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Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival

News of the Diocese

August 1, 2019

Children attending Fatima Summer Camp at the Fatima Family Center in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood spend their days learning, having fun and taking field trips.

Under the watchful eye of LaJean Ray, Fatima Family Center director, and other staff and volunteers, about 100 youngsters, ages 5-13, took advantage of inflatable bounce houses, climbing structures, basketball games and other activities outside the center as part of a daylong festival on Aug. 1. Other campers walked between two large tents to play various games. Some opted to try their skills at shooting hoops using a large, inflated basketball hoop while others took aim at four revolving baskets. A few Third District Cleveland police officers even took turns practicing their basketball skills while mingling with the campers.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
Groups of campers rotated into the gym every hour to participate in a special technology program sponsored by Onix, a Lakewood-based cloud solutions provider, tech giant Google and Check Point, a software technologies firm, in conjunction with Fatima. It was the first time the three companies partnered together for a day of service to the community. Volunteers from all three groups were at the event working with Fatima staff members to teach the youngsters how to use Google’s G Suite platform of cloud computing applications.

Campers gathered in small groups with Chromebooks – donated by Onix to Fatima Center -- to develop an invention, describe what it does, how it works and who would benefit from it, said Steve Laws, Onix partner alliance manager. Laws is a regular volunteer at Fatima Center, spending an hour and a half each Monday during the school year and an hour each Monday in the summer working with students to help them enhance their technology skills.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
Once the idea was formulated, the groups went to one of two Google Jamboards that Onix provided for the event and used the interactive board – which Laws described as similar to a giant iPad -- to sketch out their invention and story. They could write, save, drop and drag items on the Jamboard. The file could be saved to the cloud and/or emailed to a camper’s Gmail account where it could be accessed later.

“We’re teaching the kids to use technology that will be useful to them as well as promoting the Google technology and helping acclimate the kids to it,” Laws said.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
Onix is invested in the Fatima Family Center, Laws said, noting that Tim Needles, Onix CEO, has had a long relationship – a dozen years – with the center. Onix sponsors fundraisers to aid the center, offers a mentorship program and donated the Chromebooks used throughout the year and at the Aug. 1 program.

Mo Barry, cloud partner engineer with Google, travelled from Chicago to assist with the technology program. Also on hand were several Cleveland-based Google employees. Barry said Google Serve is a philanthropic arm of the technology giant that works with nonprofits, NGOs – nonprofit organizations that work independently of governmental influence – and other groups through mentorship programs for youths and young adults. When he learned of the Fatima opportunity from Laws, Barry said he was excited to participate.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
“There is a greater purpose to this than just teaching the kids to consume the technology,” Laws said. “We want to instill hope in them, to show them that we’re invested in them and that Google and Onix care about them.” He said Barry shares his core values and both want to do what they can to help position the youngsters for a successful future.

“Diversity should be celebrated and every child deserves an opportunity to learn and thrive,” Laws added. He said Onix and Google are planning to partner on other similar programs in the future.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
The daylong festival also included music, refreshments and lunch courtesy of Onix.

Fatima Family Center, which operates as a Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland facility, was established in 1973 as a pastoral counseling and outreach ministry of Our Lady of Fatima Parish. It offers programs and services for all ages, including cultural, leadership and development activities for children and youth, homework assistance, summer camp, field trips and recreation programs. The center also provides adult services including parenting classes, a computer lab, health screenings and food pantry. Socialization activities for older adults also are available at the 26,000-square-foot facility at 6600 Lexington Ave., Cleveland, adjacent to St. Agnes-Our Lady of Fatima Parish.
Fatima summer campers enjoy technology session at daylong carnival
Ray, the center director, was honored with the 2018 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, recognizing her and the center for efforts to combat crime, terrorism, drugs and violence.

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