One of the largest employers of young adults in East Palo Alto, Plugged In Enterprises (PIE) is designed to provide community youth with employment experience and foster in them the social and technical skills necessary to thrive in today's high-tech work force. Begun as a Web-page design business one year ago, PIE has since expanded into three divisions, each of which has seen a remarkable level of success since their inception. In addition, PIE students also attend field trips and workshops organized by Plugged In in order to gain industry exposure and additional techinical training.

The Web Page Design (WPD) team provides design and consulting services for individuals, organizations, and businesses who are interested in establishing a Web presence and making information available on the Internet. Entirely operated by teenagers from the surrounding communities, the WPD team charges highly competitive rates for remarkably professional work. This combination of quality and competitive pricing has attracted many business and organizations to come seek out their services. In less than a year of operation, the WPD team has already compiled an impressive portfolio consisting of the various Web pages they have designed for clients worldwide.

The Desktop Publishing (DTP) team provides a broad range of services for clients throughout the world. In cooperation with the Web Page Design team, they help design the look and feel of client web sites. In addition, the DTP team is constantly searching for new and creative ways to present information over the Web so that they can better serve their clients. And, in keeping with the theme of desktop publishing, the team also designs flyers, brochures, business cards, logos, 3D images, and other original artwork for those clients who have not already developed such marketing materials. The group makes a special effort to provide community members with low cost access to quality publishing services, as do all divisions of PIE.

The Multimedia group strives to provide high quality multimedia production services for corporate clients, small businesses, and individuals. The specialize in the areas of video production, 3D modeling, rendering, animation, and high-end graphic design, samples of which are available through their outstanding multimedia portfolio. Currently, the group is creating public relations materials for all of PIE, as well as developing strong marketing strategies.

In addition to gaining valuable techinical skills, the PIE teens also learn many essential social skills through their experiences at Plugged In. Since all three businesses are entirely teen-run, they learn how to take notes at a meeting, how to hold their own meeting, and how to work as a team. They must also learn to create a calendar, practice time management, and meet with clients on a professional basis. Not only will such skills support their professional development, but they will help them in their personal development as well.