community mapping
Community Engagement
Organization:
United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) VISTA Name:
Chanvon Mom
Program Start:
4/2002
Program End:
7/2002
Project Description:
Chanvon has been involved in three major projects: Technology Goes Home, Youth Mapping, and street outreach recruitment particularly targeting young women.
Regardingthe Technology Goes Home Program, Chanvon has been able to coordinate with our PC repair program to ensure that the 4 families enrolled all received refurbished computers. All 4 families completed the program. All families attended all sessions of the program, completing the curriculum designed by Tech Goes Home Boston.
With regard to the youth mapping, our team of nine youth mappers have canvassed most of the downtown area. The youth attended a full-day training June 27th, where they learned about the importance of mapping, interviewing skills and the surveys & database that are fundamental to the process.
And lastly, in terms of Chanvon’s involvement in the street outreach recruitment, she spent 2-3 times during the week doing outreach with the other recruiters to get young women involved in our programs, specifically technology-related programs.
Project Outcome:
Chanvon was able to do a very nice job of recruiting more young women into the program, particularly those of Southeast Asian descent. With regard to the Tech Goes Home program, one of the major changes we will be making for the next round will be to incorporate a greater family involvement component into the overall structure.
Outreach Coordinator
Organization:
Byte Back VISTA Name:
Shirley Dumas
Program Start:
8/2001
Program End:
8/2003
Project Description:
Byte Back needs VISTA assistance to meet the following goals:
1) Better community service through better information and outreach: VISTA workers will assist us with Community Mapping and community Outreach to determine modifications to services at existing CTC’s and the location of additional CTC’s
2) Definition and documentation of the methods, the curriculum, and the effectiveness of the Byte Back model, the Technology Expert Organization (TEO), so that others may benefit from this success.
3) Establishing a sustainability program so that Byte Back is not reliant on grants for continued existence and service.”
Project Outcome:
While actual canvassing of the local neighborhood was fruitful for relationships in our home neighborhood, networking with other organizations was more effective when we were exploring territory that was new to us. In St Phillip the Evangelist Church in South East we installed a computer lab with their donated computers and are running their computer training program. At Shaw Ministries we provided information that assists them to make cost effective decisions about use of space and purchase of materials. At World Mission Extension Center we provided computers and set up a lab and provided Junior Internship training for their Junior Councilors so that they could assist in camp and after school programs.