October 2004 Newsletter

1. From the Executive Director
2. Headlines
3. Welcome New Staff & Board Members
4. CTCNet Member Profile
5. From the CTCNet Members' Listserv
6. Tips & Tools
7. News from the Field
8. Upcoming Events
9. Welcome New Members

 

From the Executive Director

Dear Members,

This month, Community Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet) will conduct its annual strategic planning meeting with the board and staff. Many thanks to those of you that were able to provide input at our annual meeting in June and our recent online member survey to the membership. Your feedback will play a key role in our strategic planning process.

CTCNet has experienced a fair amount of transition over the summer. Some of our strongest and most visible members announced the closing of their operations or changes in leadership. Several CTCNet staff moved on to new opportunities, including post-graduate education, a state level fellowship, and organizing for the upcoming presidential election. While these changes have been bittersweet, each individual has made incredible contributions to their local communities, the larger field, and thousands of individual lives, and we are stronger as a result of their efforts.

As events around the world continue to impact us at home, it is difficult at times to know how to respond. Personally & professionally, I find strength in the work of our members and those leaders that continue to adapt their programmatic activities to not only meet the needs of people, but also to respond to these events and engage their local communities in affecting national and global change.

We have also added more than fifty new CTCNet members and three new staff. It’s exciting to welcome them to our continually evolving field. I look forward to sharing with everyone the results of our strategic planning meetings and thank you always for the important work that you do.

Kavita Singh, Executive Director

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Headlines

CTCNet Announces New Rounds for Two Grant Programs

CTCNet recently announced the new rounds of the Connections for Tomorrow (C4T) (MA only) and Youth Visions for Stonger Neighborhoods (YVSN) grant programs. The 2004-2005 C4T Massachusetts Grants Program will provide $750,000 in grants and substantial in-kind support to community technology centers and programs throughout Massachusetts that serve at-risk youth or homeless populations. Community- and faith-based organizations with organizational budgets less than $1M (or $2M for those providing overnight shelter) may be eligible and are encouraged to apply. Youth Visions Grants are supported by the Corporation for National Service's Learn and Serve America program, and 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. C4T: http://www.ctcnet.org/c4t/grants/ YVSN: http://www.ctcnet.org/youthvisions/

2005 CTCNet Conference Announced!

The 14th Annual CTCNet Conference, Mapping the Course for a Stronger Network, will be held June 17-19, 2004, in Cleveland, Ohio! The conference will include a day of Pre-Conference special events & workshops on June 16th. At the start of the new year, we will release a call for sessions. We are working with a local host committee led by the Ohio Community Computing Network (OCCN) and Cleveland Digital Vision, and look forward to welcoming everyone to Cleveland next summer! Information about the 2004 Conference, including summaries and materials from over fifty sessions, is available online at http://www.ctcnet.org/conf/2004/. This year's conference was held in Seattle, Washington.

Regional Meetings, Online Panels Wrap Up

Beginning this past spring, the America Connects Consortium (ACC) hosted a series of online panels and in-person regional meetings focused on 'Improving Academic Achievement for High School Youth.' Regional Meetings were held in Irving, Texas; Philadelphia; Chicago; Portland and Phoenix. At each of the meetings, YouthLearn offered full-day workshops on strengthening youth afterschool programs.

Between March & September, CTCNet assembled panels of experts for online panels on a series of topics related to "Improving Academic Achievement for High School Youth. Over 30 panelists hosted discussions on topics that included Service & Work-Based Learning; Recruitment, Retention & Rewards; Involving Parents, Adults & Families; Community-School Partnerships; and Youth Media & Academic Achievement. Summaries of each of the five online panels will be available online, including catalogued resources from each, at http://www.americaconnects.net/learn/.

ACC is a partnership of Education Development Center, the Community Technology Centers' Network, and the National Institute on Out-of-School Time at The Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College. The partnership is funded by the US Department of Education.

Over 150 Members Complete Survey, Winner Recieves Prize

In September, CTCNet released a Member Survey in order to collect feedback from members on critical CTCNet program & service areas, as well as key issues related to membership and field-building. The survey was designed based on the needs and questions identified by members at the Annual Membership Meeting during the 2004 CTCNet Conference. Over 150 members completed the survey, giving us a response rate of over 10% of CTCNet's membership! One lucky winner was selected and won a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

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Welcome New Staff & Board Members!

Over the past six months there have been a lot of changes at CTCNet. We said goodbye to staff that have moved on to new opportunities. We also saw the terms of three board members come to an end. Each of the following people have contributed greatly to our work across the country and while we were sad to see them go, we are excited about their various opportunities and wish them well in their new endeavors.

