Alabama State University partners with Montgomery Housing Authority for technology center
Thanks to a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, residents in the Paterson Court public housing development will soon have access to a digital technology center, complete with homework stations, a space for resume building and other tech-focused opportunities.
Alabama State University received the commerce grant nearly a year ago, and university officials announced last week that it will fund the Paterson Court Digital Technology Center with the goal of encouraging "digital literacy skills" among the residents of Paterson Court.
"This is an historic moment for Alabama State University and for the Montgomery Housing Authority that overseas Paterson Court because we are all involved in this laudable goal to help this community of residents obtain their need for a digital broadband education, which will lift them up," ASU President Quinton Ross said.
Other focus areas in the center include graphic design, 3D design, video and music production and virtual reality. ASU plans to facilitate a series of workshops and interactive learning sessions to help Paterson Court residents learn to use the technology in the center.
ASU's lead team member on the project is Assistant Provost for Student Success and Special Initiatives Tanjula Petty. She said that there can be a disparity across income levels when it comes to technology access and education.
"Recent research has informed us of the crucial role that digital literacy plays in the modern labor market, as well as in civic engagement, education, recreation and individual health," Petty said. "ASU stands at the forefront of the conversation on broadband access and how that access can bridge the economic gap for this traditionally underserved community."
ASU has not announced an opening date for the center, but Montgomery Housing Authority Board Chairman John Knight said he would like to see similar centers open for other public housing developments in Montgomery.
Knight graduated from ASU in 1974. He said he's proud of his alma mater for investing in the surrounding Montgomery community, and he believes the university's founders would be too.
"I wonder what ASU's Marion-Nine would say if they were here with us today, witnessing how Alabama State is building upon their dreams and the foundation they began of increased literacy for Black citizens," Knight said. "Now including this innovative program of teaching digital knowledge to our community."
Hadley Hitson covers children's health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: ASU to open tech center for Paterson Court public housing residents
