CTC Net Chicago Chapter
Location:
Chicago, IL
CTCNet Chicago is a coalition of local community technology centers, technology-focused community-based organizations and advocates who share the vision of CTCNet (http://www.ctcnet.org/), our founding organization, of a society in which all people are equitably empowered by technology skills and services.
Our Mission
CTCNet Chicago brings together agencies and communities that provide opportunities whereby people of all ages, who typically lack access and understanding of the relevance of computers and related technologies, can learn to use these technologies in an environment that encourages exploration and discovery. Through this experience, disadvantaged individuals will be able to develop self-confidence, personal and work skills, and to become creators as well as consumers of technology.
Our Vision
CTCNet Chicago will be a leading advocate of equitable access to computers, related technologies, and resource distribution. It will invite, initiate and actively encourage partnerships and collaborations with individuals and organizations that offer resources in support of its mission. And, it will strive, in every arena, to bring about universal technological enfranchisement.
Our Collective Impact
CTCNet Chicago member organizations provide disadvantaged individuals access to technology and technology training through programs and services that aim to:
Build community residents’ computer literacy
Create Internet content and technology-based art
Help at-risk youth disadvantaged and adults build critical thinking skills by enhancing public education programs
Facilitate job-readiness and technology job skills
Afford information access via the Internet
Improve quality of life for residents of low-income communities through active participation in the digital revolution
Supported Projects
Marketing and Outreach
Dave Chakrabarti
8/2005 — 8/2006
The VISTA will work to advance the “Policy, Advocacy & Public Education” goals of the Illinois Network, informing stakeholders and demonstrating the impact, relevance and need for coordinated community technology efforts in Illinois.
The VISTA will also work to build a sense of collective identity for community technologists by facilitating regional activities, and by collecting the informational resources that will serve as the organizational core of the network, and which will be leveraged to the benefit and coordination of the network.
Lastly the VISTA will research and document the impact of community ICT efforts, correlating data on grants with political boundaries at multiple levels to facilitate the generation of audience specific presentations supporting sensible community ICT policy initiatives. And also assist in development and execution of sustainability plan for the chapter, including research and writing of proposals and coordination of fundraising activities.
We have been on a breakneck pace and I rely upon the Vista for a great deal. We’ve convened several major statewide events: Digital Literacy Showcase, Digital Neighborhoods Fundraiser, the Statewide Conference and the launch of the statewide colaition on Community Tech Day, yet another event. We’ve also formulated the database staretgy, and a sustainability plan (still being refined and executed). We’ve made an impact on the vision for the state community technology sector and we’ve launched a ring of websites in addition to the relaunch of our own site on a content managment system. This makes generation of content much easier, and more easily shared. Additionally we’ve put certain other webtools and communications infrastructure in place: phplist for our ilctc Bulletin, webforms for feedback and hylafax for blast communications.
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