Computer Clubhouse Network

At Computer Clubhouse after-school centers, young people (ages 10-18) from low-income commmunities learn to express themselves creatively with new technologies. Clubhouse members work on projects based on their own interests, with support from adult mentors. By creating their own animations, interactive stories, music videos, and robotic constructions, Clubhouse members become more capable, confident, and creative learners. The first Computer Clubhouse was established in 1993, as a collaboration between the Lifelong Kindergarten group and The Computer Museum (now part of the Boston Museum of Science). With financial support from Intel Corporation, the network has expanded to more than 100 Clubhouses in 21 countries, serving more than 20,000 young people. The Lifelong Kindergarten group continues to develop new technologies, introduce new educational approaches, and lead professional-development workshops for Clubhouses around the world.

The Computer Clubhouse provides a creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from under-served communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology. Established in 1993 by The Computer Museum (now part of the Museum of Science, Boston) in collaboration with the MIT Media Laboratory, the Computer Clubhouse helps youth acquire the tools necessary for personal and professional success.

The goal of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is to proliferate the highly successful Clubhouse learning approach and establish it as a replicable model for technology learning. Using the "original" Clubhouse as a model, the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network currently supports over 100 Computer Clubhouses around the world, providing thousands of youth with access to resources, skills, and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.

In 1997 the Museum's Clubhouse program won the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation , recognizing that the program has made a difference in the lives of the people it serves, and serves as a model that others can learn from. In 1999 Intel Corporation announced its support for the establishment of 100 Intel Computer Clubhouses in under-served communities worldwide. Other funders and sponsors have also joined forces to support the Computer Clubhouse program around the world.