Allstate Donates Computers, Enteract Provides Internet Connection

A North Lawndale neighborhood youth center for underprivileged West Side children is now linked to the Internet thanks to the efforts of a DePaul University professor, two of his current students and an alumnus who arranged for Allstate to donate 10 computers and for Enteract, a Chicago internet provider, to donate an Internet connection.

The story of the expanded computer lab at Blessed Sacrament Youth Center, 3616 W. Cermak Ave., began with an e-mail. Two years ago, Melissa Wittman, a youth center board member and DePaul student, sent an e-mail to the DePaul community asking for volunteers to work with children in the center’s computer lab. At the time, the lab consisted of four used 386 computers.

Sasa Dekleva, associate professor of information systems and administrator of the Management Information Systems program at DePaul, answered the e-mail. "When I came to Chicago, I became aware of the underprivileged areas of the city," he said. A native of Ljubljana in the former Yugoslavia, Dekleva came to the city in 1985 to teach at DePaul. "I thought a lot about these areas and understood that education is the only way out. I also realized that personal involvement, trying to help the kids to learn, was the best way for me to help them."

About 35 to 40 children come to the youth center on Saturdays and after school Monday through Friday. Typically they do an hour of homework and then participate in recreational and educational activities, including computer work. The center opened 12 years ago and now has a youth membership of 325 children and teens from 10 West Side grammar and high schools

Since responding to the e-mail, Dekleva, who lives in Oak Park, has volunteered to work with the center’s youths every Saturday, expanding their knowledge of computers. He has shown them how to use educational software, an encyclopedia CD, a digital camera and a spreadsheet for physics homework.

Recognizing the need for more modern, reliable computers at the center, Dekleva began to recruit others to help improve the computer lab. He discussed the situation with DePaul alumnus Brad Hildestad, a field operations manager at Allstate, and two current DePaul students who work at Enteract, Jason Hipskind, senior Internet solutions advisor, and Sean Horansky, sales director.

Hipskind and Horansky arranged for Enteract to donate Internet access through an ISDN line, supply Internet addresses, and provide consulting and networking services. Stephanie Danstrom of the company’s marketing department arranged for Cisco, a telecommunications hardware manufacturing company, to donate a router to connect the network to the Internet

"The youth center does such a great job with the kids, working hard to educate them and provide role models, that Enteract was happy to get involved," Hipskind said. Horansky added: "Interactive learning via the Internet is a valuable tool for educators. Enteract feels fortunate to play a part in providing this service for the Blessed Sacrament Youth Center."

Hildestad arranged for Allstate to donate the ten 486 computers and software. "Allstate was delighted to be able to donate this equipment to a group that does so much for kids and the community," he said. "It really helps to bring our company commitment to communities alive."

Youth Center Director Mary Quinn said that the center plans to use the equipment to teach kids how to connect to libraries and other resources on the Internet. "We also hope to create an e-mail pen pal program with another school and with volunteers, which will help the kids with English and communication skills," she said. A parent-child Internet training night is also planned.

Quinn said knowledge of the Internet is especially needed by the center’s teens. "High school students need to know the Internet to be ready for higher education," she said.