The Dell Learning Center

Source: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/26/k-12-solutions

Abstract:
The University of Texas at Dallas is seeking a grant to improve and expand our existing
child care center. The objective is to add technology learning, expand the hours and
days open, and increase the age range of the children allowed to attend so more studentparents can utilize the service.

Submitted to: Dell Corporation

Date: July 27, 2015

Rachel Beachy
Child Care Center
University of Texas at Dallas
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080
rachel@gmail.com
(972) 222-2222

7/27/15
Jennifer Bernas
Director of Public Relations
Dell Inc.
1 Dell Way
Round Rock, TX 78682
RE: THE DELL LEARNING CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
Ms. Bernas,
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) appreciates this opportunity to present you with our
proposal to review. We look forward to partnering with you to expand our current child care
center and create The Dell Learning Center on the campus of UTD. Our objective is to add
technology-focused learning, expand the hours and days open, and increase the age range of
the children allowed to attend so more student-parents can utilize the service.
With the increasing population of student-parents on college campuses, it is becoming
imperative to provide convenient and affordable child care. By expanding the existing center,
we can create an environment that is welcoming to student-parents and their children.
Additionally, potential students who are currently unable to attend UTD due to unaffordable child
care will be empowered to seek a higher education. Funding in the amount of $103,274.00 is
requested for additional staff, computers, and snacks for the children.
We appreciate Dell Inc. showing an interest in increasing access to education, not only for
children, but for their parents as well. Please call me at 972-222-2222 to set up a meeting to
discuss this exciting opportunity.
Thank you,

Rachel Beachy
Child Care Center
University of Texas at Dallas
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080
rachel@utdallas.edu
972-222-2222

Introduction

Dell Learning Center

Dell has been an exemplary leader in developing Learning Centers all over the world. We would
like to present to Dell an opportunity to make a difference closer to home, here within the Dallas
community and create a positive brand image. The Dell Learning Center would allow us
accommodate the students needs while providing the youth with quality education. In a study
performed by Brian A. Jacob, a professor in Education Policy at the University of Michigan, he
concluded that, early childhood educational programs can generate learning gains in the shortrun and, in some cases, improve the long-run life chances. (Jacob 2009) Our plan is to use
Dells resources to build a Learning Center that would promote a brighter future for the youth in
our community.
Assistance to the Community
As an institution of higher education, University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) provides quality
education for future leaders of America. In order to continue providing students with the finest
education, the school must be prepared to accommodate the changing needs of the students. A
recent NBC News article states that students aged 25 and older accounted for roughly 40
percent of all colleges and graduate students. (Wycheck 2014) As the number of older students
continues to rise, is UTD prepared to accommodate the changing demographics of the student
population?
In order to accommodate the student-parent population, the school must be able to
accommodate the children of students. Unfortunately, UTD only offers limited childcare for
parents who attend the school. Also, the operating hours are limited from 3:30 p.m. 10:00
p.m., which doesnt allow anyone to use the service during the day. With restrictive operating
hours and age limits, the current set up of the child care center on campus does not
accommodate the students needs.
Promote Education for All Ages
One of the ways we can better accommodate the student population is by improving the current
child care center by transforming it into a Dell Learning Center. The Dell Learning Center would
be open to children of UTD students. Lets make this institution a place that offers quality
education, not just for adults, but also for the youth. Not only are we helping students at UTD
continue their education, we also get to provide education for their children. We want to turn this
school into a place that offers education for all ages.

