"HARDWARE" TAKES ON NEW MEANING FOR ATLANTA TECHIES - BUILDING PLAYGROUND IN ONE DAY FOR LOCAL SCHOOL
May 6, 2004
MAY 6, 2004 ATLANTA â?? For local techies, "hardware" has taken on a new meaning. Today, volunteers from Computer Associates (CA) and Women in Technology (WIT) will trade in their computer hardware for playground hardware as they join forces with Smart Start Georgia, organizers from KaBOOM!, Friends of WIT, and community members to build an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant playground in one day at the Herrington Day School in Atlanta.
The new 3,612 -square-foot playground will be designed according to the wishes of the students, ages one to 11 years, many of whom took crayon to paper months ago to design their ideal play space. Their dreams of a musical playground will be met with an assortment of equipment including a twist and shout slide, bell and drum panels, a chime banner and several side bells.
The project is the latest collaborative construction effort involving KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that brings communities and businesses together to build safe, much-needed play spaces for children, and CA, one of the world?s largest software companies. This is the 44th playground that the two organizations have helped fund and build around the world. Volunteers from WIT, the leading association devoted to the development of Georgia's businesswomen in the technology industry will help build the Atlanta playground. Herrington Day School also raised money for the playground through a penny drive run by the children, fish fries, a candy sale and a letter writing campaign to alumni and community members. Smart Start Georgia provided additional funding to help the school reach its goal.
"We are thankful to all of the organizations and volunteers who came together to make this playground a reality," said Shirley Herrington, director of the non-profit Herrington Day School. "This playground will give our children a safe and nurturing place to learn and play outside."
"According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, children who experience high-quality, stable child care engage in more complex play, demonstrate more secure attachments to adults and other children, and score higher on measures of thinking ability and language development," said Sharen Hausmann, director of Smart Start Georgia, a public/private partnership dedicated to creating and implementing innovative programs and outreach initiatives to improve the quality of early care and education for all children ages birth through five throughout the state. "Building this new playground is a major step in improving the quality of early care and education for Atlanta?s youngest children."Â
"Both CA and Women in Technology are proud to be part of this project which will help improve the quality of early care and education in Georgia," said Kasie Scott Palmer, president of WIT and vice president of Customer Advocacy with CA. "This playground build is a great opportunity to bring Atlanta's business leaders together to make a difference in children's lives."
About Herrington Day School
Herrington Day School, Inc. was established and incorporated as a 501C-3 in 1973 by Eugene and Shirley Herrington. Currently, the center has a staff of seven teachers. Herrington Day School, Inc. strives to continually provide a safe, nurturing environment for children and families of middle and low income. We address these needs through developmental appropriate practices, health and safety, and parent involvement. Herrington Day School, Inc. is receiving Training and Technical Assistance through Smart Start Georgia to increase the quality of its programs. Herrington Day School, Inc. has just completed the National Association for the Education of Young Children self study and is waiting for a validation visit. The school is anticipating the accreditation award by the end of the year. For more information, please call 404-691-8688.Ã?Â
About KaBOOM!
Since 1995, KaBOOM! has been motivating communities nationwide to create healthy play opportunities for young people. KaBOOM! has created more than 600 new playgrounds and improved more than 1,300 others. A model of fiscal efficiency, KaBOOM! was named one of Fast Company?s first-ever Social Capitalist Award winners in 2003 and one of America?s 100 Best Charities by Worth magazine in 2002. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and Redwood City, CA. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
About WIT
Women in Technology (WIT), is the leading association devoted to the development of Georgia's businesswomen in the technology industry. WIT accelerates the growth path of women through initiatives that promote visibility and opportunities for their individual goals and success in the industry. WIT is a society of the Technology Association of Georgia, an umbrella membership organization that serves more than 5,000 members of the Georgia technology community. Currently, six main societies and eleven Special Interest Groups (SIGs) fall within the TAG Membership umbrella, including WIT and WIT's premier annual events, Woman of the Year in Technology Award and WIT Connect. For more information, or to join TAG, visit www.tagonline.org or contact (404) 817-3333.
About TAG
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The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization that serves the technology community in Georgia. TAG is dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of the state's technology industry and provides leadership in driving initiatives in the areas of policy, capital, education and giving. TAG helps to bring the technology community together through events, initiative programs and networking opportunities. Founded in 1999 through the merger of the Business&Technology Alliance (B&TA), the Southeastern Software Association (SSA) and Women in Technology (WIT); TAG is one of the largest state technology associations in the nation. TAG is made up of several thousand members representing technology leaders from over 1500 Georgia-based companies, affiliated technology and business organizations. TAG recognizes the support and contributions of its Premier Patron; Kilpatrick Stockton and Patrons; Hunton&Williams, Computer Associates, Deloitte and Noro-Moseley Partners. For more information on TAG, visit www.tagonline.org, email info@tagonline.org or call (404) 817-3333.
About Smart Start Georgia
Smart Start Georgia, previously known as the Georgia Early Learning Initiative (GELI), is dedicated to creating and implementing innovative programs and outreach initiatives to improve the quality of early care and education for all children ages birth through five throughout the state, promoting lifetime learning and ensuring greater achievement throughout the child's education and beyond. Smart Start Georgia is a public/private partnership among the State of Georgia, the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, United Ways of Georgia, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and more than 40 additional supporting organizations. For additional information on Smart Start Georgia programs or how to become involved, please call 1-877-STARTGA or visit www.smartstartga.org.
About Computer Associates
Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA), the world's largest management software company, delivers software and services across infrastructure, security, storage and life cycle management to optimize the performance, reliability and efficiency of enterprise IT environments. Founded in 1976, CA is headquartered in Islandia, N.Y., and operates in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.ca.com. For more information about CA's Community Relations programs, please visit www.ca.com/community.
Stephanie Libby
Edelman
404.262.3000
stephanie.libby@edelman.com
Amanda Bolster
Smart Start Georgia
404.527.7307
abolster@unitedwayatlanta.orgÂ