July 23, 2003

Hip-Hop Teen Superstar Bow Wow and Chancellor Joel Klein
Support Computers For Youth

New York – Multi-platinum hip-hop recording artist and teen superstar Bow Wow and New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein helped raise awareness for not-for-profit organization Computers For Youth (CFY) and their efforts to provide home computers to inner-city children.

CFY is a New York City non-profit organization that uses technology as a catalyst to help low-income students become engaged learners and thereby succeed in school. CFY selects public middle-schools in New York City and then provides computers to all of the schools' students and teachers. The program is comprehensive in that it provides not only computers but also training, Internet access, email accounts, ongoing technical support, and tailored web content.

At the event, which was sponsored by HBO, Bow Wow said "I don't take for granted all the blessings that I have, and as soon as I heard about Computers for Youth I really wanted to be involved. Anyone who knows me knows how much time I spend on computers. I'm a computer addict. Every young person deserves to have a computer in his or her home. It's cool that CFY will also make sure that they learn how to use them."

Chancellor Joel Klein stated that "I think computers are the most under-used asset in terms of the future of educating our children. This kind of program, and others like it, are setting us on the right track. And if we're going to change public education, we need to understand that the 21st century is going to be a very different century for these kids than the 20th century was, and we have got to make sure that they not only become computer literate, but that computers become part of their daily life for learning."

"A recent study by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting found that only 35%—35%!—of low-income children aged 9-12 have a home computer with Internet access. That's not acceptable. Almost 60% of middle-class children, and of course almost all the higher-income families have it. This is an area where we need to demand equity and Computers for Youth is changing those statistics here in New York."

"In only four years, we've had New York City corporations donating more than 3,000 computers. That's a large number but it's not nearly enough. I call on HBO, Sony and all the others. You've got a lot of computers that you need to recycle when you upgrade. We can use those computers. We need them in the system. We should be your first priority. For these kids—especially these kids who've grown up in less than advantaged situations—we need to help them. Computers for Youth is moving into neighborhoods like East Harlem, Canarsie, Brownsville, East New York, South Bronx—places where we need to get this job done. And they're getting results. They've found that 71% of the parents surveyed said that they're using their home computers to help children with their homework. That's a terrific statistic. What's more, the kids who receive computers through this program say that they're working and helping them to do a better job in school."

Elisabeth Stock, Executive Director of CFY said that "Today is a great day for Computers for Youth. This past school year, we reached a milestone, providing more than 3,000 New York City students with a home computer and our comprehensive services. With the support of extraordinary partners like Bow Wow and HBO, as well as those companies that have donated computers to us, we hope to continue our growth, making a difference to more and more of New York City's schoolchildren."

Click here for a complete transcript of Chancellor Klein's remarks (in PDF format).