PLEASANT HILL -- When teachers at Valley View Middle School have trouble with their computers or need help learning new software programs, who they gonna call? The Mouse Squad.

The Mouse Squad is a group of 22 tech-savvy seventh- and eighth-graders who serve as information technology experts on campus. Just like real IT professionals, they pick up computer-generated help requests on the Mouse Squad website, fix the problems, then write up what they did after they're done.

"It feels really good," said eighth-grader Francis Pham, who is the squad captain. "It's like you're saving the day."

The students meet once a week at lunchtime with computer teacher Shauna Hawes. Hawes got grants to help pay for the school's membership in the statewide organization, which aims to interest students -- especially girls and minorities -- in tech careers. About 3,500 students in grades 4-12 in 125 California schools have participated in the program since 2003, said Jan Half, program director for Mouse Squad of California."This is a program that doesn't just teach them the tech skills," she said, "but also workplace skills and communication and confidence and leadership -- a lot of other qualities that employers tell us are really great skills, too."

Valley View Mouse Squad members said the club has helped them to learn more about computers and software than they would ordinarily be able to in middle school.

They know how to set up computers and understand what each part does. When something goes wrong, they trouble-shoot the problem. And, in what is likely a relief to every frustrated person with a broken computer, they listen intently to those they are helping, including teachers and community members.

"We had senior citizens who are all well-educated members of the Lamorinda community coming here to learn about Google Docs from middle-schoolers," Hawes said. "And the teachers comment on how mature the kids are."

The young techies have attended technology conferences in Contra Costa County and American Canyon, offering tech support to educators and giving presentations about their club. The Mouse Squad organization provides online lessons that help students hone their skills and earn badges, along with a tool kit, teacher training and tech support for the clubs.

The Mouse Squad has become so popular at Valley View that Hawes said she had 50 applicants for 22 spots this year. The students said instead of being viewed as nerds, many of their classmates think that knowing the ins and outs of computers is cool.

In Silicon Valley, businesses such as Xilinx in San Jose partner with schools by providing funding and volunteers who help teach the courses and give students insights into what their jobs entail, Half said. Cisco and other businesses host field trips to their facilities to get students interested in working at their companies, she said.

Sharman Gordon, an Apple certified service provider, spoke to the Mouse Squad at Valley View about their work with computers. After Gordon's presentation, students practiced the basics of troubleshooting, starting with making sure all components were properly connected.

"All of the kids at this age are interested in computers, but most don't have this level of confidence about how the system works," Hawes said. "My hope is that's what the Mouse Squad is building -- the belief that: 'I can do this.'"

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