WHAT we do
Project Description:
The Rockport Computer Users Group, which was founded in 1987, joined together
with the Aransas County Community Network (ACCN) in December of 2002 in a joint
project to become a focal point for educating the citizens of Aransas County,
Texas about personal computers.
Through a grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board, the ACCN
purchased 15 computers and set up a classroom for hands-on computer classes. A
requirement of the grant was for the ACCN to find a group to be responsible for
teaching classes using the equipment that had been purchased and set up. The
Rockport Computer Users Group (RCUG) agreed to join with ACCN in this endeavor.
The grant money paid for professional instructors to come to the classroom and
teach some basic computer courses. Members of the Rockport Computer Users Group
attended those classes and became instructors for the ACCN project.
On March 3, 2003, the first class was offered in the knowledge and use of
computers. Since that time, in a classroom that will seat 14 students at a
time, over 1200 students have enrolled for classes taught by the members of the
Rockport Computer Users Group. All the classes are offered free of charge and
the instructors are true volunteers.
Five basic courses were originally offered. New courses have been added over
the life of the project as requests are made from the community.
The courses offered by RCUG are as follows:
- Introduction to Computers
- Introduction to Windows
- Introduction to Outlook Express
- Introduction to Internet Explorer
- Introduction to Word
- Orientation to Microsoft Works
- Introduction to Publisher
- Introduction to PowerPoint
- Introduction to Excel
- Introduction to Family Tree Maker
- Introduction to Quicken
Rockport, Texas is a destination for older, retired Americans during the winter
months, and these classes are especially helpful to this segment of our
community. During the winter months, we teach 14 to 15 classes a month, usually
teaching the 4 basic classes (Intro to Computers, Windows, Outlook Express, and
Internet Explorer) twice each month.
The classes are 3 hours in length, which we determined is how much most people
can absorb and retain before technical overload happens. We encourage our
students to take classes more than once if they are true beginners with personal
computers. Our instructors have discovered the joy of teaching older citizens
about personal computers and of sharing their knowledge with others.
RCUG also maintains a club meeting room near the classroom with 5 computers set
up and connected to the DSL line provided by ACCN. Our members keep this room
open and monitored on a daily basis for people to come in and use the computers
and to have high speed access to the internet.
These monitors also help members and non-members who visit the center by
answering questions about software and hardware.
The website for the Rockport Computer Users Group is http://www.rcug.net, and
the website for the ACCN is http://www.aransascountycn.org/. Classes are
posted on the ACCN site, and students can sign up online at any time. A brief
class description is included, the instructor is listed, and the number of
available seats is shown and updated as students sign up. Students can also
visit the clubroom and a monitor will assist them in registering for courses.
In the past two years the community has benefited greatly from the free classes
and the usefulness of computers, while the computer club has gained in
reputation and pride in a job well done.
Lamar Story, President RCUG
How we will use award money:
We will use the money to upgrade the used chairs we are using in the lab and
to purchase another computer for our clubroom.
HOW we do what we do
