On the one hand, in light of the post-election doldrums and confusion, and the loss of energy and resources that generally characterizes the nonprofit sector as a whole at this time, we find a miniscule amount of shrunken funding now being provided to community technology centers directly. The Department of Education's CTC program funding is a mere shadow of what it once was and could yet be. And there's none at all for Community Networking models efforts. The Technology Opportunities TOP program in the Department of Commerce has been defunded and altogether abolished. And this all on top of the suspension of the e-rate program, the country's capstone, multi-billion dollar effort to provide technology access and education equity via subsidized funding for schools, libraries, and rural health centers, amidst charges of fraud and abuse and welfare Cadillac mother parallels, albeit with corporate telecommunications firms and consultants playing the latter role. It is ironic and a comment on our sad situation that we bemoan the withering of this program, given its exclusion of the nonprofit community sector to begin with. The e-rate program would be much more powerful if it reached and helped integrate a stronger and more solidified education-community service collaboration/coalition, as David Hughes and Terry Grunwald argued in these pages in 1999.

In any case, our perspectives here begin and end with TOP. We've stopped by there before, in the winter-spring of 2002. Now Michael Miranda and Tony Wilhelm offer framing eulogies, a call to arms and a more reflective and intimate summing up.

The surprise is, amidst the gloom and doom, how much excitement and development is going on in the field. Wireless is exploding along with its community applications, giving a real arena and visibility to the call for universal broadband. Blogs, podcasting, open source, and a host of new applications underlie a new vitality and excitement, further evidenced by the development of the Beehive, the relaunch of the Digital Divide Network, the promise of eBay Drop-Off Center community models, the birth of The Journal of Community Informatics, and the other contents of the current issue.

Among the other positive developments, the CTC VISTA project has received its earliest indication to date that we'll be continuing past 2005 — and maybe even have some growth possibilities — all to be confirmed and filled out more fully by the next issue. Meanwhile, the new VISTA Project web site, designed by Assistant Project Director (and CTR designer) Paul Hansen, reflects some of the project's new energy and development.

The current issue comes in at 25% larger than any previous issue, much of this thanks to the good work and efforts of Dan Schackman, new Assistant Editor. The ComTechReview is changing in other ways, too. Our thanks to Richard Civille, who has served as Co-Editor since 1999 up to this issue, and now joins the Editorial Advisory Board, whose full membership will be announced next issue. We'll continue to build on our hard copy-online integrated publishing, thanks again to Saul Baizman — note the highlighted text in the hard copy pages indicates buried links to web-sites in the online version, a style we hope you find combines both easy readability and immediate resource access. As always, we welcome your comments and contributions. -pm

The CMT Program at the College of Public and Community Service (CPCS) at UMass/Boston is currently offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in community media and technology, the first of its kind in the country, and a six course/competency stand-alone Certificate. Classes are available on-line as well as in person.

CMT Initiatives include the CTC VISTA Project, now in its fifth year, the Community Technology Review, the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative (CBC), and the Boston Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Electronic Filing and Technology Access Project.

UMass/Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley and Rep. Barney Frank (MA) at the CTC VISTA Orientation

On September 1, 2004, 40 new CTC VISTAs serving around the country were sworn in by Rep. Barney Frank (MA) during a ceremony following the program's Pre-Service Orientation at the College. Rep. Frank spoke enthusiastically about the importance of public service and the inequities that the VISTA program is intended to help rectify. University Chancellor J. Keith Motley also spoke with appreciation about the importance of the program. The orientation included workshops on community organizing, led by Rich Cowan of the Organizers' Collaborative, and digital media production led by Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative Director Nettrice Gaskins, as well as a panel discussion featuring CTC VISTA alumni. CTC VISTAs are working in a variety of capacities at community technology sites, including coordinating computer labs, developing after-school curricula, organizing regional CTC networks, and producing community cable access television programming. The PSO also included an orientation to AmeriCorps*VISTA by Corporation project officers Marsha Colbert and Sherry McClintock.

This year, the Project is being supported by two VISTA Leaders. I am working with Saul Baizman, who had been a CTC VISTA at CPCS last year, and we're joined by Resource Specialist Lauren Penney, who had been a CTC VISTA at EDC/ YouthLearn.

As presented in last winter's Review, CPCS received a grant in 2003 from the U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Opportunity Program (TOP) to develop a low-income community support project using the simplified EITC tax filing software application called “I-CAN! EITC.” I-CAN assists low-income residents in applying for and receiving the full amount of Earned Income Tax Credit due to them, and opens up substantial new possibilities for "Putting Money Back into Poor People's Pockets," as reported the previous spring.

The EITC program brings more people out of poverty than any other federal program, including welfare. EITC is eight times the size of the Workforce Investment Act program and more than ten times the size of Community Development Block Grant funding. Low-income families can qualify for up to $4,741 in federal and state money. But many people are unaware of the EITC and therefore don't apply for it. Many of those who take advantage of the credit pay high fees to commercial preparers.

The purpose of the project is to:

•  Expand the capacity of free tax preparation sites in providing assistance to taxpayers by using I-CAN! EIC.

•  Assess the ease of use of I-CAN! EIC and its capacity to promote greater independence for EITC-eligible individuals when submitting their tax returns.

•  Increase the number of access sites to include CTCs and similar organizations.

•  Provide access to financial literacy information and programs.

In implementing the program for the '04 tax year, CPCS invited Massachusetts CTCs and other community-based organizations to apply for $5,000 mini-grants to develop an outreach and service program using I-CAN.

CPCS' I-CANN/EITC Project Director Dorie A. Kraus (l.) leads the program training session on November 16, 2004.

Nine mini-grants have been awarded to Full Service Free Tax Preparation sites and I-CAN/EITC-Only Sites. Full Service sites have the expertise, staff and full range of software to offer tax preparation to everyone in its service area who is eligible for free tax preparation, whether they are EITC-eligible or not; I-CAN/EITC-Only sites provide services only to those who are EITC-eligible.

I-CAN/EITC Only sites are: the Egleston Square YMCA in Dorchester, and the Timothy Smith Lab at the John A. Shelburne Community Center in Roxbury. Full Service Tax Preparation sites include Action for Boston Community Development's Parker Hill/Fenway Neighborhood Service Center and South Boston Action Center, the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester, the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation (HOPE) in Jamaica Plain, and the Roxbury Resource Center of the Boston Office of Jobs & Community Services, and, outside of Boston, the Greater New Bedford Community Computing Center, the International Institute of Greater Lawrence, and the Massachusetts Justice Project in Holyoke . Additionally, the Taylor Center for Media, Arts and Technology at CPCS is serving as an ICAN/EITC site. Training for grantees took place at the Taylor Center on November 16.

CTC VISTAs Alli Shaughnessy and Jennifer Schmitt work on the filming of an EITC PSA with Alan Gentile of the Roxbury Resource Center.

The project hopes to help add an additional $1,000,000 to the pockets of low-income individuals and families this tax season. CTC VISTAs have supported the project by participating in the production of public service announcements and a promotional video, led by CBC Director Nettrice Gaskins. CBC's “First Tuesday” series produced a program in February, 2003 about EITC.

