While a major portion of community digital divide efforts in urban areas rightfully focuses on grassroots technology centers and creating access to technology for underserved areas, another important component is helping young people to develop advanced computer skills so they can compete in a collegiate environment.

To this end, DePaul University’s Bridging the Digital Divide program along with its Center for Community Technology Support (CCTS) are sponsoring an 18-week technology camp in conjunction with local chapters of the Girl Scouts of America. Thanks to a generous grant from AT&T, more than 40 girls from ages 14 to 17 are participating in the camp at DePaul’s Loop Campus on weekends through the spring.

"We like to call this ‘Digital Divide plus a step further,’" said Charles Sykes, DePaul professor of computer science, CCTS director and camp coordinator. "It’s going beyond the simple basics of computer use to teach these young people how to use and understand different programs and software. It’s an expanded program to have applicability in the real world."

During the camp, participants will have the opportunity to work with advanced programs such as Web development and design software, animation, sound effects and graphics. Working with Girl Scouts from three Chicago high schools – Notre Dame, Josephinum and Maria High Schools -- and one south suburban troop, the camp is intended to provide technology exposure for girls and minorities, traditionally underrepresented in information technology careers and college programs.

"This is an opportunity for these girls to work with more sophisticated areas of technology and to provide a starting point to see where the technology leads them," said Margo Tomaras, senior project director of the university’s digital divide outreach.

According to Tomaras, partnerships with local schools, organizations and communities are a vital aspect of the digital divide program’s reach. The goal is to bring technology access to neighborhoods and people who normally are not exposed to such resources.

"This partnership with the Girl Scouts was a perfect fit for our strategic goals, as they are a wonderful organization committed to being a source of future women leaders," said Tomaras.

Since its inception in 2001, the digital divide program at DePaul has assisted more than 6,000 students and 400 teachers throughout Chicago via its training and mentoring programs and professional development programming. DePaul’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems established the Center for Community Technology Support (CCTS), which furnishes a variety of support services, including Web site design, computer networking, software development services and training workshops to local non-profit organizations.

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the nation’s seventh-largest private university. A diverse student population of 23,610 attends classes on two city and five suburban campuses. DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers (the Congregation of the Mission), a Roman Catholic religious community that continues the mission and values of Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French saint known as the "Apostle of Charity."