Interview with Julian Lacey


Having grown up in East Palo Alto, Julian is currently completing a degree in multimedia at Masters Institute in Cupertino. Julian joined Plugged In during the Spring of 1996 and now teaches Internet workshops and participates in Plugged In Enterprises' Desktop Publishing business. After giving us a tour of the Plugged In facilities, he talked with us and answered some of our questions concerning the organization and the social issues that it addresses. Here is an outline of that interview with summaries of his responses:

What are Plugged In's main goals? What are some of the major obstacles it faces?

Plugged In strives to bridge the technological gap that exists between East Palo Alto and that of surrounding communities, especially since it is so close to Silicon Valley. We try to teach people in the community about computers and the Internet since they are so far removed from the technological revolution, but they often have conflicting views towards computers and education. Since many people in the community are not familiar with the technology, they do not see it as having practical importance in their lives and thus, choose not to learn about it. However, in a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on computing technology, this attitude is a dangerous one. Therefore, Plugged In works to teach people what they need to know about computers and the Internet, and what practical uses such technology serves. Such knowledge is vital if they are to compete in the modern labor force.

What are some the barriers to computing access that people in this community face?

Economics is the major barrier for people in the community. The majority of the people living in East Palo Alto cannot afford to have computers in their homes. In addition, the town itself does not have sufficient funds to provide adequate public access; in fact, Plugged In has the best computing facilities in the area. It is our firm belief that everyone should have the same options, especially when it comes to computers and the Internet. Therefore, Plugged In provides everyone with access to our facilities, regardless of money. We can only do so much, however. With the explosion of the Internet, it is vital that everyone be given a chance to participate in this new form of communcation. But, unfortunately, millions of people are still unable to have access to this technology. There is so much to be done throughout the country about this issue, but too few organizations such as Plugged In exist to deal with it. That is a major obstacle this country needs to overcome.
In addition, the lack of role models for the youth of this community is another obstacle. Many people who succeed and move out of this community never come back to show others how to follow in their footsteps. ThatÕs why Plugged In strives to reach members of the community who have become successful and ask them to give something back by volunteering or even working for the organization.

How do you spread the word about Plugged In?
We have strong partnerships with many community organizations which give us the opportunity to reach a large portion of the East Palo Alto community. Our partnerships range from organizations dealing with community youth to those directed towards adults. For example, over the past three years, Plugged In has offered ongoing classes for students in the Shule Mandela Academy. On average, two groups of 6 students from the Afro-centric independent school come to Plugged In each week for one-hour computer classes. In addition, we work with the organizers of the RISE program at Menlo Atherton High School to provide tutoring and mentoring to East Palo Alto teens. Also, the coorinator of the Santa Clara County Migrant Workers Program brings a group of adult students to Plugged In each week for computer classes.

Do you see a difference in the way children and teenagers view computers, as compared to adults?

Yes, oftentimes, children and adults have such different views concerning computing technology that it makes it difficult for us to pursue our goals. For example, one teenager who was working for us in Plugged In Enterprises came from a working class family. We were just about the finish a major project and needed him to come to work one day, but his father refused to allow him to go. He thought his son was just having fun and playing games on the computers while he was here and told him to cut the lawn instead. He was unable to see the value of his son's experiences while working at Plugged In simply because he had a very different view towards computers. Since then, we have repeatedly extended an open-invitation for him to come down and see what exactly we do here, but he has not accepted the offer as of date.
In addition, even though people of all ages come here to use our facilities, people of different ages come for different reasons. Adults usually come to take classes and learn about computers so that they can get a better job. If they come to use the computers, it is usually to create a resume or some other practical purpose. Teenagers and children, on the other hand, come simply to learn about the new technology, especially about how to use the Internet.

Do members of the community ever come to volunteer their time?

Some do, but usually it is not a regular committment. We offer flexible hours to make it as easy as possible for community members to come help out. In addition, we have a policy where if you volunteer a total of 20 hours and live in the community, we give you a free computer. YouÕd think that people would be jumping at this opportunity, but we have not given away all that many computers. The reasons for this come back to the differences in attitude towards technology; people do not see the implications of technology in their immediate future, so they do not make a strong effort to learn about it, or help others do the same.


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