Throughout 2004, CTCNet undertook an intensive strategic planning process, culminating in a planning retreat this past fall. Our board and staff, driven in large part by our members' concerns and ideas, have redeveloped our organizational roadmap for the next few years to better reflect the challenges and opportunities faced by our member centers and the broader community technology field. The following are key updates regarding our most recent developments:

New Board Members and Officers

CTCNet is pleased to announce our Board Officers for 2004-2005: Angela Stuber, Ohio Community Computing Network (President); Shireen Mitchell, Digital Sisters (Vice President); Maria Teresa Caligaris, John Lewis Coffee Shop, Inc. (Treasurer); Nettrice Gaskins, Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative (Secretary).

New board members who began their terms in June 2004 are: Alicia Aaltmueller (Fund for the City of New York), Ric Estrada (Erie Neighborhood House), Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry (Youth for Technology Foundation), Karen Wade (Project TECH).

The following board members ended their terms in 2004: Zenobia Johnson-Black (Chicago, IL), Hank Lewis (Hampton, VA), Mercedes Soto (Chicago, IL), and Felicia Sullivan (Lowell, MA).

Staff

Over the past few months, CTCNet welcomed two exceptional new staff members:

Tara Kumar, Program Associate for Connections for Tomorrow (Cambridge, MA): Prior to joining CTCNet, Tara managed a community development project in Western MA, and a grants project focusing on grassroots leadership development in the South. Tara received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her Master's degree in City Planning from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Amy Lesser, Director of Programs (Washington, DC): Amy joins the CTCNet management team, responsible for overall program planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Amy's previous experience includes directing training programs for social change advocates, and managing civic participation projects that incorporate technology in the U.S. and abroad. Amy holds an A.B. from Mount Holyoke College in Physics and Philosophy; an M.S. in Physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison; and was a Luce Scholar with the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at Osaka University in Japan.

Grant Programs – Connections for Tomorrow, Youth Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods, Access to Action

CTCNet announced the next round of grants for the Connections for Tomorrow (C4T) and Youth Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods programs. Both programs are no longer accepting applicants at this time.

The 2004-2005 C4T Massachusetts Grants Program will provide $750,000 in grants and substantial in-kind support to 37 community- and faith-based organizations providing community technology resources throughout Massachusetts that serve at-risk youth or homeless populations.

CompuMentor and Community Partners were recently hired to coordinate workshops and provide technical assistance and support to the California C4T grantees through the third year of the program.

Youth Visions Grants, supported by the Corporation for National Service's Learn and Serve America program, are designed to give youth and community technology programs the opportunity to use multimedia tools and training to engage in community decision-making to strengthen their neighborhoods. The 2004 Youth Visions grantees conducted workshops in the fall to showcase their multimedia products with their local communities, and to teach other local youth groups how to incorporate community-based curriculum into their programming. More than 150 local organizations participated in these hugely successful events in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York City, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC. The 2004 grantees are now finished with their projects, and currently are participating in evaluations that will help to better inform next year's programming.

Access to Action, formerly the “CTCs as Catalysts for Community Change” project, continues to explore the role of CTCs in affecting upward mobility for individuals, social integration in neighborhoods, and public spaces that support community building. Two of the original sites under the project, the Alamo Mutual Housing Association and Madison Park Development Corporation, will receive implementation grants for their projects. CTCNet has developed an initial draft of a Resource Guide to help CTCs through the steps needed to extend their capacity and impact in these areas. In 2005, CTCNet will develop and publish a working draft of guide, and convene a Reflection & Planning Retreat to explore lessons learned in order to strengthen this initiative and plan for a potential new round of grant opportunities.

Over 500 participants, representing thirty states and nine countries, attended the 2004 CTCNet Annual Conference, held June 11-13, 2004 in Seattle, WA. The theme, “Building Connected Communities: the Power of People & Technology,” explored the vision of the community technology movement as a force for community development through more than 50 professional development and organizational capacity-building workshops, panel plenaries, and special events. A team of youth journalists, representing technology and media programs from Tacoma, WA; Salt Lake City, UT; and Camden, NJ, provided the official multimedia document of all conference proceedings.

CTCNet Executive Director Kavita Singh with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (WA)

The "Welcome to Seattle" evening reception featured local government, community, and education leaders. Peer networks in other regions of the world shared experiences and ideas through the "Connecting Across Borders” international symposium. The Community Technology Share Fair, a peer-driven resource showcase, featured dozens of practitioner demonstrations and new product releases. CTCNet and the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) hosted an exclusive advance screening of “Freedom Machines,” a powerful documentary on assistive technology. The Center for Media & Community at Education Development Center hosted a reception to release a report on electronic government, produced in conjunction with the New York State Forum of the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Microsoft's Akhtar Badshah

This year's Toni Stone Innovation Initiative Award Luncheon featured welcome remarks from U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), and a keynote address from Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director of Global Community Affairs at Microsoft. The 2004 Toni Stone Innovative Initiative Award was presented to Coretta Alexander, Associate Director of StreetTech, in recognition of her work to provide life skills and personal support to her students.

The 14th Annual CTCNet Conference will be June 16-19, 2005 in Cleveland, Ohio at the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center. Mark your calendars and plan to attend!

Distance Learning,Telemedicine, and Broadband Program: $56.4 million (House request: $44.6 million; Senate request: $60 million)

Conference agreement provides $35 million for distance learning and telemedicine grants ($10 million for public broadcasting system grants, $710,000 for distance learning and telemedicine loan subsidy); $11.7 million in loan subsidies and $9 million in grants for broadband activity. Also provides estimated loan program levels of up to $50 million for distance learning and telemedicine, and $550 million for broadband telecommunications.

Rural Telephone Bank: $175 million (in line with House and Senate requests)

Loan financing program assisting rural telecommunications companies to improve and expand telecommunications service in rural areas.

Advanced Technology Program: $142.3 million (House request: $0; Senate request: $203 million)

Provides support for research and development of innovative technologies through early financial support, research support, peer-review and evaluation for projects developed in partnership with for-profit companies of all sizes, universities and non-profits. Conference report did not adopt specific language requested by the Senate for new awards to be made.

Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: $21.8 million (in line with Senate request; House request: $2.5 million)

Competitive grant program that helps public broadcasting stations, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations construct facilities to bring educational and cultural programs to the American public using broadcast and non-broadcast telecommunications technologies.

Technology Opportunities Program: $0 (in line with House request; Senate request: $14.8 million)

Competitive grant program to demonstrating practical applications of new telecommunications and information technologies to serve the public interest. Will continue to fund and administer existing grant obligations. [See commentary in this issue by Anthony Wilhelm and Michael Maranda]

VISTA: $95 million (House request: $93.7 million; Senate request: $96.4 million)

AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve in hundreds of nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout the country – working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing opportunities, or bridge the digital divide.

21st Century Learning Centers: $999 million (conference agreement with House request; Senate request: $1 billion)

Post-school day opportunities for students and their families through centers providing expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools in collaboration with other public and non-profit agencies, organizations, local businesses, post- secondary institutions, scientific/cultural and other community entities. Tutorial services and academic enrichment activities are designed to help students meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading and math. In addition 21st CCLC programs provide youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, counseling and character education to enhance the academic component of the program.

