Grand opening of New Zealand's first Computer Clubhouse

Feb. 16, 2009 - PRLog -- Wiki Ripia and Ngawai Manuel from Otara have been selected along with twenty-four other youth from around the world to be recipients of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network’s C2C (Clubhouse to College/Career) Scholarship Programme. They found out in the same week the first New Zealand Computer Clubhouse “Clubhouse 274” holds the grand opening of its purpose built high-tech facility in Manukau City on Wednesday. “The Clubhouse Scholarship will give me the opportunity to study towards a Bachelor of Business this year”, says Manuel. “My family would have struggled to help me, so the Scholarship means as much to them as it does to me”.

The two Computer Clubhouse youth have been awarded the scholarship based on their commitment to the Clubhouse, community involvement, academic achievements and future goals. Essays and recommendations submitted on behalf of the recipients also detail their leadership role in the Computer Clubhouse and dedication to the Clubhouse programme.  Among many of the highlights they shared were activities such as peer mentoring, preparation for tertiary education and careers, and opportunities to collaborate on projects with Members from around the world through the Clubhouse Network Intranet Site, “The Village”. Manuel also attended the Computer Clubhouse Network’s bi-annual Teen Summit in Boston.  

Clubhouse 274 is one in a Network of over 100 Computer Clubhouses world-wide, where young people ages 10 to 18, in under-served communities, work with adult Mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology. The global headquarters for this Network is the Museum of Science in Boston, and the programme is run in partnership with MIT Media Labs.

Youth who visit the Computer Clubhouse learn by doing. They create digital artwork, produce their own music CDs, write, film and edit their own short movies, and undertake design-engineering projects. These are just some of the recent projects turned out by youth at the Otara project. Adult Mentors play a key role in this process by helping the Members connect their interests with technology. A successful working partnership with Next Space, using advanced 3d rendering software from Right Hemisphere is just one of the many examples where youth gain meaningful skills and experience in advanced technology used in industry.

Prime Minister John Key visited the new facility during the final stages of construction just prior to the elections and said that when they became the Government they would do every thing they can to make sure that the Clubhouse gets all the support it needs, “There is no question the Clubhouse is having a very positive impact on youth, you can see this from the academic results” said Key.

Minister of Information Communications and Technology Stephen Joyce, in support of the Clubhouse said, “The Government is currently working on the roll-out of ultra fast Broadband. The productivity benefits of this technology, however, are dependant on the smart use of the network across the economy. This will be difficult to achieve if New Zealand’s children and future workforces do not have the confidence to use such technologies. The Computer Clubhouse provides an ideal environment to empower Kiwis with this confidence in order to maximise the benefits of such technologies”.

The Computer Clubhouse building will be opened by the Mayor of Manukau City His Worship Len Brown accompanied by Gail Breslow, the Global Director of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network and Stephen Tindall, The Tindall Foundation being a key contributor to the project.

When: 10am Wednesday 18 February

Where: 51 Othello Drive, Clover Park Manukau City

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The Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is a creative and safe out-of-school learning environment, where young people from under-served communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, build confidence.