With the help of a Silicon Valley tech employer, local underserved children have improved access to the latest digital tools at the Boys & Girls Club of Morgan Hill.
On August 24, the local club celebrated a $100,000 donation from ServiceNow that funded a new state-of-the-art technology room at the youth center located at 17666 Crest Ave. The celebration features a ribbon cutting and gathering of community members.
“ServiceNow is committed to helping close the digital divide,” said Chris Rogers, DEI Lead for Engineers at ServiceNow. “One way we can make an impact is to focus on creating new opportunities for our youth. We are excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Club at Morgan Hill in creating a safe place for children with free access to technology.With 98% of the young people served at the club coming from lower income families, this is an incredibly valuable investment to support them on their learning journey.
The new tech center includes high-powered laptop computers, televisions and a 3D printer, allowing club members to engage in a range of learning activities.
“The new space combines the Club’s positive atmosphere and state-of-the-art technology to promote education and basic youth technical skill development,” said a press release from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley. “ServiceNow’s brand new technology lab will be used to further help pursue the goal of developing and inspiring future technology leaders.”
BGCSV offers daily homework help, academic goal setting and life skills training as well as gang prevention and early intervention, financial planning, nutrition and development of technology skills.
At the August 24 ribbon cutting, local political representatives joined chamber officials, club leadership and ServiceNow executives in sharing their enthusiasm for the Morgan Hill club and new technology lab. Children who attended the club’s programs were there to share their passions and creativity with live painting, chess games and a Lego robotics demonstration.
Steve Tate serves on the board of directors for BGCSV. He was the mayor of Morgan Hill when BGCSV took over the former El Toro Youth Center, whose former nonprofit operator faced financial challenges in 2014. He said the new tech lab funded by ServiceNow’s donation offers a more comfortable space for club members to work. technological effort.
“The programming won’t change, but we’ll reach more kids because of the environment they have with the addition of that space,” Tate said.
One of BGCSV’s ongoing goals is to try to close the opportunity gap to bring improved economic, political and social equality to lower-income, at-risk youth and their communities in the Bay Area, the press release said. .
“It is a great honor for us to have an amazing innovation economy employer, ServiceNow, here to partner with us at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley and the city of Morgan Hill to celebrate the grand opening of our technology lab, ” said Steve Wymer, BGCSV President and CEO. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our technology sector, our municipal elected officials who are here to support us, and the Club to work together to improve our community. On behalf of the hundreds of children in Morgan Hill who will now have access to a state-of-the-art technology room, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the wonderful team at ServiceNow. With this generous support, they truly play a critical role in youth achieving their full potential. We are all very grateful, and look forward to serving children with this technology for years to come.”
BGCSV also opened youth clubs in the Morgan Hill apartment complex Park Place and Jasmine Square.
