faq's

salem cyberspace - frequently asked questions

What is the mission of Salem CyberSpace?

Salem CyberSpace expands the educational and career opportunities for low-income youth and adults, thereby providing the foundation for achievement and self sufficiency. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and innovative curricula, we successfully meet our goals for English Literacy, Computer Literacy, workplace readiness, and job internships.

What problem are you trying to solve?

Need for Academic After-school High School Programs

Demographic Data: The City of Salem is a medium-sized urban community with a culturally diverse population of almost 42,000. The city population is comprised of 15% minority, while the school population is 43% minority. Forty-seven percent of the families in Salem fall in the low to moderate-income bracket and 10% of them fall below poverty level. At least 24% of the family households within Salem are one-parent families. There are 4,400 students enrolled in the Salem Public Schools and approximately 43.1% of these students’ families are categorized as low-income. In the two middle schools, Collins and Bowditch, the low-income population is 49% and 51%, respectively, which indicates a shift in the school demographics. English is the second language for 26.2% of the total school population (for Collins Middle, 29% and for Bowditch, 38%). Of growing concern, is a 15% dropout rate amongst Hispanics and 25% amongst Limited English Speaking students. Additionally, for low-income students, the MCAS scores dropped dramatically from 2006 to 2007 with failure in math increasing from 21% to 28% and failure in English increasing from 13% to 32%. These statistics serve as a dramatic reminder of the number of low-income youth and families in Salem that could benefit from free after-school activities.

Crime Data: In the last few years, the Police Department has seen an alarming increase in youth involved crimes and incidents. In 2005 there were 266 incidents involving youth in the City; in 2006 that number increased to 458, and in 2007 that number jumped again to 632. The juvenile arrests in 2005 were 50; in 2006 the number increased to 75 and again in 2007 there were 168 juveniles arrested for an astounding increase of 124%. Clearly the youth in Salem need after-school activities that allow them to channel their energies in productive, not destructive ways.

Lack of Comprehensive Academic Teen programs: There are only two programs in Salem that engage high school teens in rigorous and comprehensive academic programming that includes school, work and college: Salem CyberSpace and Salem State College EARLY program. The Salem YMCA and the Salem Boys and Girls Clubs do provide homework centers with adult supervision and offer leadership development workshops but their strengths seem to lie in their ability to draw teens to a safe environment where they can engage in healthy athletic and recreational activities. Salem High School offers limited after-school programs under the 21st Century grant, with most of the programs offered at elementary and middle schools. Salem CyberSpace is the only program offered right in the Salem Point neighborhood, the lowest income neighborhood in the city. Salem CyberSpace is the only after-school program that has an English Literacy component. Despite a widespread recognition that the low-income and Latino population is an academically and socially “at-risk” group, programming and funding remain exceedingly tight.

Need for Adult Workforce Development

Studies have shown that computer and Internet use rates are indicators of standard of living and are associated with improvements in people’s education, labor market prospects and everyday lives. The Massachusetts “knowledge economy” is highly reliant upon a skilled and educated workforce. 21st century jobs demand more sophisticated technology skills. Over 60% of Massachusetts’s jobs require computer skills. Jobs for which computer skills were required earned 43% more money than jobs not requiring the use of computers. For many lower and middle class workers, computer skills remain a major barrier to employment despite many years of gainful employment. In economic downturns like that experienced in 2000 – 2002 and now, computer literacy is a requirement for even the most basic office or even factory jobs.

Existence of a Digital Divide: In a report from the Department of Education (Computer and Internet Use by Students, National Center for Education Statistics, Sept 2006), a significant gap in home computer and Internet use still exists for Hispanic, low-income youth grades 9 – 12, particularly those living in households where Spanish is the primary language and educational attainment of the parent is only high school. This is the primary demographic of users of Salem CyberSpace. As this report points out the significance lies in the fact that there is evidence that computer use may have a positive influence on student motivation and has the potential (provided the computer is used in a productive way), to improve academic performance.

How do your programs address these problems?

Academic Youth Programs engage low-income, primarily Latino youth from 7th grade to 12th grade in a free after-school academic program. The mission of CyberYouth and CyberCorps is to encourage teens to become active learners and to provide them with the support, advocacy, jobs and tools necessary for them to succeed, both socially and academically, in school and persist in education beyond high school. Our goal is to encourage students to find their passion and help them develop the emotional and cognitive skills to achieve them

Adult Workforce Development helps adults learners develop job skills by offering 14-week training sessions which include office computer training and job search skill-building.

Community Access to Technology gives families (many of whom are first generation) access to technology in a culturally sensitive environment and to make people comfortable with technology by teaching basic PC skills in both a classroom setting and with one-on-one mentoring.

Access to Computer and the Internet are already available at the local schools and libraries?What makes you unique?

