Families gather to celebrate success of groundbreaking e-learning project to encourage family involvement in learning

Friday 23rd November 2007

FamilyNet project, providing 240 Sheffield families with computer and Internet facilities reaches its two year conclusion.

On 22nd November 2007 families from eight local primary schools in Sheffield gathered at the Millennium Galleries to celebrate the success of the Sheffield Family e-Learning Project, known locally as FamilyNet, which has enabled 240 families to get their hands on technology.

For the last two years each of the families has been provided with a computer, printer and broadband Internet connection in their homes, making it possible for them to experience the benefits of using the Internet as part of their everyday lives and to get involved in learning together, as a family.

The FamilyNet project, run by Sheffield City Council's Lifelong Learning and Skills Service and funded by South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme (SYeLP) and Objective One investment, was launched in September 2005 and is due to finish in December 2007. Families who may not have had the means to engage with technology otherwise, have had the opportunity to use it to support their children's education through e-learning workshops and courses facilitated through the project.

Vivienne Drake, Family e-Learning Project manager, says: "New technology is dominating our lives and those who have access to it get all the opportunities that it brings and those who don't miss out. By providing families with computers and access to the Internet in their homes, as well as Family Learning courses, parents were able to support their children's education and could also engage with it for their own learning and development."

Kathryn Todd, whose children attend St Catherine's school is from one of the families taking part in the project. She says: "If I hadn't had the knowledge from FamilyNet in how to use a computer and how to access the Internet I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today at university. For me it's opened up the door to my future and for me to support my children."

In attendance and celebrating with the families was Councillor Arthur Dunworth, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, he says: "Clearly the families who have been involved in this project have got a lot out of it. Providing them with the tools with which to access the wealth of information available on the internet has opened their eyes to many new opportunities. Well done FamilyNet!"

FamilyNet is in the process of running Project Completion Workshops to help families continue with their learning and to help them to think about what they would like to do next with their new skills. Families who have engaged with the project over the past two years will be allowed to keep their computers and printers.

FamilyNet is in the process of helping families to recognise their achievements over the past 2 years and to think about what they would like to do in the future with their new technical skills and how to progress with their individual and family learning.

For more information about the project, please visit www.familynetsheffield.org.uk