Making Opportunities for Upgrading Schools and Education | |
Abbreviation | MOUSE |
---|---|
Formation | 1997 |
Founder | Andrew Rasiej |
Legal status | Nonprofit |
Purpose | Youth development, technology education and support |
Region | New York City |
Website | https://mouse.org |
Making Opportunities for Upgrading Schools and Education or MOUSE is a youth development and nonprofit organization [1] in New York City, United States focused on integrating technology with New York City education. [2] [3] It was founded by Andrew Rasiej in 1997. [2] It targets schools in underserved communities, [4] as well as those with high levels of poverty or of minorities. [5]
MOUSE runs a program known as Mouse Squad, which focuses on troubleshooting technical problems with computers in New York public schools; [2] the program was founded in 2000. [6] Students in the after-school activity first go through six months of human-centered design training, followed by six months of working on making a prototype product with a mentor. [4] Students in New York City get a chance to graduate into a wing of the program known as Mouse Corps, which was founded sometime around 2008[ when?]. [4]
In addition to the Mouse Squad, MOUSE also sponsors more advanced[ how?] technical training, job shadow programs, and college-bound workshops for high school students, [6] as well as providing expertise through industry partnerships. [1][ clarification needed] The organization communicates through its newsletter MOUSE Droppings and through conferences. [1]
Sometime before 2001[ when?], the organization teamed up with Arthur Anderson to create the Young Women's Technology Club. [1] As of 2000, the organization has about 1500 volunteers and an annual budget of nearly $2M. [7] As of 2006, it has over 200 students representing 32 schools. [8]
In its first official year, following two pilot seasons, 31 schools participated; the previous year, 13 schools did. [2]
A study conducted by Fordham University found that 87% of students who joined the MOUSE Squad felt like participation improved their academic skills and 92% of them felt that it increased their desire to stay in school. [9] According to a separate study, it saved a school $19,000 annually in technical support costs. [9]
As of 2012, the organization has over 80 Mouse Squad programs, [10] and was praised by Michael Bloomberg as "provid[ing] our city’s schools with the technological tools and support to keep our children competitive in the information age." [11]
On 4 April 2013, John C. Liu visited a MOUS program in Washington Heights, Manhattan. [12][ unreliable source?] In a 2013 report, Liu recommended that MOUSE programs be offered at every public middle and high school. [13]
On 13 November 2014, the MOUSE Squad at the Stephen A. Halsey School was honored by an official proclamation at a city hall. [14] Among other things, the group works on 3D printing (including training other students and creating models of dinosaurs), creating games, Robotics, and helping to install new computers and printers. [14]