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).

Our newly elected board members began their terms in June 2004: 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).

Departed staff include: Ben Cain (San Francisco, CA) and Marissa Martin (Cambridge, MA), both who worked at CTCNet for 4 years; Dan Schackman (Cambridge, MA) who served CTCNet for 2 years through AmeriCorps VISTA; Anne Neville (San Diego, CA) worked with CTCNet for almost 2 years; and Jim Craner (Chicago, IL) worked part-time for CTCNet for almost a year.

We also proudly welcome three staff! New Staff include:

Katrena R. Hanks , Program Manager (Washington, DC): Katrena oversees the Catalyzing CTCs for Community Change and Youth Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods initiatives. Katrena comes to us with experience in research and technical assistance training on environmental justice and community redevelopment planning. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Urban Studies from the College of Charleston, and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University.

Tara Kumar, Program Associate (Cambridge, MA): Tara is responsible for Connections for Tomorrow (C4T) activities in MA, including administering this year's grants process, coordinating the work of local consultants to provide technical assistance for MA grantees, and disseminating capacity building resources to community technology programs . Prior to 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.

New Board Members

CTCNet welcomes four new board members elected by CTCNet members. Each Board member brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and dedication CTCNet member and to the technology field.

Alicia Altmueller (New York, NY): Alicia brings over 13 years of nonprofit technology, youth development, and social service experience to the Board. She currently serves as Director of Technology Innovation for the Fund for the City of New York, where she directs community-based technology initiatives, including technology training for school-age children and at-risk mothers, as well as technology support and consulting services for nonprofit organizations.
Ricardo Estrada (Chicago, IL): As executive director of Erie Neighborhood House, Ric oversees strategic planning, fundraising, community outreach, marketing, public and media relations, and fiscal management functions for one of the nation’s oldest and most respected community-service organizations providing adult education, childcare, emergency services, youth programs, and technology services.
Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry: Njideka is the Founder and Executive Director of Youth for Technology Foundation, which works with marginalized rural communities in Nigeria to create enriched learning environments through technology. She serves on several leadership teams including the Africa Board of Digital Partners Institute and the ICT for Development Advisory Group to the World Bank Development Gateway.
Karen Wade (Los Angeles, CA): is Project Director and Co-Founder of Foundation for Successful Solutions-Project T.E.C.H., a community technology and community-building organization serving youth, adults, families, seniors and neighborhoods through technology. Karen has over twenty years experience in nonprofit administration, operations, and development. A tireless contributor to the community technology field, Karen served on the original steering committee which oversaw CTCNet’s transition into a dynamic organization, and continues to provide leadership on a number of community-focused advocacy organizations.

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CTCNet Member Profile

In this new section of our newsletter, we will feature and profile a CTCNet member organization and include an interview with its CTC Director. For this inaugural edition, we spoke with Davis Park, Program Director of the DISKovery Center in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles, CA
http://diskovery.ltsc.org
Contact: Davis Park, Program Director
Program Started: January 1999
CTCNet Member Since: 1999

 

Mission Statement: "To address the technology shortfalls and the digital divide within the local community, and to build community through digital opportunities. Our vision is to promote the integration of technology to improve the quality of living for the local Little Tokyo community, apply technology and telecommunications to projects that further promote, develop, and preserve the community, and to internally regenerate/recycle the resources so that such activities are self-sustaining."

Primary Target Population: Asian and Pacific Islander seniors; youth, families, and residents in an affordable housing development in the Little Tokyo District. We are located in the Far East Building, a mixed-use structure damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake that had housed 32 single resident occupants and a restaurant. The long cultural history and sentimental value of the building to the community carried great weight in our decision to relocate our center there when it reopened in January 2004. It now houses 16 units for low-income, disabled, and formerly homeless residents.

The DISKovery Center is unique in the diversity of programs and services it provides, and the many communities it serves. In reaching out to people as young as 4 and old as 94, we deliver technology access and education in three different languages, to the formerly homeless, to the students of a local continuation high school, to small minority business owners, affordable housing residents, and other CTCs.

What services does the DISKovery Center offer?

The DISKovery Center has developed a wide range of technology training and telecommunications access services. Our instruction-based programs, taught in English, Japanese, and Spanish, cover everything from basic skills training to office applications, web development, digital imaging, and more recently, digital video production and editing. The center's users can also take advantage of our public access hours to practice or work on personal projects.

When donated computers become available, the DISKovery Center distributes the equipment through its Computer Adoption Program to our residents and other low income community members following a course on how to use and care for the computers.

