Data Cabling

The key to closing the digital divide is to teach the students computers not just give them the computers. Rather than simply setting up the housing projects with wi-fi, we can take this opportunity to teach our youth a marketable trade, data cabling. As part of my community inquiry project, I am looking to have students in the building become certified cable installers and install data cabling in their buildings. I happen to know that data cabling is a very profitable field and by allowing the students to contribute to their wi-fi capabilities they will also respect it. It is important to not only give them computers, but to show them how they are relevant in the real world. There are many jobs, including the mechanic, in which computer knowledge is essential. The refurbished computers can and will come after the cabling is installed. And by that point I am sure that we can get funding/donations to get refurbished computers for a building in which students have already installed the data cables and put in the effort to make themselves technically savvy. I have begun investigating ways to make this effort happen and it's beginning to come together and seems within close reach.