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HomeNewsArchivesSMARTNET Sponsors Free Internet for Youth Programs at Oswald Harris Court

SMARTNET Sponsors Free Internet for Youth Programs at Oswald Harris Court

SMARTNET now sponsors free Internet access at Oswald Harris Court to support various youth and adult programs available to public housing residents. This company is the only Internet service provider founded and owned by local Virgin Islanders; all employees and owners are products of the VI public school system, and many are former residents of public housing communities. SMARTNET staff strive to serve the community, particularly the youth, by demonstrating that there are many options for success and economic self sufficiency.
Youth programs offered at the Oswald Harris Court Housing Community include:
YouthBuild
YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that simultaneously addresses core issues facing low-income communities including housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. In the YouthBuild program, low-income young adults ages 16-24 work towards their GED or high school diploma, learn job readiness skills, construction trades, serve their communities by rehabbing affordable housing, and transform their lives in society. For more information on the YouthBuild program, please contact Carla Joseph, YouthBuild Program Manager at 714-2102.
Boys and Girls Club of the Virgin Islands
The Boys and Girls Club of the Virgin Islands caters to youth ages 6-18 at the Ruth Dazle Community Center in Oswald Harris Court during after school hours, summer vacation and Christmas break. The Boys and Girls Club program provides a safe place, caring adult mentors, and high-impact youth development programs including academic success, good character building and citizenship, healthy lifestyles as well as drug, alcohol and gang prevention activities. For more information on the Boys and Girls Club, please contact Jacqueline Brown, Unit Director, or Simeon Simon, Youth Developer at 715-3052.
Adult programs offered at Oswald Harris Court include:
Adult Literacy
The Adult Literacy program is a free economic self-sufficiency program focused on preparing residents of Oswald Harris Court and the surrounding community with acquiring their General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Participants are equipped with the necessary basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, empowering them to acquire job readiness and employability skills and participate more fully in the daily tasks of family and society. For more information on the Adult Literacy Program, please contact Karen Ault, Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator at 715-7396.

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