A recent and important component of the DISKovery Center's programming is our Digital Histories project, which promotes digital video storytelling among older adults, empowering them with media literacy and digital video production skills as a means to promote cultural/historial preservation. These stories will be distributed on a website in the hopes that they will provide cultural data for research into the local community.

Finally, the Center serves as a resource for other community technology centers and nonprofit organizations through technical assistance and workshops such as our Train the Trainer program, which equips technology educators with teaching strategies and curriculum development.

How is the Center staffed?

The DISKovery Center is run by 2 full-time staff, 2 part-time staff, and supported by over three dozen volunteers who contribute their time, energy, and resources in varying capacities. Our volunteer team includes PC technicians, network administrators, business plan developers, instructors, designers, and an architect. The Technology Advisory Committee, a group of professionals in the media and technology industries, has been responsible for developing the vision and gathering resources necessary to build and establish the DISKovery Center.

What do you see as the impact of the Center on your community?

From a ground-level view, the DISKovery Center has a tremendous impact on the people it serves: seniors are sharing their digital video stories with their grandchildren; a disabled veteran accesses legal and health information on the Internet to help him cope with Post Traumatic Syndrome; a wheelchair-bound resident downloads buddhist chant sound files to help with her prayers; and high school students are creating masterful works of art in a basic computer-based animation workshop.

Since opening almost five and a half years ago, the DISKovery Center has reached out to over 1,100 people of primarily Asian and Pacific Islander descent, though also serving people of diverse backgrounds. Dozens of volunteers have contributed to and continue to participate in the building of the DISKovery Center through volunteer instruction, technical assistance, network administration, curriculum development, marketing, and outreach.

What are the challenges, demands and pressures facing the Center?

The demands and pressues that the DISKovery Center face are not very
different from what many other CTCs face: funding sustainability and income.
Yet one of the bigger picture challenges we are increasingly having to confront is the rapid pace of development as it moves towards the downtown core. Little Tokyo is one of the few remaining "safe" districts that is undergoing a transformation of higher income residential apartments and condos, and the increasing encroachment of government and municipal development. All of these changes on surface bode well for downtown as a whole, but are chipping away at efforts to preserve the local communities and making it difficult for our target populations to access these services, much less for us to provide them...such as those of our community technology center.

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From the CTCNet Members' Listserv

Nearly 10 years ago, the computer science field was a rapidly-growing discipline that was attracting thousands of college students nationwide. Computer science students (and their parents) had high hopes for their post-graduation career prospects. After the dot-com bubble burst around the turn of the millennium, the appeal of computer science as a career track drastically declined, and enrollment in college computer science programs plummeted.

This decline has alarming implications, and many are forecasting a potential shortage of college graduates with Computer Science degrees to fill positions in the information technology field. This shortage could potentially impact organizations' and businesses' capacity to perform at an optimum level.

A recent article published in Information Week discussed the decline in computer science enrollment in colleges & universities ("Declining Computer Science Enrollments Should Worry Anyone Interested in the Future of the U.S. IT Industry", 10/29/04). The article prompted a related discussion on the CTCNet listserv regarding the implications of declining computer science enrollments for CTCs , in which members discussed the opportunities for CTCs to help fill the projected gap in the IT workforce, as well as the limitations of technical training for individuals wanting to advance their careers and meet the needs of end-users, especially the needs of non-profits. There were many interesting exchanges offered by several CTCNet members, as many are very attentive to trends in the IT field and their implications for community technology. Below are comments from Claire Murray and Art McGee regarding the balance that individuals in the computer science field should possess in order to operate in and further progress in the field.

The full article is here.

Claire Murray ( Murray Learning Associates, Malden, MA) writes:
Technical certifications and degrees are fine for technical jobs. As one "climbs the ladder," however, you will need more "soft" skills (i.e. supervision and management), and lessened emphasis on direct technical expertise. A few things you can to do acquire those additional skills as you move higher up include:

 

Art McGee (Media Justice Network, Oakland, CA) writes:

Most Software Engineers are unintelligible to end-users, and this creates the need for Information Systems (IS) people. Software Engineers are very "micro-focused," but IS people are more "macro focused." You need both. One group has to insure that discrete tools work, and work well, but the other group has to focus on the system as a whole, taking into account issues that go way beyond abstract logic. Engineers and Scientists are paid to focus on the minutiae, but unfortunately, this can mean that they spend too much of their time with details that are not of primary importance to an end-user or an organization, to the detriment of usability.

