MISSION / VISION CASA was formed to academically and socially prepare children, adolescents, and adults of underserved communities to to succeed in school and in the job market through computer-based activities using the participants’ language and culture as critical intellectual tools. The overall objective is to prepare community members to interact with mainstream institutions meaningfully and productively: in specific, to participate in partnerships with secondary institutions in addressing minority education.
	GOALS * Provide a developmentally and culturally relevant curriculum * Vertically and horizontally align and coordinate the content and practice across age-appropriate levels to form a fully integrated model of family literacy and technology * Demonstrate the effectiveness of CASA’s model in effecting change in: * the integration of computers and telecommunication capabilities in the daily life of the participants * the schooling and employment opportunities of participants * Disseminate the results of CASA’s efforts to the academic community as well as to other community-based organizations * Provide funding and intellectual resources for communities to establish themselves
	Community Ownership & Collaborations The goal is for CASA sponsored projects, such as La Clase Mágica, to enter into partnerships in collaboration with representatives of the local community who will help design, implement, and evaluate the planned activities and curriculum as well as to take over their operations within a 3 year start-up period. CASA will provide the necessary materials and intellectual resources as well as training needed for program development. Once the project has taken root, CASA staff will work closely with representatives from the host agency and the university to adapt the model curriculum to the local environment. Through CASA’s ongoing collaboration, the university or relevant community colleges will continue to provide the technical, educational expertise and students from its practicum courses. CASA staff will function to harness the resources to jump start projects and prepare host agencies to uptake the full operation, with the ultimate goal being to have projects continue to thrive beyond the terms of funding because the host agency will commit to integrating them into their organizational structure and will secure funding for continued operation. CASA builds on the organizational structure and the intellectual and social foundation of previous efforts by maintaining the controll and direction of the project in the able hands of community participants. The university team continues to improve its research, teaching, and service in diverse contexts and with diverse populations. Importantly, it will continue to provide the technical and educational expertise to help communities design and implement their own projects.