Twenty NYCHA residents graduated from the NYCHA Technology Academy over the summer at Pomonok Houses in Flushing.
The NYCHA Technology Academy is a five-week program developed by Soulful Synergy and the Public Housing Community Fund to help public housing residents by bridging the digital divide, creating intergenerational connections and opening new opportunities.
The program helps the residents build important digital skills needed for education, job readiness and community leadership. The skills developed and improved upon at the NYCHA Technology Academy can strengthen pathways to opportunity within NYCHA campuses and beyond.
Participants in the NYCHA Technology Academy, funded by Spectrum, worked their way from learning basic computer literacy skills to advanced skills, like using AI tools such as ChatGPT, graphic design with Canva and digital productivity applications. They collaborated using technology and tools and worked on a variety of projects, which ranged from creating spreadsheets to presentations and community flyers.
Each of the 20 graduates received a $250 stipend and a new Chromebook with accessories. These tools, along with the skills they learned during the program, are meant to better ensure they have the necessary resources to continue their growth.
Those who took part in this cohort of the NYCHA Technology Academy had a very diverse age range, from 16-year-olds to older adults. The fact that this intergenerational group were all learning the same things reflects just how high the demand is for digital skills in public housing communities.
Originally launched in 2022, the NYCHA Technology Academy has trained and graduated eight cohorts across all five boroughs of New York City. Graduates of this program are part of a growing citywide network of digitally empowered NYCHA residents.
Before the launch of the NYCHA Technology Academy, the Public Housing Community Fund worked with the Pomonok Residents Association and volunteers to overhaul the community’s multi-purpose space into a state-of-the-art computer lab. Upgrades to the space included applying fresh paint, adding a rollaway TV, a whiteboard, desks, chairs, nine iMac computers and a Chromebook locker with ten new Chromebooks. The Public Housing Community Fund covered the renovation costs of the lab and Supreme donated the iMac computers.
