CDD at 1000

CDD AT 1000


As CDD graduated its 1000th student on March 22nd, 2011, , the organization graduated to a new sphere. These 1,000 graduates are our legacy. They represent hundreds of hours in the classroom and behind the scenes by our dedicated volunteer Instructors, Installers, and Web Developers. There are hundreds of stories of transformation demonstrated by our students who walk into the classroom with intimidation and walk out with confidence and hope. An equal if not greater number of family members have been positively effected by this transformation: children who had given up on an absent parent; and parents who believed they would never again see their son or daughter in a good light. The positive domino effect that our classes have had on the greater community is something in which we can all take pride.

I would like to take a few moments to address questions I often have been asked about CDD. I see this as an opportunity to fill in any missing details about the CDD Program and to help our supporters better understand our program. We at CDD are always interested in your feedback and suggestions so please email us from our website or at info@cddnp.org. We will make an effort to address your questions or comments on a regular basis.

Q) What makes CDD so successful? What makes it work and what are the main components of its success?

A) There are a few important aspects of our program that are key to our success. First, we target adults instead of children. While CDD donates computers to youth groups and of course agree that youth groups are vital to an improved society, there are few programs in place for adults, especially the population on which CDD focuses that being adults in recovery. We know we are filling a need by offering this training to this distinct group of adult students.

Secondly, our training takes place inside the Recovery Center, while the student is participating in the recovery program. These adults are at a turning point. They have decided to let go of the past and rebuild with an eye toward the future. Most are sober for the first time in years. Often the only thing lacking in the plan to succeed are job skills. CDD addresses this problem head on by offering computer training. This training opens up the world to our students, as they become fully confident to apply for jobs, enroll in Community College and to reestablish contact with lost loved ones for the first time in years.

This training also provides each student with added hope and confidence, which plays an important role in helping them remain sober, after they leave the recovery center setting and begin to face the many difficult days ahead.


Q) Do volunteer Instructors really work in such an important position? Are they reliable? Don’t you really need experts to deal with such a challenging project?


A) One of the main reasons the CDD program is successful is our exclusive use of volunteer Instructors. Ninety per cent of our Instructors are not experienced teachers. Most have advanced degrees in a number of areas; many of which are tech-based. These are very busy professionals with demanding jobs, families, and social lives, but they feel strongly that computer literacy should be available to everyone. These volunteers are champions of our students. When the motivation to be in the classroom comes from a fundamental belief in equality and from a bond that is formed with the students, the classroom experience is very different, than when the motivation comes from earning a paycheck. There is something magic about doing something simply because you want to help.

There is another dynamic present as well. CDD Instructors and Students represent two very different groups of people. One group being highly educated and successful while the other has underachieved and been making bad decisions for years. Yet when these two opposites come together in the classroom something special occurs. A very tight bond is formed as both parties come to understand the value in the other person. This is another divide we did not anticipate being crossed when developing this program. Our students naturally look up to our Instructors. The Instructors seem larger than life with job skills that seem unreachable, exciting careers, and close personal relationships. The way our Students inspire the Instructors is perhaps the biggest surprise. These are individuals who have come from unbelievable adversity and suffering yet they walk into the classroom full of dreams and a determination to succeed. They are humble enough to reach out for support and face their fears and lack of feeling “worthy”. We all marvel at this inner drive with each new group of students who walk into our classrooms each session. The tie between these two groups is strong and we believe it would not be as strong or successful with paid Instructors.

Q) Have you been able to track the progress of your Graduates after they leave the program? Do you know the recidivism rate of your Graduates compared to those without CDD training? Do you have stories of success of your Graduates who attribute their success to CDD’s computer training?

A) I can answer yes to two of these questions. We are still working on a way to track the recidivism rate. One of the problems with this population is that they are very difficult to locate after they leave the recovery center setting. There are a variety of reasons for this but the primary reason is lack of stability. There may also be a tendency to return to a sense of anonymity. The latter is a recipe for disaster as many studies have shown that those in recovery need the support of a community to succeed.

However, CDD has been able to track several students, over the years. We have many stories of student success, which can be attributed to the computer training they received, as well as their recovery training. These students’ stories and portraits will be coming out in a book about CDD, which will be published, in the near future.

Q) The last question is about the future of CDD. What are your immediate goals for its growth? How do you hope to see CDD evolve over the next few years?

A) The wonderful thing about CDD is that we know we have a perfect recipe to achieve success. For a non-profit, unlike a for-profit that measures its success by its finances, an NPO needs to show that it is making a difference in the community. An NPO’s “widget” is the contribution it makes to solve a “human” problem.

CDD realized that with the emergence of the digital revolution anyone without basic computer skills would be left on the other side and that some of the most vulnerable are adults in recovery. The importance of bridging the digital divide has never diminished. After seven years of training we continue to see large numbers of our target population with no computer experience. Our only regret is that we have not been able to open additional training facilities. We have a very long and growing waiting list of centers that would like to see our training offered to their clients. Our major hurdle is funding. CDD has done as much as it can without being fully funded. We have maintained the three centers we opened seven years ago. However, without a full-time paid office staff, as well as other operational expenses, we have had to cap our growth to these three centers. Our goal is to locate an endowment or donor who would provide the funds we need to open more centers. We would also like to build a student-operated Refurbishing Company that would refurbish and resell donated computer equipment. The funds from this business would go to pay a salary to the student employees and provide additional funding to CDD in support of our training.

This concludes the Q&A of some of the most common questions we receive. We hope you will take a moment and donate either a computer or funds to CDD. Your donations are tax deducible and all go to support our training. We are always looking for volunteers as well. The support of our volunteers is what makes CDD possible.

Kathleen Patton
CDD Executive Director