Community Technology Centers: $5 million (House request: $0; Senate request: $11 million) Creates or expand community technology centers that provide disadvantaged residents of economically distressed urban and rural communities with access to information technology and training on how to use it. Organizations such as foundations, museums, libraries, private non- profit organizations and faith-based organizations that have the capacity to significantly expand access to computers and related services for disadvantaged residents of economically distressed communities are eligible to apply.

Education Technology State Grants: $500 million (House request: $600 million; Senate request: $691.8 million)

Main federal initiative supporting the integration of technology into classroom instruction through formula grants to the states.

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: $1.38 million (conference agreement with Senate request; House request: $1.4 million)

Provides information and training for community and faith-based organizations with respect to HHS programs

Compassion Capital Fund: $55 million (conference agreement with House request; Senate request: $47.7 million

Helps faith-based and community organizations increase their effectiveness and enhance their ability to provide social services to serve those most in need through two grant programs, the Demonstration Program (intermediaries) and the Targeted Capacity Building Program (mini- grants).

Neighborhood Networks: $15 million (conference agreement with Senate request) Competitive grants under the Public Housing Capital Fund to establish and operate computer centers in and around public housing, so that residents can have access to the technology skills that are increasingly important in the 21st century workplace. Up to an additional $1 million will be available for technical assistance to these centers, and to allow centers to serve individuals receiving other forms of housing assistance.

Community College/Community-Based Job Training Grants : $250 million (conference agreement with President's budget request)

New initiative to strengthen partnerships among workforce investment boards, community colleges, and employers to train workers for high growth, high demand industries in the new economy.

One Stop Career Centers: $98.7 million (conference agreement)

One-Stop Centers bring together employment and training services that work with all people into one place and make it easier for job seekers and employers to use these services. Services available through the One-Stop system include such things as: information about job vacancies, career options, and relevant employment trends; instruction on how to conduct a job search, write a resume, or interview with an employer; referral to training programs and unemployment insurance claim processing.

ilCTC Management Team: front row, l-r, Paul Adams, Debra Walker Johnson, Rep. Constance Howard, Deborah Strauss. Back row, l-r, Mike Dickson, Layton Olson, Eugene Fregetto.

ilCTC is a partnership of community and technology-focused organizations dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide for low-income urban and rural residents throughout Illinois. Its lead members include: CTCNet Chicago, Prairienet, the IT Resource Center, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Erie Neighborhood House, Western Illinois Center for the Application of Information Technologies, U of IL Extension Services, Northern Illinois Center for Adaptive Technologies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Midwest Technology Access Group. CTCNet Chicago served as the conference organizer.

This conference was designed to connect people working in community-based organizations in Illinois to a statewide network dedicated to improving the quality of life for people through digital literacy and Internet access programs.

Illinois political leaders participated actively, beginning with the welcome address from keynote speaker Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, who addressed the importance of technology access in urban and rural areas. Our lunchtime speaker, Illinois State Rep. Connie Howard, validated the importance of the work being done by Illinois CTCs to promote digital inclusion throughout the state. Both have invested significant energy and influence in developing funding streams for the work of CTCs. [Editor’s note: For previous coverage of IL funding and statewide organizing, see the report on the ilCTC initial organizing efforts in the spring of 2003.]

“Telling your story with Data” workshop: (l-r) Peter Haas, Center for Neighborhood Technology; Mercedes Soto, IT Resource Center; Nicole Friedman, Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Professional development workshops offered tracks in three crucial areas for CTCs: sustainability, communication and collaboration, featuring sessions highlighing Best Practices in Community Technology for Youth Programs, Workforce Development and Recycling. Participants were able to learn about creative fundraising strategies and grantwriting basics as well as tools and resources to help support their work the through sustainability workshops. The communication workshops, Getting Your News on the Air & Into Print, Telling Your Story with Data, and Getting your Message Out to the Community, provided participants with helpful suggestions on developing the story, documenting success and how to get the message out. The collaboration track provided attendees with examples of successful collaborative experiences in advocacy and how they can work together to expand services and resources, while the Broadband and WiFi workshop provided spirited discussions on last mile/first mile solutions. An evening reception provided plenty of food and networking opportunities for attendees as well as a breathtaking view of Chicago’s lakefront. 

Day two began with a Funder's panel with representatives from two public funding agencies who provided attendees with insight on what they look for in proposals and how the decision process works. A legislative panel then educated attendees on the importance of working with and educating legislators on their work to help secure resources and influence legislation impacting their programs. Panelists Linda Fowells from the California Community Technology Policy Group, Ryan Turner from CTCNet National, and Thyatiria Towns from U.S. Representative Bobby Rush’s (IL) Technology Taskforce, contributed to helping Illinois centers further develop the work of building the statewide network.

(l-r) Bruce Montgomery, Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Chicago; Nancy Brittle, IBM; and Max Gail, AFCN Board of Directors.

Roundtable discussions focused on sharpening the vision for the statewide technology network and the follow-up facilitated session resulted in the development of a blueprint for the statewide association. 

This first-ever statewide conference attracted a broad range of participants including CTC staff and leaders, representatives of intermediary organizations, individuals from university programs supporting CTCs, vendors, and government staff. We are proud of what was achieved through this conference, another step in building a statewide community technology organization in Illinois.

Community Technology Centers have teamed up with 17 AmeriCorps members in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to increase technology literacy within the new Community Technology Empowerment Program (CTEP). CTEP is the result of five years of work by the regional consortia of CTCs in the Twin Cities area, C-CAN, to help CTCs increase technology access and programming for new immigrants and low-income residents.

The Twin Cities area has seen an increased need for technology access and literacy programs due to an influx of new immigrant residents. The 2000 Census showed, for instance, an increase of 166% of the Latino population and of 108% of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population. Many new immigrants and minorities live in federally designated “Empowerment Zones,” under HUD's community revitalization program. These areas of the cities have the largest number of minorities and non-English speakers, and the highest percentage of poverty and unemployment in the state.

New immigrants often need immediate access to basic resources such as health care, housing, social services, and human rights and educational resources , but run into barriers to finding and using these community services due to economic, linguistic, and cultural differences. In addition, as many neighborhood organizations and CTCs are under-funded, there are significant gaps in developing sustainable technology programs in “Empowerment Zone” communities to provide training and improve immigrant economic conditions. CTEP AmeriCorps members are helping CTCs support these new residents using technology tools that already exist in many communities.

AmeriCorps CTEP members begin by broadly and thoroughly assessing and evaluating their CTC's technological capacity. Members have spent their first few months gathering information about their host site CTC and surrounding communities and will now be helping their sites develop strategic plans to improve CTC outreach programs. Members also support staff in serving neighborhood youth and adults through new programming, including multimedia projects. In addition, members promote understanding of existing technology tools and resources, and train and manage CTC volunteers, connecting them to service activities in their communities.

CTEP AmeriCorps Members

“CTEP AmeriCorps members will be doing various capacity building projects at their host sites. One major focus for members is increasing volunteerism because many non-profits rely on volunteers to deliver services to communities. Another is the assessment on the technology capacity of the organization. This report doesn't focus on technology, as much as how the organization increases technology literacy for community members. It will allow an organization to make informed decisions about its technology facilities and education,” said CTEP director Jeff Streier.