Software Engineering skills do not necessarily translate into other types of critical technical skills, and in particular, when we start talking about CTCs and non-profits, the gap between the developers and their ability to communicate ideas and concepts in a way that end-users can understand is particularly wide. You still need IS to see beyond the horizon of the programmer's ego, in order to properly match needs with capability.

The CTCNet Members e-mail list is an active discussion forum for topics affecting community technology centers and programs. If you are a CTCNet member and wish to subscribe to the listserv, send a request to info@ctcnet.org with the subscriber's name, location, organization name and email address.

We encourage CTCNet members to share particular topics or comments of interest through the newsletter. Let your voice be heard! We may even post your comments in a future edition of our Newsletter! We reserve the right to edit or reformat for content, context, and/or space limitations. For more information, email newsletter@ctcnet.org.

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Tips & Tools

There are many CTCs nationwide that provide after school programs and services that are dedicated to advancing and promoting education through the use of technology. CTCNet asked three of our members to list some of their favorite technology tools for working with youth.

La Escuelita (Minneapolis, MN):

Read 180: Scholastic's reading intervention program. We are using stage C for High School Students twice a week.

Math TV: Math Video Lessons that students can play using a web browser.

Activity Monitor: This software keeps track of the user activities on every station. We are using it to monitor the time our students spend using each software in the lab.

P.I.N.K House, (Charleston, SC):

The Leapfrog product line

Bayden Systems Internet Explorer Plugin Tools, such as Dictionary/Encyclopedia Plugin With WEBster and the OneLook Dictionary

SlickRun: almost instant access to any program or website.

Izone Polarid Instant & Digital Camera, Izone Scanner

NISIS All-in-one digital video & still camera, MP3 Player, TV-OUT, Digital Voice Recorder.

Hopeworks N' Camden (Camden, NJ):

Web Design/Development:

Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Contribute, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, FTP Voyager, SWISHMax, Final Cut Pro & Macromedia Flash

GIS Technology:

ESRI Arcview 9.0, Arcpad, ArcSDE

CTCNet wishes to thank Manuel De Paz, Jennifer Godinez, Rev. Christian King and Father Jeff Putthoff for contributing to the Newsletter.

Do you have information on any programs or services that you would like to share with other CTCNet members? Please send your input to newsletter@ctcnet.org.

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News from the Field

There were many noteworthy developments and events that occurred in the month of September. Listed below are just a few:

California

According to the California Community Technology Policy Group, SB 1276 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in late September after much hard work. This bill provides the budget appropriation necessary for the California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) to continue operating this fiscal year. Since its inception in 1997, CTF has provided schools, libraries, eligible community based organizations and hospitals with a discount on their telecommunications services, The program is administered by the California Public Utilities Commission through a surcharge on telephone bills. While CTF was not originally in the Governor's budget, the issue of its survival provided an opportunity to bring it to the Governor's attention. This is a significant victory for those providing access to technology and the Internet to the people of California.

Illinois

CTCNet Chicago reports that the first Annual ilCTC Community Technology Conference, held September 23-24 in Chicago, was a rousing success. The conference began with an exciting welcome address from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn. Lunchtime speaker State Rep. Connie Howard validated the importance of the work being done to promote digital inclusion throughout Illinois. Day Two of the conference began with a funder's panel providing attendees with insight on what they look for in proposals and how the decision process works. A legislative panel spoke to the importance of working with, and educating legislators on, what's needed to help secure resources and influence legislation impacting our programs. Roundtable discussions then discussed their vision for a statewide technology organization that would address the technology needs of all Illinois residents. Thank you to everyone for your contribution to the conference's success. Those of you who missed it will get a chance to make up for it next year.

Federal

In mid-September, shortly after Congress's summer recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended continued funding for the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the federal Community Technology Centers (CTC) program. The committee recommended support for TOP in fiscal year 2005, at the current 2004 level of $14.8 million, and $11 million for CTC in fiscal year 2005-- an increase of $1 million above its current level. These developments in the Senate run counter to efforts by the Bush administration and the House to eliminate both TOP and CTC.

CTCNet has been hard at work educating House and Senate members around the value and importance of TOP, CTC, Neighborhood Networks, and other key federal investments in community technology. A copy of CTCNet's July 16, 2004 letter to the committee is available here (PDF format). We have received a growing number of inquiries across the political spectrum, from members who want to know what programs exist in their state.

