LTC 268-2011 Student Laptop Loaner Program MIAMI 13EACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MA I AGER G - ° D'
NO. LTC # 1 . 2 $ o
-2 11 LETTER TO COMMISSION
20 1 OCT 32 PM 1 34
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
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FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
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DATE: October 27, 2011
SUBJECT: Student Laptop Loaner Program & C put s fo Ider Residents
The - purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to inform you of a new initiative we have
implemented to provide free. Wi -Fi- enabled, laptop. computers to our City's elder residents living in
affordable housing buildings, as well as the creation of Laptop Loaner Programs within our public
schools.
As you may recall, as part. of the Agreement with IBM for the Citywide W -Fi, the City was slated to
receive 30 computers. Through renegotiation efforts, the City subsequently obtained 100 laptop
computers. Staff looked at several options for the deployment of the donated computers and
developed two programs focused on expanding computer literacy and use among our youth and
seniors. Through this donation, the City has established a. laptop loaner program in our public
schools, and is providing computer stations for our community's elder residents residing in senior
affordable housing buildings in the City.
Through this City program, youth without access to computers or the internet at .home will now be
able to harness the - information and resources of the internet to enrich their academic endeavors
by checking out a computer at school for home use. The student laptop loaner program provides
10 laptops for each of the following public schools _serving Miami Beach youth:
• Biscayne Elementary
• Fienberg Fisher K - 8 Center
• North Beach Elementary
• South Pointe Elementary ---
• Treasure Island Elementary ® 71
• Nautilus Middle
• Miami Beach Senior High•
Each school is responsible for managing the program and tracking student use. Thal -c f�- nk as
agreed to serve as a program sponsor by providing computer bags for the 70 coMiputefs. bdi
used by the schools.,
.
Staff reached out to senior- housing buildings in the City to gauge interest in participating. The City
had previously partnered with Four Freedoms a building that houses primarily seniors, to provide
two computers donated by Dwight s Computers for Kids, a computer donation program founded
by Howard Kaufman, a City. resident; students from Miami Beach Senior High School assisted
seniors with how to access the internet and use word processing programs. It was largely due to
the success of that effort that we are using the donated IBM computers to expand the program
further into - additional buildings that primarily house seniors. These computers will enable our
elder residents to pay bills online, shop the internet, and communicate with family and friends
throughout the country and the world, while , accessing the City's free Wi -Fi services.
Page 2 of 2 a
IBM Computer Donation
We have enrolled the following buildings in the program:
Blackstone — 800 Washington Avenue
• Federation Towers 757 West Avenue
• Rebecca Towers — 200 Alton Road
• Council Towers South — 533 Collins Avenue
• Council Towers North — 1040 Collins Avenue
• Four Freedoms House —,3800 Collins Avenue
• Edwards Apartments — 953. Collins Avenue
• Shep Davis Plaza — 220 - 23r Street
• Stella Maxis 8638 Harding Avenue
• Jefferson Apartments — 542 Jefferson Avenue
• Allen Apartments — 2001 Washington Avenue
• Coral Rock House — 1701 Normandy Drive
Each building is receiving at least two computers and free computer instruction for its residents
through either Unidad of Miami Beach's Senior Community Service Employment Program or
Miami Beach .Adult Education. Unidad's..efforts is utilizing seniors employed part -time through its
employment program to guide their peers on navigating the internet and using basic computer
software. - Unidad. is also the computers for deployment. Mouse pads were donated by
Humana and mouse devices were donated by Mount .Sinai Medical Center.
We are excited at these new programs and partnerships, and grateful to the supporting sponsors.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.
C: Executive Staff
Anna Parekh, Director, REHCD
Maria Ruiz, Director, Office of Community Services
JMG /DM /MLR
HACommunity Services \Laptop Loaners Elder Computers 10122011.doc