Members receive ongoing training and professional development that will ultimately allow them to train others. Some will develop culturally and linguistically appropriate websites and public service announcements in Hmong (for a special minority group from Laos), Vietnamese, Khmer (for native Cambodian speakers), Spanish, and Somali focused on health care, housing, social services, and human rights and educational resources. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights member is working on recruitment of translators for MDHR's website to be translated into Hmong, Spanish, and Somali and to increase access to this information. Members will focus on developing media like this to help immigrants and low-income residents tune in to community resources.

“Several of our members will be able to infuse the first language of immigrants with technology training. One example is a computer basics class in Hmong or Somali. Or how about the other way around—ESL classes that use technology to learn English? There will certainly be technology learning going on there,” Streier said.

Having an AmeriCorps member on-site at a CTC frees up staff from what they may not have the time or skills to implement alone. Since each organization is unique, there will be collaboration for resource use and development. Members will learn to teach so that they can bring back sustainability to their specific site and its community, as well as the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Unanticipated collaborations seem a given for the members, as they took time at their first orientation on October 19, 2004 to talk about how they could share their skills and interests.

CTEP AmeriCorps member Mustafa Ali was enthusiastic about sharing his skills. “I know Somali. I can help you translate,” he said to fellow member Linda Shoemaker. “Human rights information is needed in the Somali language.”

CTEP is administered by ServeMinnesota-the Minnesota Commission on National and Community Service.

CTCs and libraries share many similarities, and thus the opportunities for collaboration are vast.  But when I surveyed Ohio's CTC community, even I was surprised by the breadth and variety of CTC/Library partnerships. From partnering to provide high-speed Internet access to refurbished computers, libraries are natural allies in the community technology movement.  Listed here are just a few examples of how CTCs and Libraries can partner to enhance their programs and, hopefully, offer insight and inspiration to other CTCs outside of Ohio.

The Holland Center, Southern Perry County

Partnering to Provide High-Speed Internet: Southern Perry County

The Holland Center, SPiCYAM and SPICE organizations developed a verbal agreement in 2002 for access to utilize the Perry County District Libraries T1 line. With the assistance of the Ohio University CNS (Communications Network Services) department each of the facilities was outfitted with the necessary equipment needed to access the T1. SPiCYAM is located across the street from the Shawnee branch library, which ran cable into their center. The Holland Center and SPICE received service through the Corning branch library, which fed a satellite signal through a bank to the nearby centers. All organizations have indefinite use of the line as long as their purpose for utilization falls within the libraries’ guidelines such as allowing individuals public access and prohibiting the use of the line for profit.

Partnering to provide innovative programs: Athens

Life As a Kid project

The Appalachian Media Access Center (AMAC) partnered with the local Athens Branch library to develop the “Life as a Kid” project, a video collaborative that compiled interviews with local residents of all ages relating their experiences as children growing up in Appalachia. The library conceived the project and recruited AMAC to act as a consultant and tech support after being funded through an OCCN grant. The AMAC staff helped children and adults throughout the process learn how to shoot and edit the video footage. They also acted as consultants in the purchasing of the video equipment.

Partnering to provide knowledgeable staff: Cleveland

The Technology and Information Literacy Initiative (TILI) is an innovative program that seamlessly blends technology and technology training, information literacy training, bibliographic instruction, support resources, and other electronic information tools to buttress the learning process. In partnership with the Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) library, the TILI program gains support through knowledgeable staff and instructors. Many of the participating CTCs’ instructors are required to have a Library Sciences degree and teach Information Gathering techniques to the centers’ students.

Partnering to provide funds and space: Sandusky and Oberlin

The Sandusky Library received a $70,000 grant from the Ohio Community Computing Network to equip and operate a community technology center in the new Library. The CTC is called the Center for Lifelong Learning and it is located in, and owned and operated by, the Sandusky Library.  With a service area population of 50,000 people, about 1,400 people visit the library every day.  This makes the location of the lab very accessible for the community, and with the library’s technology and reference staff here, the patrons have all the help they need to find the information they are seeking. The classroom-style computer lab features 15 computers, and is located in the renovated Erie County Jail portion of the new Library. As part of Clevnet, a consortium of libraries in the northern Ohio area, the Center for Lifelong Learning recently used the lab to conduct training for librarians on the new SIRSI library services program.

The Bridge in Oberlin has been in partnership with the Public Library since 2000 when it first opened.  The library acted as the Bridge’s first fiscal agent and handled all of its financial reports and accounting.  From the beginning, the library had hoped the Bridge would become an extension of the library, which it did in 2002. All of the Bridge’s operational costs are funded through the library’s budget, but the center still actively seeks grants for special projects and programs.

Partnering to provide supplementary materials: Zanesville

The James Madison CTC for Families and Zanesville City Schools have a strong partnership with the public library and the school libraries. The center’s clientele frequent the public library for its summer programs and other activities. In return, the public library sends books and computer programs to use at the CTC. The school libraries house the center’s computer reading programs. The CTC also just received a 21st Century grant and plans to offer computer programs to enhance learning each morning (CCC Successmaker, Accelerated Reader, Wiggleworks, etc.). The center’s adults have also received computer training from the public library.

Partnering to provide the community with refurbished technology: Dayton

The Easter Seals Technology Resource Center , an organization that provides services using assistive technology, has a partnership with the Dayton Local Library, which donates old computers to the center for refurbishment. These newly refurbished computers are then redistributed to special-needs classroom teachers in the local area.

Partnering to share patrons: Scioto County

In addition to the ABLE site located at the Lucasville Library Branch, there is a library branch at the Northwest Family Resource Center (home of the Northwest Community Technology Center). Students are asked when they enroll if they currently have a library card.  If not, they are directed to obtain one. In return, the library refers patrons to the CTC if the librarian senses a person may have certain needs, such as help with reading. The center also offers early childhood education classes in conjunction with the library's adult workshops.  The adults drop off their children at the center before they attend the library's workshop. In addition, the library's service coordinator is a member of the CTC’s advisory committee. The library also uses the Northwest CTC for workshops on computer literacy.  The CTC also uses the library computers if staff or patrons need to access a site that is blocked on the center’s computers.

The early 20th Century British politician Augustine Birrell once said "Libraries are not made; they grow."  By harvesting the resources from these great institutions, community technology programs will begin to grow, not just in size, but in value.  These are just a few examples from Ohio; I invite CTCs from around the world to develop relationships with that great hallmark of civilization, the library.

In September 2004, the City unveiled initial plans to implement a city-wide wireless network, ensuring Internet connectivity for all city residents for free or at a very modest price and transforming the city’s 135 square miles into the world’s largest wireless Internet “hot spot.”¹ A small number of cities throughout the United States have already contemplated similar plans; Chaska, Minnesota, a 15 square mile city of 18,000 southwest of Minneapolis, completed installation of a fully-functional wireless network in October 2004 that is available to all residents for a monthly fee of $16.² Implementation of free or low-cost, city-wide Internet access would make Philadelphia one of the first major cities to offer such a service to its residents.

Wireless Internet in Philly's Love Park

City officials estimate it will cost approximately $10 million to complete the infrastructure for a city-wide wireless network, and yearly network maintenance fees will total $1.5 million. The plan would involve placing hundreds, possibly thousands, of transmitters on lamp posts throughout the city, allowing any person in the city with a wireless-enabled device to access the Internet. Most standard laptops today now come equipped for wireless Internet access. Once construction of the wireless network is complete, Internet access will be available anywhere radio waves can travel, including low-income neighborhoods where most residents lack access to the Internet. The City hopes to provide wireless Internet for free or low-cost, offering a substantial savings over commercial providers, that on average charge $40 per month for Internet service.

