Each Child. Every Community.

Young children from low-resource communities across the state will soon have access to brightly-colored, kid-friendly computer centers. With a $260,000 grant from IBM, The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) and Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) provided 100 Young Explorer™ computer centers, each valued at $2,600, to early childhood development programs in 59 counties across the state.

“IBM is committed to breaking down the digital divide and helping all children to have access to technology,” said Tina Wilson, Manager of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs.  “Through our partnership with NCPC and Communities In Schools of North Carolina, we can help young children at an early age use technology as a learning tool to begin developing early literacy and computer skills needed to succeed in school.”

The computer centers are part of IBM’s KidSmart program, a global early learning technology initiative to support the early childhood education of children internationally. The Young Explorer™ is a computer housed in brightly-colored, kid-friendly Little Tikes™ furniture. The center comes with award-winning educational software to help children learn and explore concepts in math, science and language. Children also learn important socialization skills such as working together and sharing. To learn more about the Young Explorer™ learning center and the KidSmart program, please visit www.kidsmartearlylearning.org.

“This grant truly is a reflection of IBM’s commitment to the education of North Carolina’s students and of the power of collaboration,” said Linda Harrill, President and CEO of Communities In Schools of North Carolina. “For students to achieve, they need the support of the entire community. By partnering with NCPC, we can support even more North Carolina children become eager and successful students.”

“Technology provides another way for young children to explore their world—an important part of healthy early childhood development. We are grateful for IBM’s dedication to improving the lives of our youngest children,” said Stephanie Fanjul, president of NCPC, the organization that oversees Smart Start.

For the past 21 years, CISNC has been helping North Carolina school districts surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. As a result, CISNC is a leading statewide dropout prevention organization. Partnerships with agencies such as NCPS and with corporations like IBM are a key part of that strategy.

CISNC and NCPC are providing the Young Explorer™ centers to child care programs and schools in:

• Alamance County
• Alleghany County
• Anson County
• Ashe County
• Avery County
• Beaufort County
• Bertie County
• Bladen County
• Brunswick County
• Caldwell County
• Caswell County
• Cherokee County
• Chowan County
• Clay County
• Cleveland County
• Cumberland County
• Davidson County
• Duplin County
• Durham County
• Edgecombe County
• Forsyth County
• Gaston County
• Graham County
• Greene County
• Guilford County
• Halifax County
• Haywood County
• Hoke County
• Hyde County
• Jones County
• Lee County
• Lenoir County
• Lincoln County
• Madison County
• McDowell County
• Mitchell County
• Montgomery County
• Moore County
• New Hanover County
• Pamlico County
• Perquimans County
• Pitt County
• Richmond County
• Robeson County
• Rowan County
• Rockingham County
• Rutherford County
• Sampson County
• Scotland County
• Stokes County
• Swain County
• Transylvania County
• Tyrrell County
• Vance County
• Wake County
• Washington County
• Wilkes County
• Wilson County
• Yancey County

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Communities In Schools of North Carolina is part of the national CIS group, the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, and the only one proven to both decrease dropout rates and increase on-time graduation.  Last school year, the CIS network in North Carolina worked with more than 100,000 youth and their families across the state, empowering more than 96 percent of its eligible high school students to remain in school.  For more information, please visit www.cisnc.org or call 1-800-849-8881.

The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain. Because today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, parents and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure all children have the experiences they need to thrive. Smart Start is the system that brings together all the people involved in a young child’s life—families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others—to ensure every child has all they need for healthy growth and development. For more information, visit www.smartstart.org.