The fate of TOP and CTC still depends upon the full Senate's vote for each spending bill, the outcome of the House-Senate conference, House and Senate votes on the resulting conference report, and the President's signature on each final measure. As of this writing, however, only one spending bill, covering the Department of Defense, had been passed. Acknowledging its inability to pass all remaining spending bills before fiscal year 2005's start date of October 1, Congress adopted a continuing resolution, which provides continued funding for agencies and programs through November 20. A number of other key policy issues, in addition to appropriations, will therefore be left unresolved until after Election Day.

CTCNet has actively advocated for continued funding of the TOP, CTC, Neighborhood Networks, and other programs as distinct, yet complementary, federal investments that leverage information and communications technologies to improve society and the quality of life for all Americans. Continued support, with an emphasis on interagency collaboration, will result in better programs, deeper overall outcomes and, ultimately, stronger neighborhoods across the US.

CTCNet members can share their support for funding for TOP, CTC, Neighborhood Networks and other key investments by contacting their members of Congress over the next few weeks. Contact information for members and forms to send messages are available at http://www.congress.org.

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Upcoming Events

Putting Broadband to Work: 8th Annual Conference
October 10-13, 2004
Spokane, WA
Rural Telecommunications Congress
URL: http://ruraltelecon.org/conference/

N-TEN DC Regional Conference
October 14, 2004
Washington, DC
Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
URL: http://www.nten.org/conferences-dc

Making the Grade? A Report Card on US Policies for the Information Society
2004 Annual Conference, Reception, and Members’ Meeting
October 16-17, 2004
Washington, DC
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
URL: http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg04/

N-TEN Chicago Regional Conference
October 19, 2004
Chicago, IL
Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
URL: http://www.nten.org/conferences-chicago

N-TEN Boston Regional Conference
November 19, 2004
Boston, MA
Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
URL: http://www.nten.org/conferences-boston

N-TEN Phoenix Regional Conference
November 30, 2004
Phoenix, AZ
Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
URL: http://www.nten.org/conferences-az

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Welcome New Members

We are pleased to welcome more than fifty new CTCNet Members, representing twenty states, the District of Columbia, and Nova Scotia, Canada.

California

Acorn Community Enterprises (Montgomery Creek)

Apollo's Vision Computer Clubs Inc. (Chatsworth)

Arrow Community Center (Covina)

Centro Latino de Educacion Popular (Los Angeles)

Community Technology Alliance (San Jose)

Computers for Classrooms Inc. (Chico)

Firebaugh Computer Training Center (Firebaugh)

Haven of Peace Inc. (French Camp)

Heads on Fire (San Diego)

Homeless Prenatal Program (San Francisco)

Marantha Outreach Center (San Jose)

Team of Advocates for Special Kids (Anaheim)

Colorado

Durango Housing Corporation (Durango)

District of Columbia

2 M Center (Washington)

Citiwide Computer Training Center (Washington)

Florida

Human Services Coalition of Dade County (Miami)

On Eagle's Wings Women's Crisis Center Inc. (Lake City)

Georgia

Academic Avenue (Kennesaw)

Illinois

African American Christian Foundation (Oak Park)

Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (Chicago)

John A Logan College (Carterville)

Little Black Pearl Workshop (Chicago)

NPOTechs (Chicago)

OAI Inc. (Chicago)

Trilogy Inc. (Chicago)

Women's Self Employment Project (Chicago)

Louisiana

St. John #5 Baptist Church Camp ACE (New Orleans)

Massachusetts

Dimock Community Health Center (Roxbury)

Maryland

Patriots Technology Training Center Inc. (Seat Pleasant)

Montana

Friendship House (Billings)

New Jersey

Hopeworks (Camden)

North Carolina

John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies (Durham)

Nebraska

Creighton University (Omaha)

Nevada

The Children's Cabinet Inc. (Reno)

Ohio

Cincinnati Arts & Technology Center (Cincinnati)

Dayton Boys & Girls Club (Dayton)

Zanesville City Schools (Zansville)

Oklahoma

Victory Christian Center (Tulsa)

Oregon

Portland Community Media (Portland)

Pennsylvania

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (Pittsburgh)

Tennessee

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Chattanooga)

Texas

Challenger Network of Houston (Houston)

East End Family Life Center Inc. (Houston)

El Centro de Corzon (Houston)

M.D. Anderson YM (Houston)

River City Youth Foundation (Austin)

Virginia

Community Technology Foundation of Alexandria (Alexandria)

Washington

Big Bend Community College (Moses Lakes)

Central Community Network (Wenatchee)

Puget Sound Alliance for Community Technology (Seattle)

YW Housing (Vancouver)

Canada / Nova Scotia

Picton-Antigonish Regional Library (New Glasgow)

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