Details of the ambitious project released in October 2004 set summer 2006 as the target date for completion; build-out will begin summer 2005. Wireless access will be free in most outdoor areas; however, the City intends to charge a fee for wireless access inside homes and businesses. No plans have yet been made on how the City will secure funding to complete the estimated $10 million project.³

Philadelphia is also the first city in the United States to offer International Computer Driving License (ICDL) certification, a globally recognized computer certification demonstrating proficiency in fundamental computer applications and IT skills. ICDL instruction covers basic concepts of Information Technology, using the computer and managing files, and word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and information and communication applications.

Ground was broken on November 15, 2004 for the School of the Future (artist’s rendering)

In addition to the City, the School District has partnered with Microsoft to create the School of the Future, a facility fostering the unique fusion of education and technology designed to embrace innovation, technology, and research and development. In November 2004, ground was broken for construction; the model school, costing an estimated $50 million, is expected to open in 2006, enrolling approximately 750 public high school students.⁴

Temple University, a public research university enrolling more than 34,000 students, recently received an $896,000 ITEST grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant is designed to increase the opportunities for students and teachers to study, experience, and apply information technology practices in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Through the ITEST grant, Temple will implement a three-year program designed to develop the Information Technology skills of inner-city youth in North Philadelphia through the development of a community geographic information system (GIS). Begun on September 1, 2004, each year, this project will provide 90 at-risk high school students with Information Technology instruction, spatial analysis, and cartographic and design skills through their involvement in developing and maintaining a community-based GIS. Instruction will be provided in Spanish and English, and students’ parents and family members will participate in the instructional process. The community GIS education model will be used to map neighborhood and community resources as well as catalogue community technology centers and create an inventory of their resources. Throughout the project, Temple and its Department of Electrical a nd Computer Enginee ring will collaborate with the School District, the Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha Rising Sun Avenue CTC, Delawarevalley.org, the Forward and Beyond Program of Harrison Campus Compact, and the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.⁵

Through a second NSF grant, Temple hopes to establish a community digital library to outreach to adults, nontraditional learners, and underserved communities; develop and enhance their science, math, and technology skills; and improve the quality of life at the community level.

In June 2004, Teaming for Technology (T4T), an initiative of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania providing technology to area nonprofits, launched the Internship Program. Through this program, IT students from Philadelphia high schools, community colleges, and vocational and technical schools are placed at non-profits for internships developing their skills in Helpdesk support, networking, programming, web design, databases, and desktop applications. As of November 2004, 27 interns have been placed in internships at 14 different organizations for the 2004-2005 academic year.

In addition to the Internship Program, T4T also operates the Digital Inclusion Program, launched in 2003, in partnership with One Economy Corporation, a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC, and the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and AchieveAbility, located in West Philadelphia and serving low-income, formerly homeless single parents and their children. T4T’s Digital Inclusion program has brought Internet access to two underserved neighborhoods of West Philadelphia by implementing a wireless network and providing computers to residents in their homes. Through a product grant from Cisco systems, wireless access points were placed throughout the neighborhood, and wireless cards were installed in computers given to each household. Over 200 families in two of Philadelphia’s most impoverished neighborhoods now have computers and access to high-speed wireless Internet in their homes. T4T and One Economy’s work was featured on the front page of The Washington Post in August 2004. ⁶

Philadelphia is becoming a technologically-rich society, providing access to technology to many city residents. Both Temple and T4T are bridging the digital divide by offering access to technology and the Internet to at-risk youth in North Philadelphia and low-income communities in West Philadelphia. In the very near future, the City will make the Internet available to all residents of Philadelphia as well as to those who visit, and the School District is turning to technology to provide a distinctive educational program and assist students in discovering their potential Through the diverse ways in which access to technology is provided throughout the city, Philadelphia is becoming a leader in the technology-driven twenty-first century and serves as a model for other cities to learn from.

1 The AP story, originally posted on CNN.com, “Philadelphia joins list of cities mulling wireless Internet for all,” is available on siloconvalley.com (as of 01.05)

2 “Cities find Wi-Fi future,” posted on CNN.com 10.18.04

3 “Philadelphia to start Wi-Fi next summer,” Wendy Tanaka, Philadelphia Inquirer, 11.01.04 — may require free registration on philly.com.

4 “Microsoft and the School District break ground to build School of the Future,” University City Review, 11.17.04, available at Philly 1.com & The Weekly Press.

5 “NSF Award Abstract: Building IT skills among inner-city youth in North Philadelphia through development of a community geographic information system,” 11.17.04.

6 Jonathan Krim, “Program Aids Urban Poor In Accessing The Internet,” The Washington Post, 08.09.04, p. A1.

AmeriCorps VISTAs Dan Wood, Carette Perkins, and jaebi

The New York City office of the national non-profit One Economy welcomed its first group of VISTAs in September 2003. I joined Dan Wood, Juliana Schwartz, Kristina Kennedy, and Lamar Howell as enthusiastic advocates of One Economy’s mission to increase the presence of information technology in the homes and lives of people in underserved communities.

Our work began with a focus on improving the content of the New York City Beehive (for other local Beehive sites, go to www.beehive.org and click the drop-down menu under “local”), an online resource and information center for New York City residents. The Beehive already provided a wide range of information on important resources from financial and professional matters to immigration and family issues in an easy to read and navigate format, ideal for individuals new to the Web. Some of the challenges the VISTA team faced included expanding on those resources, localizing them to the New York City area, and strategically organizing new material with related topics while keeping within the guidelines of well-written online content.

The late nights and weekend work paid off with over 200 pages of fresh content generated, building on the online resources for Money, Jobs, Schools, Health, and Family. Unlike a “Field Of Dreams” scenario, however, we learned that building an online information and resource center does not necessarily mean users will come. Understanding this, New York Program Director Kawi Mailutha and the VISTA team set out to develop outreach and projects using the Beehive, through local partnerships and good old-fashioned guerilla outreach tactics and local partnerships.

After a few months, the original OE VISTA “Beehive Evangelists” team,though decreased by two, began developing new projects in each of the city's five Boroughs, including training sessions for other non-profit staff and. Other efforts included attendance at events where end-users can be reached, such as the Community Food Resource Network’s Money Central, where people get help with Earned Income Tax Credit, and the NYC Breastfeeding Promotion Conference.

Student working on E Learning through Esylvan learning systems, hosted at Brooklyn Covenant Ministries

Led by Carrette Perkins, a VISTA who joined OE in January 2004, a collaborative effort with a Brownsville shelter that transitions families into affordable housing resulted in the transformation of a computer room with one PC running a dial-up Internet connection into a fully networked 15-machine DSL lab—New York’s first fully networked Beehive Resource Center.

“The Beehive Resource Center,” said Carrette, “provides a vital resource for shelter residents to connect to many of the services they need such as affordable housing, after school programs, and job information.” Especially when catalyzed through training sessions, such as the one offered in April 2004 focusing on the Beehive’s Resume Builder and Job Resources.

