Introduction

Basic computer skills play a growing role in determining individual success in our society. Increasingly, access to community services is being provided through the Internet. Distance education courses are using computers to distribute educational materials, facilitate communication between students and instructors, and to provide forums for discussion between students. Most of the students who come to The Write Place in Parksville for help with literacy skills do not have access to computers or to the opportunity to gain computer skills. The P4 Literacy Project was set up to provide students with access to computers, to the Internet and to Literacy BC's Literacy Network. This report outlines the process we went through to set up the lab at The Write Place, and how the lab was used once it was up and running. The report is divided into two main sections, on setting up the lab, and on running it. A detailed explanation of some computer terms is provided in Appendix A as a reference for other groups planning to set up a computer lab.