Transmission Project

Vahid evaluated the Tech Link Up project, www.techlinkup.org. Vahid Visited ten non-profit organizations to evaluate and assess their IT needs (on going). He volunteered at four organizations, with tasks such as teaching, computer networking, computer lab setup, and data management. He helped computer recipient organizations/families through the Teaming for Technology program of Triangle United Way and IBM programs to install hardware, software, and troubleshooting. He helped with the Teaming for Technology program of Triangle United Way in receiving, transporting, refurbishing, repairing, troubleshooting, and hardware/software installation of used computers and related devices. And Vahid compiled several mailing lists.

The technology program working in conjunction of the Arkansas Delta Dreams program provides individual and special group sessions. Our successes for the past quarter have been the effective training of 15 seniors in basic and intermediate software and hardware. They covered the components of the computer, various basic software applications, surfing the Internet and sending and receiving e-mail. This has prompted many of the participants, whose ages range from 65 to 85, to purchase computer for their homes and/or obtain Internet services so they can “keep up and stay in the know.” One of the participants called our offices when they received their first e-mail communications from their great-great grand child, who is ten years of age. We call this bridging the generation and technology gaps.

• Built a good rapport with CTC users. Cat has developed a good relationship with many of the CTC users. The users are not afraid to ask her for assistance and she has many community members coming to her on a regular basis.

• Contacted representatives from each county in WA for information to put on new LIHI website. Cat sent an e-mail to people from each county seeking community information to add to a community resource/predatory lending website. She also compiled information for many of the counties through her own research.

• Coordinated the scheduling of Volunteer Monitors. Cat has been working with our volunteer monitors to ensure proper coverage to maintain the hours the lab is available for the community.

• Prepared CTC for Senior Training Seniors Classes. Cat has ensured that computers are running and that the lab is set up for the seniors training seniors’ classes. This had not been being done satisfactorily in the past, Cat has done an excellent job of ensuring that it now is and has received many compliments from the volunteer teachers.

• Posted rules and calendar of lab hours. Cat has developed a calendar to post for lab hours. She has also met with the volunteer monitors to establish rules for the lab. She is currently working with the monitors to ensure the rules are being followed.

Mike Denegal has provided technical assistance to the Family Learning Opportunity Centers (FLOCs) and he’s well respected for his professional technical advice for the organization. The FLOCs began with limited resources, equipment, and program structure. We are glad that Mike has assisted the Community Development Division in growing its resources, researching viable technology funding options, and establishing a line of communication among staff through the message board. Mike displays a high level of enthusiasm for growing the resources and establishing partnerships for SDCTC. He has made sure that both OTS and SDCTC stay abreast on technological trends, resources, policies, and innovations.

Sue has helped us launch our project nationally, and we know have over 350 affordable and public housing facilities using “Abilities for Resident Service Coordinators” to link low income frail elderly and disabled residents to community services. “Abilities for Resident Service Coordinators” has been endorsed by the American Association of Service Coordinators and is acknowledged by industry professionals as a vital tool in keeping elderly residents in independent living. With the infusion of technology in elderly and disabled resident service coordination, properties are able to keep residents independent, and avoid unnecessary and costly institutionalization. This project is a prime example of using community technology to meet pressing needs, and impact important policy areas.

Sue helped us attend a national conference in San Antonio, Texas, in which we brought 20 laptops and set up a training lab. We taught Resident Service Coordinators how to use technology to link their residents to community services, manage their residmonitor resident and program outcomes with technology.

Sue has been a vital player in helping us develop an implementation plan for CTCs in affordable housing communities in Southern California, as she is at our office early every day to assist with implementation. Her involvement helped us determine that we could expand beyond 50 to now over 200 CTCs.

Sue led the effort at Pangea Foundation to develop the training manual for our users. She has helped develop the 100+ page training manual that is available to users when they log into the system. This is an ongoing effort. She also helps with phone training, and attended our training conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Sue has helped run the show at Pangea with the Resident Service Coordinators. She is the first to receive their calls when they need technical help. She continuously tests the systems. She helped create the training manuals and system forms for printed materials. Sue’s involvement as an AmeriCorp*VISTA member enables our organization to provide these services to the community. To date, this system has over 200 properties using it, which represents service delivered and managed to 20,000 low income elderly and disabled residents across the country.

Brandi has been working with CompuMentor and Citizens Housing Corporation for six months. In that time she has provided logistical and planning support, managing a number of CTN workshops including YouthLearn, Writing Great Grant Proposals, Amazing Success Stories, and Youth Media: Digital Storytelling & Animation. Brandi has also been actively involved in the Community Technology Network Steering Committee as a member and secretary. In this role, she has been responsible for keeping members informed about upcoming events and meetings as well as dissemination of meeting minutes and materials. In addition, Brandi has maintained the CTN Bay Area website at http://www.ctnbayarea.org. She has overseen the redesign of the website with volunteers from OPNet’s web design students. In her work as computer technician and consultant at Citizens Housing Corporation she has set up and maintained two computer labs in low-income housing units.

Jason Worked with MIT Graduate Students for a summer learning program with youth and provided network support and administration of 25+ machines at our CTC. Jason aldo maintained network support for employees and instructors on a daily basis; including lab setup and supervision; equipment maintenance and administration; in house and phone technical support; file/print/terminal server and workstation performance monitoring, repair, and configuration; troubleshooting connectivity issues for local area network. Jason also administered and instructed web design, A+ Certification, MS Office; and youth technology programs.

Jason led our Network Security Enhancement including installation of Security Software on the Network and Client Machines (Fortres 101) which has led to an 75% increase in system performance along with anti-virus and firewall software on all machines not including two which are designated for other purposes

Beginning April 8th 2003 youth will be given the opportunity to learn skills in video production including the Final Cut Software, Film and Television Studio Technologies and Techniques, Web Design using HTML, Photoshop, Dreamweaver via classes set up by Jason.

The mission of e-Equality, Inc. is to develop and promote initiatives and programs which bridge the digital divide and reduce the technological inequities experienced by low-income and disadvantaged citizens and small business in economically distressed neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County. By working hand-in-hand with our current Americorps*VISTA member(s), e-Equality has made significant strides toward the fulfillment of addressing the evident digital divide in South Florida. By assisting in the development and evolution of the Technology Access Coalition (TAC) and conducting a needs assessment of existing CTCs in Miami-Dade County as well as researching and evaluating CTC training materials, Americorps*VISTA member Chaneqa Wooten has been exposed to a variety of research practices.

Working with TAC, a target list of CTCs has been established for the initial needs assessment survey. A finalized version of this survey has also been completed. The targeted list of CTCs will be broken up amongst TAC members and survey results will be compiled in an Excel or Access database by Ms. Wooten. Following the completion of such said deliverables, Ms. Wooten [will] work with e-Equality’s web-development team toward the integration of this data into the CTCNet and TAC websites in addition to all other set-out goals.