Transmission Project

Goal 1: Set up project
Objective 1a through 1d have been completed. Please look at previous completed Project Work Plan and narrative.

Goal 2: Provide basic computer and set up ESL classes for target population.
Objective 2a through 2c have been complete. Please look at previous completed Project Work Plan and narrative.

Goal 3: Provide basic computer and English skills to target population
a: 14 students were enrolled and 3 completed the class.
b: 11 students were enrolled and 5 completed the class.

Goal 4: Improve access to services.
a: This task has been completed. Please look at previous Project Work Plan and narrative.
b: Please see explanation in narrative.
c: Please see explanation in narrative.
d: No, this task was not completed.

Karen “Cookie” Sheers has provided amazing service to our Technology Goes Home program. She has been very organized and proactive. When I originally started my position in May 2003, Cookie informed me that our Alumni Committee was inactive. However she stated that she wanted to work hard to build the alumni committee and get it up and running. Originally out of the 86 families that graduated from this program, less than 2% remained in touch. To date, we have had a 10% increase in participants. This is partly attributed to Cookie placing personal telephone calls, and sending out personal letters to the families.

Cookie also has a childcare background and she is a very outgoing person. As a result many parents approached her regarding an after school program. It is because of her sharing their concerns with us that the Y.E.S program was developed and Cookie is taking the lead on this project. She is a tremendous asset to Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation.

One of the most successful procedures that I implemented was to have all members and staff wear picture ID’s while in the facility. Since I had a little knowledge of digital photography it was easy for me to make the adjustments in our new database.

The second success story for me was to learn Facil database for non-profits and help teach the rest of the staff the functions of the database.This program is really great for the members because they now can reserve things in an orderly fashion and they get the feeling of being a greater part of the whole process. The community as a whole benefits from the installation of Facil.

My other accomplishments include mail server. I learned how to maintain the accounts on the e-mail server service and recently on our new list-server. I am now certified in Field Production. Who would have guessed.

I have managed to put up a web site, sparse as it may be, and to shoot and edit a thirty minute video for airing. The web site sort of took a back seat when I became involved in running a camera on a television show. My interest really peaked when staff members told me that I could do a show of my own. The patience and help of my co-workers enabled me to increase my knowledgeable in non linear editing. And with practice I am sure I’ll become proficient.

Russell has worked directly with two technology workshops; one for younger children and one for the targeted youth aged 13-20 (7 participants). In the latter, he was directly involved in the recruitment effort and in both programs worked closely with the instructors to enhance their effectiveness.

Russell set up a digital video workstation (donated via MATV) and taught himself the iMovie software, working directly with the youth on the video they produced. He has taught himself a web design program (TrellixWeb) and has been teaching youth in the Center on an ongoing basis. We plan to continue the video course with the first group as well as offer the program to other youth.

Our CTC classes ended with a great joy. Four of our citizenship students passed the test while two failed, and five students are waiting for their appointment. However with very limit number of computers and Internet, we were able to put together a fun computer class for all 20 adult students. These 20 students are now ready to type letter using Microsoft Word. Using all the skills they learned they are able to create letters, resumes, tables, and flyers. Only few of the older students are having problems remembering basic skills such as opening and saving files in Microsoft Word. Although most of the computers in the center are old, we were able to have at least 3 computers with Internet access. With great help from our volunteers, one on one tutor is so effective in teaching Internet skills to these students. More than half of these students are now getting online chatting with relatives in Vietnam and setting up email accounts. All of the ESL students are still shy to talk in English especially complete Standard English.

Between the months of September and December, I worked with my fellow VISTA, Co Kim Oanh, and my supervisor, Bach Pham, to reaffirm community contacts by recruiting volunteers, outreaching to prospective clients, and acquiring space for a CTC. While Bach worked with BPSOS’s IT guy to acquire computers, I focused on recruiting volunteers to teach a series of Computer Literacy/ESL classes to current BPSOS clients. Through websites and phone calls, we recruited a small group of 4-5 volunteers that agreed to teach ESL/Computer Literacy combo classes.

Charlena helped to launched the new website in September 2002. It has been extremely helpful with fundraising and the recruitment of volunteers. Microsoft Access was used to create databases to track software, hardware, community and technology contacts, and student, tutor, and parent contacts. Each database has easy-to-use interfaces to update information.

Charlena created FOTS curricular resource binders based off of resources from Byte Back, SeniorNet, Triangle Coalition, Digital Newsroom, and a host of web-based programs. As a result, the FOTS curriculum is a pool of resources that can be manipulated and adapted to student need and class environment. Future VISTAS can rely on the curriculum binders and documented resources to create future classes.

Charlena assisted in keeping the computer center operated on a five-day week schedule. Basic computer literacy skills were addressed in computer classes and Open Lab. In the spring of 2003, classes concentrated on more advanced topics such as Lego robotics, Photoshop, spreadsheets, and web page design.