Access Centers of Flint

Funder: U.S. Department of Education, Community Technology Center Program
Amount: $631,047
Funding Period: 10/1/99-9/30/03

Mott Community College in partnership with several community organizations established three Community Technology Centers to serve residents in the Enterprise Community of Flint, Michigan and populations with disabilities throughout the city. The centers are located at the Great Lakes Baptist District Association, The Disability Network, and the Hispanic Community Center.

Each Access Center provides an array of activities for community residents within the following areas of learning: 1) instruction and hands-on experience that will increase their knowledge and skills in using computers as a tool; 2) self-paced computer based training and tutorials (CBTs) that will improve their formal and informal educational capacity; 3) a direct connection to Mott Community College for all steps of admission and an array of class offerings that will make college more obtainable; 4) a communication link to resources in the community that will improve their quality of life. Each center provides eight state-of-the-art networked personal computers and will be open nearly 50 hours each week including evenings and weekends. Approximately 100 to 120 residents per week will use each center for an average of 3-4 hours per individual.

Mott Community College (MCC) serves as the Hub Site for the centers, providing access to the Internet; two-way audio/video conferencing; access to the services and classes at the college; technical support; and overall management of the project. MCC has made a commitment to increasing access to technology for low-income residents within the college’s strategic plan and designated funds from a 1998 bond initiative approved by community members to assist in establishing Access Centers.