Shelley Berkley for Congress

(March 2, 2010)  Congresswoman Shelley Berkley praised a $4.7 million Recovery Act grant that will expand computer access in Southern Nevada.  The Clark County Urban League and its partners will use the funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce to create a total of 29 computer centers around Las Vegas.

“These centers will increase computer access for southern Nevada residents, so they can search for employment opportunities and acquire new job skills, pay bills over the Internet or just keep in touch with family, friends and loved ones.  This partnership brings together great local organizations, private business, service agencies and government entities.  The result will be a total of 29 of these computer centers in the Valley, with a special focus on increasing access in senior centers, areas of high unemployment and public housing,” said Berkley.

Awarded under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- which Berkley supported in Congress -- the $4.7 million grant funds expansion of the Access to Computer Technology and Instruction in Online Networking (ACTION) project.  Funds will be used to expand the capacity of 14 public computer centers and to create 15 new computer centers in public housing developments and community and senior centers throughout the most economically disadvantaged communities in Clark County.  The project expects to replace about 100 workstations and add more than 90 new ones, enabling the centers to increase the number of users to approximately 4,600 per week.

The 29 centers will offer computer classes, job training and certification programs, and community health programs through local partner organizations including: Las Vegas Metro Police, Area Health Centers, the City of Las Vegas, Clark County Health District, COX Communications, Desert Rose Adult High School, Clark County Housing Authority, Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League Young Professional and Guild, Lutheran Social Services and Skills 4 Kids.