Vacca dedicates Mott Hall computer lab

Vacca dedicates Mott Hall computer lab
Community News Group / Jaime Williams

A community school is home to a new computer lab.

Councilman James Vacca recently visited Mott Hall Community School at the I.S. 192 campus to dedicate the technology center.

Vacca chairs the technology committee in the City Council, and feels strongly that students should have access to technology in a learning environment.

“Technology today is important to our kids,” he said.

The administration at Mott Hall Community School agreed, and prioritized building the $100,000 lab in the school’s budget this year.

“It’s definitely a big investment, and its worth it,” said acting principal Jean Jeanty.

The school recognizes the growing role that technology plays in the world.

“To be successful in the 21st Century, you need computer skills,” said Jeanty.

The middle school, which opened in 2009, was sorely lacking in technology, although students did have access to laptop computers.

Now the students have a 16 brand new computers in a designated workspace.

The lab hosts a new technology class that all students have the opportunity to be a part of, and teachers of all subjects can reserve the lab for technology time.

“It’s our commitment to uphold the science, technology, engineering and mathematics component of Mott Hall Community— that wasn’t evident in previous years,” said Jeanty.

The school is working on integrating technology into all different subjects, and the computer class has already helped introduce students to different applications of math. They have used computer programs to design their dream homes, and to learn how to create budgets, said Jeanty.

“It allows them to envision themselves as homeowners and small business owners,” he said of the exercises.

The addition of the lab has made a positive impact on students already.

“They’ve been excited about the learning,” said Jeanty.

At the dedication, Vacca said he could knew the computer lab would be well used by the students, and that he has been glad to support the community school in his district over the years.

Thanks to his funding, the school has recently renovated the library and cafeteria, and will soon be receiving a weight room.

Vacca’s glad the students have been able to add a computer lab to the list of their new amenities, especially technology and its applications for students continue to change.

“Technology is an evolving field, you have to update constantly,” he said.

Reach Reporter Jaime Williams at 718-260-4591. E-mail her at jwilliams@cnglocal.com.