Transmission Project

Nate developed at least 5 partnerships with various businesses on his own and many smaller individual donors. These connections continue to provide ongoing computers for HCN.

He also negotiated a 200 computer purchase at a very nominal fee, picked them up, loaded and unloaded them, and found a place to have them stored.

Nate revised brochures, and a variety of new donor letters, flyers were completed.

He submitted a grant application to Leadership Greensboro which resulted in a team of four local business leaders to help him develop a marketing package, a promotional DVD (still in the works), a lead database and 3 large computer donors. One donor at a local hospital brings 25-40 computers a month.

Nate was especially successful with media through press releases, resulting in TV news coverage three times (videos on our website), one school distribution had 3 local channels show up to cover it. Another grant he submitted to a Create-A-Thon, a local marketing firm, has resulted in a large banner for use at events. It came in very handy and was used 4 times during Nate’s service.

He was instrumental in making many updates, changes and fine tuning our website. He developed the Virtual Tour and has agreed to continue to keep the HCN website fresh and up to date. Nate coordinated all computer distributions which included 71 to the families at Hairston Middle School, 77 to Newcomers School (all immigrants from 8 different countries), 60 to another local immigrant community and sometimes with the help of the Executive Director but often on his own he delivered 50 computers to Group homes (for adults with disabilities) throughout the state of NC. These distributions are very time- and staff intensive; having a Vista take the majority of the responsibility helped other staff to do their respective jobs more effectively. Just before he left, Nate submitted a grant for $30,000 for another local school distribution. We recently received the letter stating we were awarded $25,000.

We have a great website, new ongoing partners, so many computers we have to store them off site, new relationships, an inventory database that makes life easier and some big shoes to fill. (We offered Nate a job, but he declined). We are sustaining Nate’s work by hiring the previous Vista, Anna Simanovitch, in a part time Admin. Assistant role. We have also worked out a consulting contract with Nate to continue web updates, write grants, help complete the Annual Report and in many other ways we we may need to use his expertise and knowledge of our organization .

The Closing the Digital Gap (CTDG) program was fortunate to train nearly 500 Lansing area residents, approximately 240 in the Michigan Works Internet job search program, 139 in our core computer give-a-way program, 72 in the Computer Literacy program, and 45 in the our Web Page Creation class. Staff and volunteers exceeded their six month training goal from February to August of 2004; nearly every staff received over 25 hours of additional training — our partners Michigan State University and New Horizons Computer Learning Centers were responsible for the majority of training.

Amy Radigan was very instrumental in the marketing, recruitment, scheduling, processing and teaching of All Closing the Digital Gap programs, especially those programs held in the Magic Johnson Lab. Amy did the initial intake of all perspective participants including following-up on messages about programs, creating and disseminating program information, and assisting in the instruction of various CTDG classes.

Amy assisted in expanding one of CTDG’s programs pertaining to bridging the Digital Divide for the developmentally disabled (dd), using her contacts from a previous job to disseminate information to other organizations that work with the developmentally disabled. Through her efforts, CTDG not only trained more dds but offered on the job training to 3 dds and hired another dd.

Summary of Accomplishments

• Seven Pillsbury United Communities Technology Centers have improved their infrastructure. Staff was trained to administer their technology Center
• Created a “help” manual for each center including a Universal set of computer lab rules
• Met with Technology Center administrators of each center, to assess individual needs and provide assistance when ever possible.
• Four volunteers have been recruited for Waite House
• Upcoming Web site design class for Pillsbury United Communities Technology Center administrators, so they can teach community members at their particular location. This class will be taught by corporate volunteers.
• Assisted in the creation of an additional lab, or “Business Center” for community members
• Created promotional materials.
• Attended UNCA conference, attended workshop on how to recruit volunteers from Volunteer Resource Center and will attend “Minnesota Trainers or Trainers on Adult Learning” seminar in April.

Volunteer Recruitment

Several community members were exposed to computers for the first time during our “open Business Center hours” on Wednesday from 11:00- 1:00 pm. Volunteer staff assisted those community members in discovering the world of technology and the advantages of becoming computer literate. About 80% of these new computer users were recruited from Waite House Community café. This Waite House service provides hot meal to low income, working families, and homeless people.

A similar strategy was implemented in the afternoons when people waited to be served by our food shelf staff. Every afternoon from 2:00-5:00 pm at least 20-25 people line up to be served. Carley met with interns from Hamline University to identify potential volunteers who could staff the Business Center during those hours. A Hamline student that wanted to improve her Spanish skills became interested in staffing the business center. She volunteered two hours every Monday from 3:00- 5:00 for ten weeks. Several seniors were provided service during those hours; their most frequent questions were about how to look for services in the Internet.

Direct Service

Carley and David met once a week, two hours for five weeks. David learned to navigate the Internet to do job search. He also signed up with an e-mail provider. He developed basic skills on the use of Microsoft Word. David also developed a resume and cover letter.

Accelerated Reader Software

Carley helped to teach youth workers the use of this software. According to our last quarter report, for September 30th, 2004, two hundred twenty youth are enrolled into the Accelerated Reader program and about 80% of them have advanced one or more reading levels. Waite House alone reports 55 youth enrolled into the program and about 80% of them are now reading at their expected grade level.

ESL Classes

Carley assisted the students to sign up with an e-mail provider. John, the teacher, sent assignments via e-mails. The students had to respond the same way. Students have developed skills in MS word, the Internet and a basic understanding of how computer works. At least 15 students, so far, have developed a medium level of proficiency on MS Words.

Thanks to Carley, Waite House English program obtained 15 on line licenses of Rosetta Stone English software for 2004-05. Carley took the initiative to search foundations and came across Rosetta’s foundation. The Market value of these 15 licenses is approximately $1,900.00. Thank you Carley.

Presently, Liri is in the midst of developing two critical projects that could have an impact on underserved populations in greater Boston and beyond. The Massachusetts State Association for the Deaf has been meeting regularly with Liri and other MATV staff to develop and train its members to begin production of a new TV program – Deaf Community News – a show to be produced by and for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Secondly, Liri is coordinating the staff and clients from Triangle, Inc. (a non-profit organization providing employment, residential and social services to people with disabilities) in the production of a monthly magazine TV show to be produced entirely by developmentally and physically disabled adults.

This past year, Liri has produced and directed a monthly program entitled What Is…? that focuses on medical illnesses, disabilities, and disease prevention. He has developed a crew of ten volunteers that handle all aspects of the production process. The program involves and promotes many local non-profit health-related organizations and medical institutions. This program won first prize in the “Talk Show” category at the Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region Video Festival in the fall of 2002. Liri will continue to produce this quality program in the coming year.

Liri’s work at the Cyber Café @ Malden Square has been as an ambassador of communications technology – teaching, nurturing, and challenging volunteers and patrons from all backgrounds to learn and utilize technology to improve their lives.

Liri is working with MATV to acquire additional assistive technology, in particular, voice-activated digital editing software that will increase his independence and productivity at MATV.

Note: Liri produced a segment of the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative’s “First Tuesday” program that was cablecast throughout eastern Massachusetts and webcast on May 4, 2004 that covers his own VISTA work and can be seen by going to the project’s video archives at .