We are a community technology learning center. As a community center, we are open to the entire community and offer programs and access to technology to the North Shore’s diverse population.

As a learning center, our primary goal is to teach and educate. Through our programs both adults and youth will increase their confidence and the ability to achieve at a higher level.

There are other youth organizations on the North Shore and Salem. What is different aboutSalem CyberSpace’s youth programs?

First and foremost, we are an education and learning center. Our only goal is to help youth succeed in school and pursue post-secondary education.
Secondly, we are the only organization totally focused on teenagers. While we accept students as young as 7th grade, our goal is to develop study and academic skills that will enhance their ability to succeed as they move to high school and beyond.
Finally, we are the only youth organization with an expertise in technology and the use of technology to promote higher educational achievement.

What is the cost to join Salem CyberSpace?

There is absolutely no cost to become a member and use the computers during our public access hours. Youth programs are entirely free to the children of Salem.

Grants from the Career Centers and Mass Rehab are available if certain eligibility criteria are met. Click here for more detail on grants. Salem CyberSpace also provides scholarships when grants are not available.

How are you funded?

We receive many grants from the government, business, private foundations and private individuals. We are grateful to the support of the City of Salem through its CDBG program which is funded by United States HUD and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In addition, larger funders include Microsoft, Adobe, Norman H. Read Trust Foundation, Amelia Peabody Foundation, The Boston Foundation, New England Technology Foundation, Verizon Foundation, Citizens Bank Foundation, TD BankNorth Foundation.

What are your Programs Today?

I. Youth Programs

1.) CyberYouth consists of three youth programs:

a. The Academic Center – homework help, tutoring, activities and field trips

b. English Literacy (ELL Street) – using technology and thematic curricula, we work with low-income recent immigrants to enhance their English literacy and supplement in-school learning.

c. College Prep College Prep- We assist youth with SAT Prep and voucher applications, college planning, college visits, college applications and college essays.

2.) CyberCorps is a youth job internship program. Teens are part of a design business that provides web, graphic, video and e-marketing services to local non-profits and small businesses.

II. Adult Learning Center

Salem CyberSpace Adult Programs are designed to meet the broad worforce training needs of individuals who bring with them a variety of learning deficits and needs. Our classroom curriculum is designed to adapt to the life needs of each of our core constituent groups. Adults programming runs in the mornings in Salem at Salem CyberSpace and in the afternoons in Peabody at NSCAP’s Family Center, and in 2009, in Beverly at the Beverly Bootstraps CyberCafe. Adult programs focus in two areas:

1.) Displaced and laid-off workers North of Boston -- enhance computer literacy and develop workforce readiness needed to search for and qualify for better paying employment.

Workforce Readiness – writing an effective resume and cover letter, online job search and application, using your computer tools to manage your job search

Computer Skills – these programs are offered with the Career Centers and Mass Rehab and are geared to adults on unemployment who are seeking new jobs and/or careers.

Office Basics is a 110-hour, 6 week program to train adults for entry level administrative positions or operations, customer service positions requiring a knowledge of office applications.

Office Advanced is a 230 hour, 13 week course to train adults for more senior administrative positions such as Office Manager, Administrative Assistant, or other managerial positions. This includes preparation to take the Microsoft Office Specialist exam.

2.) Economically disadvantaged adults including low-income single mothers, seniors, immigrants, homeless and MA Rehabilitation clients to learn about computers, develop job searching skills and Internet email and research skills, office skills and advanced training that will lead to employment at sustainable wages.

Computer Training for LIFE skills – this computer training course is targeted to a low-income population, many of whom are living in transitional housing. With the use of the computer, these adults (ages 16 and up) learn how to manage personal budgets, do resumes, search of jobs and housing online and communicate via email. In addition, they will learn about Internet safety for themselves and their children. Students also receive life skills and workplace readiness training, both of which will address the social and emotional needs of this population. This program is being piloted with Beverly Bootstraps with seed funding from the United Way of the North Shore.

Who are Salem CyberSpace’s Key Partners?

We are fortunate to have many partners who make our center so successful. Our key partners include

Does Salem CyberSpace provide IT services to other organizations?

Through its CyberCorps program, teens are engaged in building websites and video services for area non-profits. While this is fee-based, it provides a valuable service at a reasonable cost to our community while enabling us to achieve our mission.

In addition, CyberSpace staff provides free consultative services to area non-profits and occasionally will provide IT services (fee-based) or find IT service providers to help other non-profits.

How is Salem CyberSpace managed and organized?

Salem CyberSpace is managed by Linda Saris who is the current Director. Linda Saris has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and had an extremely successful career in the high technology industry as Senior Vice President of RSA Security in Bedford, MA. Ms. Saris held many senior executive roles, taking RSA public in 1994 as its Chief Financial Officer and later managing IT, Technical Support, Professional Services and Operations.

Salem CyberSpace is a program of North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. of Peabody.