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Company commits to technology program

By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – A company that has only been in Fayette County for three years is showing its commitment to the community by helping to keep the Youth Technology Program going in Brownsville. ArgonST, a defense contractor with both engineering and manufacturing facilities in Fayette County, is donating $3,000 to the Youth Technology program, which focuses on at-risk teens.

Twenty students from the Brownsville Area School District participated in the inaugural year of the Youth Technology Program, which is now scrambling for funding sources for a second year of operation.

The program for at-risk high school students with academic, attendance or behavioral problems offers academic tutoring, career guidance and the opportunity to recondition a computer for their own use, according to Don Bartowick of Communities in Schools (CIS). The program is a partnership involving CIS, the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. (BARC) and Catalyst Connections.

CIS provides the instruction, BARC provides the space and Catalyst Connections provides government surplus computers for the students to rebuild. In its first year, the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board (WIB), which is federally funded, provided the money for the training program, Bartowick said, but the WIB funding has been severely cut, leaving the Youth Technology Program with nothing.

“This program last year ran on $50,000,” Bartowick said.

Bartowick said the program is downsizing, cutting the salary for the coordinator and eliminating a stipend that was paid to the students for participating.

BARC board member John Evans was contacted by James Saul of ArgonST, to see if he knew of any charitable causes in need of funding.

ArgonST, which is headquartered in Virginia, has made a commitment to donate one percent of its pre-tax profits to local charities.

“We have a charity committee, and every year we look for different programs to contribute to,” Saul said.

“We were able to contribute to several programs this year.”

Evans sent Saul a letter detailing the Youth Technology Program and its funding needs, attracting the attention and the funds of the charity committee.

BARC board member Norma Ryan said she hopes other local companies will follow ArgonST’s lead, to invest in the future of the community by investing in the students.

“In their exit summary, the students said they enjoyed coming here because it gave them something to do and kept them off the streets,” Bartowick said.

In at least one case, it did more than keep a student off the streets, it also kept her in school, according to BARC Executive Director Allison McConnell.

“One girl said the only reason she went to school was because of this program,” McConnell said.

Bartowick said the program’s success is measurable in the progress of the students.

“They all passed to the next grade level and their attendance and academics did improve,” Bartowick said.

Bartowick said extra computers refurbished by the students are being given to other students in the district who have financial needs.

Ryan said the program definitely fits in with BARC’s goal to revitalize Brownsville.

“Our mission is revitalization of downtown Brownsville. Within that mission is improving the quality of life and this improves the quality of life,” Ryan said.

BARC did charge to rent to the program, which came from last year’s grant, though Ryan said BARC also subsidized the program in part, since the rent really only covered the cost of heating the building and did not offset other utilities.

, insurance and building maintenance.

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