CyberMill to close - Mission Accomplished!

CyberMill’s Board of Directors has announced, “We will be closing at the end of the year. With our school district’s embrace of project based learning and technology for every student, CyberMill has declared mission accomplished!”

In November 1999, CyberMill became a 501(c)3 non­profit organization. Cynthia Dempsey, founding Executive Director said, “Our supporters wanted to provide students ready access to computers, and to teach creative software programs. A very significant part of our mission was to inspire students to become producers of media, not just consumers, by encouraging their participation in building a clubhouse based on collaborative learning.”

In the years since CyberMill first opened, the world has seen amazing advances in technology. When CyberMill first planned to open, everyone was worried about Y2K. Nationwide 58% of homes had a computer and 22% of them were connected to the Internet1, mostly using a “dial up” connection. Firefox, YouTube and Facebook would not even exist for another couple of years; and phones wouldn’t get smart until the iPhone’s release in 2007.

To help students develop the technology skills they would need, founding benefactor, Kozo Sato conceived the idea of CyberMill Clubhouse (in 1999). “The Sato Foundation has been a major supporter since our inception. We are so grateful to their generous support, which has enriched the lives of countless Napa Valley children and their families. Numerous foundations, businesses, service organizations and individuals have been extremely generous in contributing to our success. We are proud of our achievements and the support from our community,” said Dempsey.

Over the past 13 years, CyberMill Technology Center has served over 6,500 children and their families. Workshops have enriched students from Elementary through High School, helping to bring computers into countless households. In 2011, the Napa Chamber of Commerce recognized CyberMill as the “Outstanding Non­Profit of the Year.”

CyberMill has helped to prepare kids for their future by fostering creativity and resourcefulness. It has been a fun, educational and enriching experience for all of us. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our community for encouraging and supporting us throughout the years.

1 US Census Bureau, August, 2000