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Background CASA builds on the 12-year success of La Clase Mágica (LCM), an innovative computer-mediated after-school educational activity. CASA extends the original model to serve under-represented communities with little access to computers and telecommunication technology. It strives to provide sustained access to enriching educational resources and institutional support to local communities through computer-based curriculum designed culturally and developmentally for four age groups:
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has been in operation for 3 years under 501(c)(3) status and is a demonstration
site for scholars world-wide interested in computer-based learning, cognitive
development, bilingualism, and new ways of addressing issues of under-representation
in higher education and the digital divide. In 1996, along with its parent
project, it influenced the development of a UC consortium of similar sites
called UC Links. This same year, the U.S. State Department of Education
Commission on dropouts, visited CASA in search of solutions. In 1999,
CASA was featured in the White House publication, What Works for Latino
Youth (8/2/99). Capping the new millennium, the National Latino Children's
Institute selected CASA for La Promesa Award 2000. This award coincided
with the first attempt by CASA to disseminate its efforts to other localities.
An elementary school in South San Diego County became the first successful
attempt to replicate our efforts. Although the organization is still in its formative stages, CASA has successfully formed partnerships with local communities and institutions and recruited funding from diverse sources. New funding sources and potential partners are continually sought out in order to establish an inter-agency network of collaboration in San Diego County to work cooperatively in supporting common endeavors through shared resource use. Community adults have assumed the management of the community side of the project with the university personnel acting as consultants rather than managers. All long-term child participants who have advanced to expert level participation are in college prep classes and have set their sights on college education. There is strong and consistent parent involvement and many of the long-term adult participants are involved in coordinating various activities. Long-term participant children are continuously looped back into paid positions to help with the operations of the activities while the undergraduate students are out of school. The university side of the partnership continues to focus on research, dissemination of results through articles and conference participation, as well as seeking new funding. |
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