Some people have
preconceived notions of teenagers who are incarcerated. Unfortunately,
these teens are sometimes prejudged to be students who could
not possibly be transformed into productive citizens in society.
However, during our visit to Camp Sweeney at the Alameda Youth
Detention Center in Hayward, California, we found this to be
far from the truth.
When a teenager or child is brought to the detention center,
they're first booked in Juvenile Hall, where they spend anywhere
from one month to their entire sentence, based on the seriousness
of their crime. The next step for teenagers is to move to
"Intake," where they are assessed academically and
behaviorally. The students who are assessed positively are
then transferred to the "Transition" program, where
they'll stay for four to six weeks studying for their GED
exam. However, students who need further development stay
in Juvenile Hall, where they follow a traditional classroom
curriculum that includes among other things, English and Mathematics.
Many of the teenagers we met during our visit, are from underserved
populations in the Bay Area, where access to computers are
limited. Most students we talked to have no computer skills
- many of them have never touched a computer before.
Kids at this detention center have to earn privileges that
many of us take for granted. For example, the instructors
told us the kids have to earn the privilege of taking their
GED exam, then students have to earn the privilege of enrolling
in the Cisco Networking Academy Program. The Cisco Networking
Academy Program is the "reward" for students who
pass the GED exam and demonstrate willingness and proper behavior
at Camp Sweeney. The students who make it to the Networking
Academy program are the brightest teenagers at the Camp, where
there has been widespread interest in the Networking Academy
by instructors, parents and students at Camp Sweeney, since
its inception in September 1999.
Tony Aweeka, the Networking Academy instructor at Camp Sweeney,
is impressed with the tremendous interest his students have
in the program. According to Aweeka, "the Cisco Networking
Academy Program is a favorite among the students, so much
that some teens were threatening to break the law again, just
to stay in the program!" As a result, officials at Camp
Sweeney now permit Networking Academy students to come back
after being discharged to complete the program and take the
Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) exam. This certification
is a ticket to a better life for most of these kids.
Aweeka is a brilliant man who takes his Networking Academy
students one step further. A former CAD Science teacher and
Carpenter contractor, Aweeka uses all his capabilities to
educate his students in building networks in the real world.
Aweeka's competencies are the foundation of the success of
the students in the Networking Academy program at Camp Sweeney.
Aweeka uses his knowledge of construction and CAD to teach
students where and how to put a wire through a wall and how
to read building diagrams. Students in this program are not
just learning about building and maintaining networks, they're
learning how to read building blueprints and actually put
the wires inside a wall, which is how it happens in the real
world. Aweeka's first lesson for his students is to have them
disassemble, then reassemble a computer, "this gives
the students hands-on training with equipment and gets them
comfortable using a computer, plus it builds their confidence
that they can do the work" he said. Aweeka says his greatest
challenge of the Networking Academy program is staying ahead
of his students learning. "Students are so eager to participate
in the program that they're going through it two to three
times faster than we've anticipated," Aweeka said.
The students we interviewed in the Networking Academy program
were equally as enthused. "Devin," a focused and
articulate 17-year old resident of Hayward, has been in the
program three months and has only one more week to complete
his first of the four-semester Networking Academy program.
Devin says the ability to work at his own pace using computer-based
learning is a big benefit of the Networking Academy program.
Devin has the characteristics of a young man on the verge
of something big. His enthusiasm about the program has him
moving along quickly through the curriculum. Since taking
the Cisco Networking Academy Program, he now has a plan for
his future.
Before enrolling in the program, Devin did not have a clear
vision for his future. He thought about pursuing a career
in Financial Accounting and at one point became phlebotomy
certified. "I didn't know what I wanted to do (with my
future), but now I'm in this program and I want to complete
it," Devin said. "I wanted stability in my career
and know I'll have that stability in the information technology
field," he continued. Devin plans on going back to Camp
Sweeney, but only as a student to finish the Networking Academy
program and take his certification exam there. Upon certification,
he hopes to secure a good-paying job in the field of high
technology. Although he has no plans for higher education
at this point, he says he'll take whatever follow-up training
is necessary to keep current on new and emerging technologies.
New students to the Cisco Networking Academy Program are
just beginning to plan their future careers in information
technology. "Diamond" is a calm and intelligent
18-year old who grew up in Oakland, California. Diamond is
one of the 18 students who have been selected to enroll in
the Networking Academy program at Camp Sweeney. With three
weeks into the program, Diamond already realizes the benefits.
"I like that I have a chance to learn something new.
I never thought about working on computers until I enrolled
in the Networking Academy program. This program has changed
my future plans a whole lot," Diamond said. Like so many
other students we talked to, Diamond is determined to return
to Camp Sweeney upon his release to complete his certification.
His future plans include attending Cal Poly to continue his
education in Computer Science, then getting a job at a technology
company.
The benefits of personalized learning are key to the success
of the students enrolled in the Cisco Networking Academy Program.
"Jason" is 18 years old and has grown up in the
Alameda area. He has always had a great love for learning
but felt traditional school environments were boring and non-motivating.
The Cisco Networking Academy Program changed this. Although
he has been in the Alameda Youth Detention Facility for six
months, he has turned a negative situation into a productive
and life changing experience. While in the facility, Jason
has progressed to the second semester of the program. Even
though he is scheduled to be released in the near future,
by his own motivation, he plans on returning to the camp in
order to complete the program. His future goals include taking
the Cisco Certified Networking Associate exam, then continuing
on to complete the Cisco Certified Network Professional exam.
One day he would like to start his own business using the
skills he has learned in these programs.
Jason feels the strongest part of the program is the computer-based
learning. "I didn't do well in high school, not because
I wasn't smart enough, but because I was too smart. Classes
were boring and moved too slow. But with this learning style,
I learn at my own pace and can still ask questions of my teacher
when I need help," he says.
The Cisco Networking Academy Program has given Jason new
confidence while the hands-on lab has fostered team building
skills he can take with him in all aspects of life. Jason
feels he is worth more than minimum wage and this program
has not only shown him a better avenue, but a promising future
far from where he began his journey.
Cisco is in the business of changing the way people work,
live, play and learn. Before the Networking Academy program
at Camp Sweeney, education basically stopped once students
earned their GED. With nothing to do, most teens stayed inside
their dorms all day - a big waste of time for the students,
leaving them without skills to be competitive in today's workforce.
The Networking Academy program has given these students hope
for a better future. Student learn how to build and maintain
communication networks, and as a byproduct students learn
problem solving and project management skills as well as how
to work in a collaborative environment.
Students at Camp Sweeney who are enrolled in the Cisco Networking
Academy Program feel privileged to have a chance to learn
marketable skills that will qualify them for higher education
and for jobs in the field of information technology. Instructor
Aweeka said "the students like the Networking Academy
so much, that I sometimes have to kick them out of the classroom
at the end of the day."
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