I led OE’s Digital Connectors program in partnership with an organization in Washington Heights. Bringing extensive experience in computer and information technology to the team, Fellow VISTA member Dan Wood and I added a more skill-based training curriculum to the original Digital Connectors model. Each week, the VISTAs spent Monday and Wednesday evenings leading the two-hour Digital Connector sessions with nine students, ages 11 to 16. The program went beyond basic computer training to incorporating hands on workshops, interaction with IT professionals, and field trips to places such as the Sony Wonder Technology Lab. This approach allowed the students to see computers and technology in action and the many ways technology is a part of their everyday lives.

Most of the Digital Connector students don’t have access to a PC at home or school, so this curriculum serves to better position them academically and professionally. Students receive a computer when they complete the program.

Holding up the back-end, Dan Wood put serious emphasis on the sustainability of the BeehiveNYC, making sure that every link on every page remains accurate and functional. He piloted a feasible system for updating and maintaining the BeehiveNYC to be in place for the next round of OE VISTAs to implement. Building infrastructure and sustainable programs within organizations are what the AmeriCorps VISTA service year is all about.

Keeping a good program going takes more than money. This article explores the techniques one community technology center, Fast Forward CTC in Columbia, South Carolina, has employed to ensure the longevity of one after-school program, ScienceQuest.

Background: ScienceQuest at Fast Forward

Kelsey, Oliver, Nita and Josh making an engine at Fast Forward.

Too often we are led to believe that sustainability of programs is solely a function of finances. Yet even a well-funded youth program won’t produce results if young people don’t want to participate and adults in the larger community don’t care about its success. At Fast Forward CTC in Columbia, South Carolina, one after-school program, ScienceQuest, has caught on in such a way with both youth and adults that the director, Dee Albritton, was recently prompted to explain, “In our case, sustainability isn’t about funding, it’s about interest.”

Fast Forward CTC launched ScienceQuest, a curriculum for teaching hands-on, investigative science to middle schoolers in after-school settings, two summers ago. They started with nine students and four adult coaches who met once a week from September to June. Using a tool called the I-search, they formulated questions, conducted experiments and published their activities on a website.

The first year was a stunning success. The kids were so enthusiastic about the program that Dee immediately shortened the program to one semester so more youth could participate. The next year 37 kids worked on ten different teams over two semesters with 24 adult coaches. The 2004-2005 sessions promise similar numbers. There is a waiting list to participate. Former participants want to attend again, siblings and classmates want to sign up, and higher income parents are asking if they can pay for their children to attend (youth are chosen based on their need for the program either academically or socially, and on recommendations by teachers).

Factors Contributing to Success

An after-school program must be grounded in the desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. Yet many after-school programs care passionately about young people and still fail. Fast Forward is an example of a successful program due to three interdependent factors: a solid organizational foundation, enthusiastic participants, and invested external stakeholders. A successful program must rest on a healthy foundation—good leadership, quality curriculum, stable location, and funding. Yet to be sustainable, it needs more. In this case, ScienceQuest draws on two other sources of support: participant enthusiasm and the investment of external stakeholders. Like pipelines of raw fuel, student and community interest provide the energy to propel this program forward. These sources flow when tapped by an able leader with publicity, participation, and interaction.

There’s No Escaping the Need for a Healthy Foundation

There’s no question that Fast Forward is a healthy CTC with a dynamic director—Dee Albritton received the Toni Stone Innovative Initiative Award from CTCNet and was a winner of the second CTCNet Success Story contest. Fast Forward is several years old and operates in two sites, including the local middle school, which provides space and Internet access in-kind. Its base funding comes from several sources, including the City of Columbia. ScienceQuest is a tested, engaging curriculum. Dee estimates it costs about $15,000 to implement, for program management, a part-time guidance counselor, supplies, t-shirts, snacks and field trips. [ed. note: The ComTechReview has covered both ScienceQuest and the Fast Forward CTC summer camp previously.]

While Fast Forward is a stable organization, it is not without the challenges of many CTCs. Staff is constantly developing new funding streams, have recently cut programs, and spend much energy maintaining key support relationships. As with any CTC, participant needs often outstrip the time and energy of staff. And there is always uncertainty about where the next funding will come from.

Excited Young People

You can build it, but they may not necessarily come. While ScienceQuest was only launched after the Youth Advisory Board approved it, this was no guarantee other students would want to try it out or stick with it over time. After-school programs increasingly face the dilemma of marketing academic enrichment programs to young people who are deservedly hoping for relief from the structure and pressure of the school day – this at a time when funders are pushing for just these kinds of programs.

The first challenge was hooking that first batch of students. Fortunately, ScienceQuest is an engaging program driven by student interests. The first teams measured water salinity, played with waves, used a weather station, and created a solar system. They did mock weather reports at the actual WSIS television station in front of the blue screen and saw themselves on the TV monitors. The reputation of ScienceQuest as a fun learning experience was set. And everybody in the Fast Forward world and the Hand Middle School knew it.

Fast Forward’s participants are eager spokespeople for the program. Throughout the year, their activities were made public. Kids hanging around after school could watch the experiments happening on the picnic tables outside. Teams were also encouraged to invite other teams over to watch whenever they had something exciting to demonstrate. Dee was encouraging the students to share their natural enthusiasm both within the program and outside of it, such as at the snack time before each meeting. Links were made to the rest of the school as well. Students were invited to demonstrate their experiments for the school’s own television show, the Principal’s Corner. A policy was instituted where teams could have enough materials to run their experiments an extra time for their science classes. Not least among the strategies, participants were given ScienceQuest t-shirts and were encouraged from the beginning to wear them on ScienceQuest days. As a student at the Hand Middle School, you practically can’t not know about ScienceQuest.

Community Support is Key

One nonprofit professional has said, for nonprofits “your entire existence depends on the community. If you don’t keep your organization vital, a living, breathing organization in the community, it is going to die. You need to get oxygen from the community.” Yet very often after-school programs work in isolation from everyone except their participants. When they do interact with the larger community, it’s a visit to a museum or public site. In Fast Forward’s case, however, the outside world is invited in.

To start with, ScienceQuest requires outside participation in the form of volunteer coaches. This requirement has led to one of the strongest resources for the program. One of the first coaches was Claudia Benitez-Nelson, a professor in marine science at the University of South Carolina. Based on Claudia’s positive experience, she recruited graduate students to be coaches and established a way for them to earn credit for volunteering to coach, ensuring a steady supply. Organizing college credit for volunteering was no small feat, but Claudia felt so strongly about the program given her personal experience, she was eager for it to succeed. As many program directors know, having an institutional supply of qualified volunteers is vital; lack of staffing—even volunteers—has closed many a good program. It also ensures that even if the program director were to step out of the picture, ScienceQuest would have a much better chance of surviving.

Teachers and parents also provide vital support for the program. These two groups of stakeholders reinforce youth participation and learning. Teachers are asked for recommendations of youth to participate. Kids are encouraged to invite teachers to see their ScienceQuest experiments and to attend celebrations. Dee promotes them wearing their ScienceQuest t-shirts in school, where teachers are sure to see them and ask questions.

