It’s all in the name: community technology centers. At CTCNet, we’ve been exploring ways to help community technology centers (CTCs) function as forces for change at the community level – thus not only empowering individuals, but also acting as agents of community change.
Helping individuals acquire technology skills remains a critical need in many communities in the U.S. Often, however, these communities suffer from additional socioeconomic inequities, such as widespread unemployment, few educational opportunities, and a lack of affordable housing. CTCs, as local institutions with skilled staff, public space, and accessible technology, are well-poised to help address these community needs.
By viewing your center as a public space and providing programming that intentionally focuses on neighborhood and community issues, your CTC can help community members use their newly acquired technology skills to positively impact where they live, work, or play. Additionally, your CTC can benefit from:
- increased community value and recognition,
- more relevant programming,
- stronger community partners and connections,
- new sources of funding, and
- a more dynamic and flexible organization that is able to adapt services to changing constituents’ and community needs.
This guide is intended to help CTCs fully realize their potential as dynamic community spaces where residents learn and use technology to improve their lives and their communities.
Throughout this guide are spaces for readers to leave comments – these may be used to leave advice for others, links to useful resources, or questions. As you experiment with these ideas in your community, we encourage you to share your success as well as your failures in this forum. CTCNet’s greatest strength is our peer-network, and we need your energy and experience to bring this guide to life.
