Home > Community Service > RTGX Founders and Executives to participate in grand opening

On December 15th 2011 from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM RTGX Founders and Executives will participate in the grand opening of the Power House and the RTGX Greater Baltimore Cares Technology Center at 316 S. Caroline Street, Baltimore Maryland 21231. 

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RTGX partnered with Greater Baltimore Cares to support the Living Classroom Foundation’s efforts to renovate the old Perkins Firehouse and turn it into a community empowerment and mentoring facility for the Perkins Community.

RTGX and Greater Baltimore Cares combined efforts to deliver on the vision of a technology center where children of the community could engage in inspiring and knowledge expanding activities. Greater Baltimore Cares will work with the community and the Living Classroom Foundation to deliver mentoring programs in the new technology center.

Located in the heart of one of Baltimore’s largest public housing developments, the Power House (Power = Providing Opportunities to Work, Expand and Rise) will serve as Living Classrooms Foundation’s newest educational facility aimed at expanding programs and services to children and families living in East Baltimore. The opening of the Power House celebrates the collective effort of many supporters over several years dedicating their hard work and financial contributions to revitalize an abandoned firehouse into a community center that will serve Perkins Homes youth and residents. Perkins is one of the largest public housing developments in Baltimore City with 688 units. This area has the 5th highest poverty rate of any zip code in Maryland, with an estimated 50 percent of the population living at poverty level

The project’s generous supporters include: The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Commercial Interiors, Charles T. Bauer Foundation, SunTrust Bank, Baltimore Housing, Maryland State 46th District Bond Bill Authorization, RTGX, Greater Baltimore Cares, Clark Construction, France-Merrick Foundation, Empower Baltimore Management Corporation, Baltimore Community Foundation, East Harbor Community Development Corporation, Perkins Tenant Council, Schochor, Federico, & Staton, P.A., and University of Maryland Law School Clinic.

The facility will feature large multipurpose rooms designed for community meetings, financial education, after school programming, employment training sessions and health fairs among other community-focused events. The center will provide a variety of enriching services and events aimed at fostering an environment that is positive and safe, and that promotes healthy living for all members living in the Perkins community.

The Power House facility will also serve as a satellite location for Living Classrooms Foundation’s afterschool and summer programming focused on the following core areas: Education & Career Development, Character & Civic Development, Health & Life Skills and Cultural Enrichment & the Arts. Living Classrooms’ program structure creates a positive impact that has been proven to help children develop greater confidence in their academic abilities and a greater interest in school, both of which have been shown to lead to the goal of improved school attendance and completion rates. Additionally, the facility will have programs during the day for adults and seniors living in the Perkins community.

The Power House will be outfitted with a state-of-art computer lab and technology center with high-speed Internet access for students and community residents, sponsored by RTGX and Greater Baltimore Cares. The technology center serves to enrich and empower all individuals through the use of technology. To this end, the Power House will foster computer literacy through classroom instruction and address the technology needs of the community by providing access to the Internet and productivity software. Moreover, youth and families residing in the Perkins Community will have access to financial literacy education and resources, including financial expert volunteers through a partnership with SunTrust Bank.

This new location will allow Living Classrooms to expand its core services to reach more people, and create new programs to better serve members of the Perkins Homes community. Living Classrooms Foundation will work closely with the community to build upon and develop programming based on need, and to create a schedule of events and activities to fill the gaps left by insufficient resources.