Parents, too, are invited to watch experiments and activities, especially as they arrive to pick kids up at the end of the day, since most activities are done out of doors on picnic tables near the place where parents drive up. Parents get the Fast Forward newsletter and are also exposed to the ScienceQuest t-shirts. The buzz from the day’s activities spills over to the evening conversations at home.

Finally, Dee takes deliberate steps to involve and inform the larger community. In addition to getting coverage in the local print and TV news, she presents the activities of ScienceQuest quarterly at the City Council and regularly to the school board. She invites other after school programs to visit Fast Forward. While none of these activities provide concrete funding in the moment, each helps establish a stronger presence for the program in the mind of the community. When it does come time to ask for financial support, she can be sure people and organizations are aware of ScienceQuest and its positive effects on young people.

Conclusion

While nothing is certain in the nonprofit or after-school field, Dee Albritton has optimized the potential future of one program, ScienceQuest, at the Fast Forward CTC by setting up and encouraging mechanisms that promote the program’s success. At the heart of all this work is passion for improving the lives and prospects of a very particular set of young people. If Dee and her staff, or Dr. Benitez-Nelson and the graduate students didn’t care deeply about making a difference for these sixth graders, none of the techniques would matter. But given their care and drive, several factors make it more likely that their efforts will be effective. They start with a healthy foundation: a stable physical location, base funding, a quality program like ScienceQuest and an able leader. Then given initial excitement and enthusiasm, they use every opportunity available to share the excitement of the program with both potential participants and external stakeholders. The result is a program that stands a good chance of existing long enough to provide many dozens of low-income, at-risk youth with exhilarating experiences of science and valuable interactions with caring adults.

Community Technology Centers (CTCs) have played a key role in providing access to technology to the underserved population throughout the United States. The free or low-cost beginner computer classes that CTCs offer, whether at a library, YMCA, or local community center, are often the best opportunity for many low-income Americans to become computer literate (MANA, 1988). Overwhelmingly, the Operating Systems (OS) on computers at CTCs are English language ones. Although Microsoft does offer the Windows OS in many languages, most CTCs do not have the resources to provide them to their program participants. While computer classes may be taught in other languages, the OSs are usually in English (SRI, 2002).

Sample desktop configuration.

What’s the Problema?

When non-English speakers learn computer basics at a CTC on an English OS, there are both language and cultural barriers between them and the computer system (Lonergan, 2000). This article analyzes the problem from a performance-centered design (PCD) perspective, offers some simple remedies to break down these barriers, and aides the beginner to complete important elementary tasks on the computer. PCD takes a human approach to designing technology and strives to provide an “optimal environment for decision making and action, where many of the burdens of memory and computation are alleviated” (Greenberg and Dickelman, 2000). CTCs may be limited to English OSs, but within this system interface they can add, remove, and/or rearrange existing objects and artifacts to better suit the needs of their participants.

Disorientation

When a non-English speaker turns on a PC with an English OS at a CTC beginner computer class, he or she often sees a desktop with dozens of little images (icons) with small text below them in English. These icons, often referred to as shortcuts, are the first objects, hypertexts, and artifacts that the student encounters. They are most often randomly placed, some are copies of existing ones, and others do not open anything. This problem, which could be called “desktop icon overload,” often causes disorientation and confusion for the learner.

The performer is typically using the computer system to complete a task. In the case of the beginner computer user, some of the common tasks are: type a document in text editor, play a card game to practice mouse maneuvers, create an email account, use the calculator, and search the Internet. Since the disorganized and disorienting desktop does not help the new user complete a task, he or she must navigate an often long and confusing path to do so.

Let’s look at the task flow of a student who wants to use the calculator on an English OS. The student must find the all-important "Start" button on the bottom left, and then select three more options in order to complete the task by finding the calculator artifact (i.e., Start All Programs; Accessories; Calculator). With little or no English, and the inherent complexity of the Windows navigation, it is very unlikely that the student will be able to complete the task.

Solution

According to the principles of PCD, one should match the task process to the learner, and provide the right amount of information at the right time (Dickelman, 1996). When a non-English speaker turns on the computer at a CTC, he or she should have direct access to information and artifacts that she readily understands and that represent the tasks at hand. Translating the language of the desktop icon text is perhaps the most obvious solution, which can be easily done by right clicking on the icon and selecting “Rename.” Moreover, CTCs should accommodate the user’s culture by providing content that is relevant and understandable (Degler and Battle, 2001).

The desktop, therefore, should only have icons that directly link to a program, website, or document that helps the students to complete an essential task. If you work at a CTC, review the icons on your computer desktops. The goal here is to have icons that are appropriate for the learners, taking into account their language and culture. Delete unnecessary icons to remedy any “icon overload” problems. Then add or create new icons linking to information that is appropriate for and useful to the students.

Choose Appropriate Programs and Online Content

The desktop environment is very important because of its prominence, but keep in mind that the icons are just shortcuts to and representations of their respective programs, websites, or other content artifacts. What programs and websites should the desktop icons link to on the computers in your lab? Start by looking at the population that you serve. Ask them about their interests and needs. What tasks do they want to complete, and what information will they need to get it done? What language(s) do they speak and what culture do they most relate to?

For a beginner computer class, you may want to include icons that link to the following common programs (in the foreign language, if possible): text editor, calculator, and card game (to practice mouse maneuvers), and to the following websites (in that language): email, Internet search, news, and Internet guide/tutorial. See a sample configuration for Spanish speaking beginner computer users. If you have the most recent Windows OS, XP,at your CTC, you could set up several language environments on one computer. Just create “User Accounts” for the different languages that you might want (see “User Accounts” in the Control Panel).

Participants in usability tests with the sample Spanish configuration said that “it is easier,” “helps beginners to understand faster,” and “helps me to understand.” As for suggestions, they wanted information about job searching, lawyers, immigration, the library, recipes, and a Spanish dictionary (note: icons could be set up to link to these). Their responses, which were positive overall, suggest that the configuration helped them to complete the task(s) faster and more efficiently, while at the same time providing localized, relevant content. This new OS interface, configured with a few simple changes, helps to counter the four significant content deficiencies of underserved communities: lack of local information, literacy barriers, language barriers, and lack of cultural diversity in Internet material (Lonergan, 2000).

Making a few simple changes to the arrangement of the icons and adding a few localized programs, CTCs can create a more useful and friendly environment in which their students can perform more efficiently. They are essentially customizing the computer interface to the needs and interests of their students. For a beginner user, minimizing the desktop icons to a small number that link to key programs and websites in their language creates a simple interface where she can feel comfortable and connected.

The interface should be simple because “computers are complex, difficult to learn, difficult to use, difficult to maintain” (Norman, 1988). To create a good user experience, it is important that the learner does not have a “feeling of puzzlement, nor loss of control” (Norman, 1988). The solutions offered in this paper strive to create a simple and understandable environment for non-English speaker on an English OS. There is little to no cost to make these changes to computers, and it can be done on a grass roots level by the CTC center director or class instructor. Perhaps a few intermediate level students could design the environment, using these principles, which new students who speak their language and share their culture might like.

References

Delger, D. & Battle, L (2001). “Around the Interface in 80 Clicks.”Performance Improvement, 40 (7).

Dickelman, Gary (1996). “Gershom’s law: Principles for the Design of Performance Support Systems intended for use by human beings.”CBT Solutions.

