Teen center receives $15,000 software package

Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to ask.

The Landstuhl Teen Center recently learned that lesson when a staff member asked the computer giant Microsoft for some new software.

As part of the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Club Tech program, the teen center recently received more than $15,000 worth of computer software from Microsoft, said Ricky Ruiz, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern youth programs director.

“At Microsoft, we believe technology can do amazing things,” the award letter stated. “That’s why we partner with thousands of organizations like yours around the world to help each one achieve its mission.”

The teen center will soon receive 15 copies each of “Streets and Trips 2011,” “Office Professional Plus 2010” and “Expression Studio 4 Web Professional.”

The new software will help the 50 to 60 teens who visit the center on a daily basis become more competitive in technology contests, Ruiz said.

“This gives our youth the access to applications that they may not have had access to before,” Ruiz said. “This increases their knowledge base and will help them have an advantage in competitions and in searching for grants and scholarships.”