Transmission Project

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.

In addition to recruiting and managing volunteers, Heidi has been very involved with local colleges and the University of Minnesota regarding placement of student interns within area CTCs. Heidi attended many meetings in the course of this project, and as a result, C-CAN was one of only a few, select non-profit organizations the U of Minnesota chose as partners for their community outreach program, a program that places undergraduates in social service agencies as part of course work.

This groundwork has helped us to develop a sustainable network of volunteers for local CTCs that will serve the community even after our AmeriCorps*VISTA members finish their service later this year.

Since February of 2003, Heidi has organized and facilitated two quarterly and one annual meeting for local CTCs, working with other national organizations to provide resources to our local CTC partners. As a result of her outreach work, 25 local CTC leaders and advocates, and a representative from CTC/national (Felicia Sullivan) made a presentation at our annual conference in September.

Heidi finished work with a local community agency (Pillsbury United Communities; see attached) to develop and implement a “technical assessment” project that will serve as a model for other organizations that have asked for assistance with assessments.

During her year of service, VISTA member Krissy Sinor has enabled the Edge CTC at the Springfield-Greene County Library to build a successful technology program for both youth and adults. The curriculum has continued to evolve and now includes nearly 100 different classes. The 3,900 participants during this time have been pleased with opportunities to attend training classes and programs that teach technology and information retrieval skills based upon their particular needs, interests, and skill level.

Krissy has developed a core of reliable volunteers for the EDGE. She also helped coordinate federal work study students from a local community college, CIS and CASL students working on collaborative projects, and workers/trainers from the American Association of Retired Persons Employment training program.

Krissy has done an excellent job overseeing the maintenance of the participant database and class evaluation database. She set up procedures to train volunteers to perform data entry and helped produce written procedures for ongoing reports. She also coordinated a project that allowed local university Service Learning students to perform telephone follow-up surveys for previous EDGE participants. This information will be included in future grant proposals.

The EDGE decided against a major effort to post course instruction and handouts for basic courses to the EDGE web page. Instead, Krissy helped with the creation and fine-tuning of written handouts that supported all EDGE classes. She also trained volunteers and work-study students to help with the creation, editing, and duplication process.