a more active participant in the information age. The CRC also has a growing cadre of qualified volunteer instructors, many of them from New York Cares, that make one-on-one instruction possible.

All members can go online, type a letter or print a photo as part of their daily recreation center experience. Senior citizens can stay digitally connected to their families in a relaxed environment. Teenagers find the CRC to be a safe area to socialize and learn from each other. The teens are always supervised and are advised to be cautious in navigating the vast digital world. Neighborhood teens also learn to create and edit digital images and to create sounds and videos using the computer as a tool for creative expression.

The CRC is an integral part of Pelham-Fritz’s Afterschool program. Children are challenged to use the computers to create artwork, write stories and do online research. In the Sister Cities Program, children in the Afterschool program communicate with children from cities around the world and are creating a digital "Dream Park" project.

All of the great benefits that Pelham-Fritz’s CRC offers to its members are available to Parkies as well. The coordinator accommodates visits by Park employees for work-related computing tasks and will provide assistance on a case-by-case basis. With a supervisor’s permission, Parkies can also take computer classes in the CRC.

The Pelham-Fritz CRC also serves as a training center for the Parks Opportunity Program participants. Those that choose computer training during their orientation may wind up taking an intensive three-hour class for eight Friday mornings. Pelham-Fritz’s CRC is one of just a few sites where the advanced POP class is taught. Outstanding POP computer students are referred to a much more technical course of training at Columbia University’s Engineering School where they take six additional advanced level computer courses in a university setting.

The Pelham-Fritz CRC provides its members, Parkies and POP participants with an open-ended learning proposition, using quality computers, Internet connectivity, computer classes and a knowledgeable staff. This facility, like those in recreation centers throughout the City, is an innovative and effective approach to bridging the digital divide and one more thing to be proud of at Parks.

Know Before You Go

Pelham Fritz Recreation Center

Pelham Fritz Recreation Center is now open! Emergency work has been completed. Enjoy state-of-the-art fitness equipment in our gym, the sound system in our exercise studio or a game of pool in our game room!