DADE CITY- Many high school sophomores might want to play games when they sit down at a personal computer.

But using a computer is serious business for Christopher Brown, who attends James Irvin Education Center.

Brown, 16, of Dade City, is one of about a dozen students who have been involved this school year in a Jobs and Employability Program (JETP) at the Florida Pioneer Museum and Village and the Historic Dade City Depot.

JETP, which is funded by the United States Department of Labor, enables students to acquire employment skills in a classroom setting and to practice them in a work environment.

Brown’s work environment is the Railroad Depot and his work has been using a scanner to make digital images of them which can be later printed out as needed. Brown also has learned how to digitally adjust or "restore" old photographs that have been damaged.

He said he enjoys what he is doing with JETP "a lot" and that he looks forward to coming over to the Depot and working. Also, Brown said, he feels participating in JETP has been good for him.

Judy Shaffer, an instructor with Henkels & McCoy, Inc. National Training Services, resented Brown with a certificate of achievement on Thursday, May 1. It is one of many that Brown has received through his participation in JETP.

Some of the students who have been participating in JETP at the Depot have helped to digitally scan some materials from the Voice of Victory newspaper columns that former State Rep. and Dade City Mayor John S. Burks wrote during World War II for the Dade City Banner, as the Pasco News was known at that time.

Several photographs of serviceman with whom Burks corresponded have been saved on the computer. People who recently attended a mixer that was hosted at the Depot for Greater dade City Area Chamber of Commerce members had an opportunity to view the impressive computerized presentation.

Students who participated in JETP at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village concentrated on categorizing and inventorying items, Shaffer said.

Although Shaffer works at James Irvin, she is employed by Henkels & McCoy, Inc. There are similar training programs in many Pasco County schools.

Paul Mitchell, a program coordinator for Henkels & McCoy, said that Brown and other JETP participants were doing their part to help [reserve parts of Pasco County history.

Some of the photographs that the students have been converting into digital images were originals and had been in public display. Now, those originals, which no longer need to be displayed, can be kept in a manner that will help to preserve them for posterity.

Using digital technology allows a "picture that looks like the original picture" to be displayed, according to Mitchell.

JETP is a joint initiative of the District School Board of Pasco County, the Pasco Hernando Jobs & Education Partnership Regional Board, Inc. and the American Workforce Network.

The Pasco Hernando Jobs & Education Partnership Regional Board is a not-for-profit organization that serves Pasco and Hernando counties by administering local workforce development and welfare reform programs as part of the State of Florida and the Federal Government’s initiatives.

The American Workforce Network is the nationwide partnership of development organizations that provide a full range of information and services to help employers find skilled workers and Americans manage career transition.