GTECH, in partnership with the Florida Lottery, has donated a $10,000 computer lab to Pathways For Change, Inc.

It is the 30th After School Advantage computer lab GTECH has installed in Florida, according to a news release.

As part of the donation, Pathways For Change received six Dell desktop computers, six student workstations and chairs, a printer, a wireless router, a variety of educational software, a bookcase, and room décor.

The computer lab will be used during the after school program and summer camp to provide the children with computer literacy skills, help assist with homework, and allow academic growth during critical times like after school hours and summer breaks.

GTECH is the lottery technology provider to the Florida Lottery. It’s After School Advanatage program provides educational opportunities to local children by donating new computers, printers, software, furniture, and volunteer hours to nonprofit organizations that sponsor after-school programs.

Pathways For Change on West Lloyd Street began in 2005 as a men’s residential drug treatment center. Founder and CEO Connie Bookman, a social worker by training, has seen the center expand to include GED training, after school care and jobs skills training.

Three-and-a-half years ago, Bookman started Pathways to Success for neighborhood kids in grades K-5. The computer lab will help those children improve their education skills and school readiness.

“When we started our program four years ago, most of our kids were failing kindergarten and first grade,” Bookman said.  “Today, all are on the honor roll. GTECH brought a whole new dimension of learning to the Pathways To Success program.”

In March, Bookman told Progress+Promise that for some of the clients who have come through Pathways programs, taking the path to pursuing more and better education can seem threatening to their extended families.

“(The idea being) if you get outside what the norm is, we may lose you. And I’ve seen that in families; they don’t want to lose them.”