Statement of Need
Texas has a poverty rate of 17.5% and more than one out of every four children in Texas live
below the poverty line. (Children in Poverty (100 Percent Poverty), 2014) Education is an
excellent way to defeat the cycle of poverty by enabling people to find higher paying jobs so
they can better care for their families. (Garcia, 2011) Unfortunately, for many living at or below
the poverty line, expensive child care puts furthering their education out of reach. Likewise, less
expensive for-profit child care facilities have been found to provide much lower quality child care
than what could be attained on a university campus. (Artz & Welsch, 2014) (McBride, 2010)
Federal programs have suffered major reductions in funding for child care programs on college
campuses. The Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS) has
experienced dramatic cuts in funding, from its peak of $25 million in 2001 to only $3.3 million in
2014. (Weiner, 2014) The diminishing federal funding has made it necessary for college
campuses to seek funding for on-campus child care elsewhere.
Even though college attendance rates have increased substantially over the last few years for
single parents, the completion rates remain at an all-time low. (Goldrick-Rab 2010). Child care
can be one of the greatest dilemmas for single parents going back to school. According to the
Institute for Womens Policy Research, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C., 1 out of 4
undergraduate students has a dependent of their own.(Couch 2013) Many schools, such as the
University of Texas at Dallas, have taken a different approach to offer flexibility to their students.
There are options, such as online classes; however, there are limitations to the courses offered.
The university has an on-campus child care facility available to parents. The on-campus facility
is provided by Dallas International School. The program was initially designed to offer
language study (French and Spanish), developmental activities, arts and crafts, games, and
homework assistance. Enrollment is based on the parents current semester class schedule.
Students are allowed to drop off children 30 minutes before their first class and pick up 30
minutes after the last class up to 10 pm. The capacity is about 30 to 40 children; however, there
are currently only 5 children enrolled.
Due to this lack of enrollment, the only services being offered to the children are games, and
arts and crafts. The staff is limited to two employees due to the low number of participants. The
facility is only open Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The current eligibility
age is 4-11 and the cost is $6.00 per child per evening. While the fee is reasonable, the age
limitations alienate many parents with younger children and all parents are at a disadvantage
during the summer months when school is out. With the time constraint and age limitations,
many students are finding it difficult to utilize such a needed service. The partnership between
Dell and UTD will increase enrollment in the daycare and the university and furthermore lead to
higher completion rates.

Dell Learning Center Program Description

Goals & Objectives
The objective of this proposal is to expand the existing child care center to better accommodate
the students of UTD by adding technology learning, expanding the days and hours open, and
increasing the age range of the children allowed to attend. The goals are to:
1. Provide convenient, high-quality, and affordable child care.
2. Stop the cycle of poverty by enabling more low-income student-parents to attend UTD
without the added burden of high childcare costs.
3. Allow students already attending UTD the flexibility to complete their degree programs in a
timely manner.
4. Enable the children to acquire crucially important technology skills.
The Dell Learning Center will enable more student-parents to take advantage of convenient and
affordable on-campus child care. By expanding the hours to 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, student-parents will no longer be restricted in their class schedules. Additionally,
increasing the age range from 2 to 12 will allow parents who have children who are too young to
attend school to be empowered to attend college without the burden of high childcare costs.
While the fee of $6.00 per child per day will remain in place, this is much more affordable than
most child care facilities. (Artz & Welsch, 2014) The Center will also provide the children with
technology resources and skills that are crucially important for educational development.
The Role of Technology in Learning Programs
This project shares Dells vision that the educational world is changing and teachers are now
implementing digital technologies to engage students. (K-12 Solutions, 2015) By implementing
the effective use of technology at the Dell Learning Center, we will be able to cater to the
various learning styles of our children. Our objective is to allow children to explore different
subjects at their own pace and from multiple angles. Interactive technology that allows students
to create and explore substantially increase academic achievement, particularly for
underprivileged youth (EdSource 2014).
We envision the creation of blended programs that will adapt to different ages and needs. We
believe that it is crucial to remain competitive in a world that has become increasingly
globalized. This is why we plan to provide foreign language classes at the center using Dell
technology and hardware that will allow the attendees to learn visually and at their own pace.
Overall, we want to embrace the effective use of technology and its benefits.