Greenberg, J.D. & Dickelman, GJ. (2000). “Distributed Cognition and Performance Support.”

Performance Improvement, 39 (6). Lonergan, James M. (2000). “Internet Access and Content for Urban Schools and Communities.”

ERIC Digest: Urban Education.

MANA: A National Latina Organization (1996). The Latinas’ Guide to the Information Superhighway.

Norman, D.A. (1988). The Invisible Computer. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

SRI International (July 2002). Summary of Findings from Annual Performance Reports of FY99 and FY00 Grantees of Community Technology Centers Program.

On the corner of 111th Street and 5th Avenue, two young men with corn rolls and baggy pants spent their summer working side-by-side to make ends meet and were never questioned by the police patrolling the area.

Shem Rajoon and Muoyo Okome are web designers who combined their Dreamweaver, Flash and Adobe Photoshop skills to create Playing2Win 's website. Okome was responsible for the programming and Rajoon focused on graphic design. The two master minds work hand in hand when it comes to designing web sites but they both will be the first to tell you that it has taken years of practice to develop marketable skills.

Muoyo Okome

Okome is completing his senior year in Princeton University's Computer Science Department and learned about P2W's internship opportunities through a job training program at school. “I chose Playing2Win because I knew that I could exercise my skills in a comfortable environment,” said Okome. The Brooklyn native took computer science classes in high school and found a love for technology. “I always wanted to lean how to design my own video game,” he said. When Okome graduates from Princeton next year he plans to start his own software and web development business.

Shem Rajoon

Rajoon, on the other hand, comes to P2W from another community based organization called Harlemlive, an online teen publication run by inner city youth, where he acquired most of his skills. Rajoon was 11 years old when he discovered his love for technology and explained that he started out with photography. “I learned how to edit photos using Adobe Photoshop and it took off from there,” he said. Rajoon's motivation comes from his hunger for success. As a young boy, Rajoon never thought that technology would have any significance in his life but in 1997 that all changed when he met the Harlemlive founder Richard Calton, who took him in and showed him how fascinating technology can really be. It didn't take long for Rajoon to realize that technology touches all aspects of life. “I would encourage other young adults to try it out before completely disregarding it,” he said.

The teenage wonder made it very clear that community technology centers (CTCs) are essential in low-social economic areas because they give young adults a reason to stay off the streets. Rajoon has worked on a number of different web sites such as WNET's www.thirteen org and New York's Boys & Girls Harbor. Rajoon also works for HL Designs, a company created by Harlemlive.

Rajoon also feels organizations like Harlemlive and P2W are more resourceful than the public school system because of the freedom to explore different technological advances at your own pace. “In school there are too many time constraints and curriculum limitations,” he said.

However, there are disadvantages when it comes to a CTC. “They don't have enough financial support and they don't get enough publicity so people don't know about them,” said Rajoon. Although Rajoon spends most of his time designing web sites he still finds time to play the latest video games on his Playstation 2 and X-box systems. Five years from now Rajoon can see himself running his own web development business somewhere in Harlem.

Although Rajoon and Okome have big plans for the future they will always conduct business with community technology centers like P2W. The future looks very bright for these young men who have managed to remain focused in a very difficult field; distractions come in and out of their lives and so far they have done a phenomenal job of beating stereotypes to become productive young men.

In August 2003 the Time Warner Foundation awarded the Global SchoolNet Foundation (GBF) a grant to work with youth in San Diego, California, focused on a specific challenge that the local community faced. GBF and the Cyber Y Technology Center created a dynamic partnership for the educational outreach project.

When kids heard they had an opportunity to select a problem in their community that needed attention, they decided to make a website about “life on the streets” and the matter of being homeless in San Diego. Since some of these kids had been homeless themselves at some time, they knew firsthand many of the barriers homeless youth were facing.

14 year old Daniel, who attends Monarch High, a school for homeless kids, was chosen as the team leader. “The reason I choose this topic is because it sort of hurts me to see my friends on the streets and I can’t do anything about it. Nobody really helps the homeless. I want my group project to make a difference after we put this on the web. We want to make a difference in San Diego by cleaning up the streets, and by getting the homeless off the streets.”

The kids quickly discovered that there was very little information on the Internet posted by kids about the homeless problem in San Diego, and being at different skill levels in terms of technology, research and writing abilities, they had to overcome many challenges during the creating of their web project. GBF trainers helped the youth understand the many rules and guidelines one must follow when creating a website. They learned how to make their web project interesting, learning along the way what the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” means, during their quest to gather photos of homeless people in San Diego to help tell their story.

The students were further educated on the use of the web as a tool for sharing and researching important issues. During the creation of the site, those who were better at a certain tasks taught those who were less skilled. “We are now better web authors and storytellers. Our writing and research skills have improved from this project. It’s fun to be able to create our own content,” said Justin, age 13.

As a result of the project, the youth improved many social skills such as cooperation, collaboration, teamwork, compromising and balance. According to Rodney, age 11, “Our participation in the ‘Youth Awareness Ambassador Project’ has given us the chance to share our stories, drawings, and photos with the world. We realize that it is also important to be spokespersons for our project, so we will continue to be ‘youth awareness ambassadors’ by making presentations around town. We hope that our local new media work with us to tell our story, so we can help solve the problem of homeless kids.”

These kids also learned that the value of a project increases when visitors can contribute, so they have made their web site interactive and encouraged others to share their stories and images. “We learned that kids can help their community. We learned to become ‘youth awareness ambassadors,’ by using our own experiences to bring attention to the problems that homeless kids face. We think our web site will make a positive impact on our community, as well as the rest of the world, by helping others understand that many people, especially kids, become homeless through no fault of their own,” says Riley, age 11.

Today, the website has been visited by thousands of people. Students as well as teachers across the nation have found the website inspiring. “Congratulations for creating and sharing this beautiful website. It has inspired me to find out more about homeless youth and ways I can help and support them,” said Alexis, a local community member who provided feedback through the site. A teacher in Ohio considered the “Misconceptions” page thought-provoking and shared with her students how kids can engage in civic activities in their own communities. Another teacher in Massachusetts was so shocked and disturbed after visiting the site that it inspired her to use our example to create similar projects at her school. Mandi, a student from Ohio, congratulated the kids for helping in the fight against homelessness. We have also received requests from around the world to use our photos to demonstrate how technology is being used by youth.

1st row, from left: Rodney and Riley Winters (age 13); Janis Arvin, Roosevelt Middle School Teacher. 2nd row, from left: Greg Fitzgerald, Director of Strategic Relations, Global SchoolNet; Yvonne M. Andres, Executive Director, Global SchoolNet; Cesar Marcano, Program Director, Cyber Y; Leonard Villarreal, Weekend Anchor, 10News.

The kids have also received recognition and support by the local media and community. On October 7, 2004, two of the original members, Rodney and Riley, received the Channel 10 News Leadership Award. They are the youngest recipients ever to receive the prestigious award. Unfortunately, Daniel, Justin, and Jordan could not make it to the presentation of the award. They couldn’t escape the cause they were fighting. They became homeless themselves this past summer and had to relocate to Fresno. We hope they are doing well, and extend our congratulations on such a great job. Among other awards, the website was also listed as number five on the Top Technology Projects listed in the November 2003 issue of the Technology and Learning Magazine.