Tuesday, August 29, 2006

JUST IN TIME FOR SCHOOL - PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE GIVES CITY OF TUCSON $98,000 + FOR NEIGHBORHOOD COMPUTERS

There was a sense of real excitement at the NW Neighborhood Center last Friday, 25 August 2006 at 11 am when over 50 City of Tucson and Pascua Yaqui Officials gathered for a press conference in which The Pacua Yaqui Tribe gave over $98,000 to the City of Tucson for 33 computers for Tucson's Neighborhood Centers.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe presented Steve Leal's Computers for Kids program a check for $98,130.00 to purchase computers, software and computer-related equipment for four area neighborhood centers. This grant will provide access to technology for thousands of families and children utilizing area neighborhood centers.

Last year, Computers for Kids donated ten computers to the students that participated in Barrio Hollywood's Day on the UA Campus – an event that was co-sponsored by the College Club, which is an organization that mentors college-bound high school students from Tucson's West and South sides.
Councilmember Steve Leal commented: "In order to compete in the modern world, our students need to be computer literate. Computers for Kids is my effort to make sure that Tucson students have access to computers."

Chairwoman Herminia Frias commented: “The Pascua Yaqui Tribe is committed to investing in our community. Today, far too many families and children are being left behind in our high tech society. We are thankful that we had the resources to help the El Rio, El Pueblo, Northwest, and Freedom Neighborhood Centers meet growing technology needs of these neighborhoods and bridge the ‘digital divide’ for countless families.”

Frias added: “Each day these four neighborhood centers provide thousands of families services ranging from healthcare to recreation. Now with this grant, students, adults and families will have access to thirty-three new computers with Internet access. This grant will help children keep up with their studies and enable parents to use the Internet to stay informed about their families, community and the world.”

Councilman Leal pointed to examples like the University of Arizona, whose goal is to go "paperless," and where the general catalogue is only available online. "If the UA is paperless that means our kids need to know how to access online information," Leal said, "and Computers for Kids is there to provide the tools that will enable students become computer literate."

In 2002, the voters of Arizona approved Proposition 202. This proposition made it possible for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to donate 12% of their gaming revenues to local government to meet the needs of our community.

In 2005, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe donated over half a million dollars to fund projects improving education, public safety, transportation, economic development, health care, social services, recreation, cultural, historical and environmental preservation and restoration in Pima County.

written by Dan Benavidez