Benefits
Dell is already a leader in providing Learning Centers worldwide. The Dallas Boys and Girls
Club has also benefited from Dells generosity. (Youth Learning, 2015) However, this proposal
is taking a different direction by seeking social change and poverty reduction through education.
This approach falls in line with Dells 2020 Legacy of Good Plan. (Dell 2020 Legacy of Good
Plan, 2015) Rather than focusing solely on the children, this program will also enable the
parents to further their education which, in time, could contribute to ending the cycle of poverty
for many Texas families. (Garcia, 2011)
Dell has committed itself to hire more university students through its 2020 Legacy of Good Plan.
The Dell Learning Center will expand the number of students at UTD and in turn provide a
larger number of new employee opportunities for Dell.
By partnering with UTD, Dell will benefit by:
1. Becoming recognized as a trailblazer at the forefront of the fight against poverty through
education.
2. Promoting a stronger economy through a better educated population.
3. Naming the Center after Dell Corporation.
4. Receiving recognition on UTDs website for their contributions to The Dell Learning Center.
5. Investing in human capital, which produces economic value.
6. Exposing the Dell brand to a new generation of future consumers.
The student-parents will benefit by being able to pursue a higher-education and complete their
degree programs faster without the added burden of high-cost child care. (McCormick, 1977)
This will increase their marketability and enable them to find higher paying jobs. (Garcia, 2011)
The children will benefit from the technology resources and skills they acquire at The Dell
Learning Center. The university will also benefit through reduced dropout rates, increased
enrollment, and increased graduation rates. (Weiner, 2014) Obviously, the program offers many
benefits all around and the University of Texas at Dallas is excited about partnering with Dell to
accomplish these objectives.

Budget
The Dell Learning Center will generate a small amount of income on its own by charging $6 per
day for each child. We have estimated a daily average of 44 children attending the Dell Learning
Center which would lead to $52,800.00 annual income. All income generated by the Dell
Learning Center will be used for expenses for the center.
The expenses for the center are listed in the budget below. The expenses are estimated as
operating at maximum capacity of 22 children, 15 hours per day, 5 days per week and 40 weeks
per year. We are anticipating Dell tablets to be used for child education in the center. The tablets
would be donated at the companys cost instead of the retail cost listed on the budget below.
The food snacks expense was created using the standard meal and snacks rates of a daycare
facility from the Internal Revenue Service Publication 587 (U.S. Department of the Treasury,
2014).

Dell Learning Center Budget

Budget Amount
Staffing

$111,750.00 annual salaries

Insurance

$1,000.00 for 1 year

Computers

$7,200.00

Food Snacks

$36,124.00

Income Generated

($52,800.00)

Total

$103,274.00

Timeline/Schedule

Activity

Expected Completion Date

Submit Proposal

July, 2015

Expected Proposal Response

August, 2015

Update Facility Name to The Dell Learning Center

October, 2015

Receive Computers

October, 2015

Hire and Train New Staff

December, 2015

Expand Operation Hours

January, 2016

Conclusion
The Dell Learning Center will boost the creativity and promote the importance of education for
our children during their different stages in life. Parents will have an additional motivation to
attend and finish school to provide a better future for their children. If we contribute to education
and literacy, we will have a better environment for the current and future generations. Dell is a
pioneer in assisting the ones in need, especially our children. Your contribution will have a great
positive impact on many lives. The children of today will be our future professionals working in
different fields to improve our quality of life.
We ask for your generous contribution to make the Dell Learning Center a reality. This will
create a stronger economy and promote Dell as an exemplary leader in education. We have
the opportunity to continue this legacy for future generations through this center. We will be
honored to have you as a valued sponsor to help us make a difference in the community.
We envision this project to begin in late October 2015; therefore, we would appreciate your
response by the 10th day of the August regarding the funding of $103,274.00. Please contact
Rachel Beachy at (972) 222-2222 to set up a meeting. Thank you for your time, and we look
forward to providing a better tomorrow for our children and students at the Dell Learning Center.

References

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