evaluation

Outreach and Trainer

Organization: 
Pangea Foundation
VISTA Name: 
Sandra Hike
Program Start: 
9/2005
Program End: 
9/2006
Project Description: 

Sandra will visit affordable housing facilities, CTCs, and nonprofits in the State and train them on Pangea’s software and technology systems. Sandra will also evaluate Pangea’s systems, recommend ways to improve the software and the training plans, and begin to develop training materials based on input from the field. Lastly, Sandra will schedule and host on-site training workshops and presentations.

Project Outcome: 

Sandra and Daniel (the other VISTA member) helped Pangea reach over 700 affordable housing facilities. They provided 100% of the technical traning and support for this project. Additionally, with their direct interaction with our clients, they help us to design new features for using technology to serve low income residents. Sandra and Daniel also virtually lead all aspects of our training and technical support program.

Curriculum Development and Outreach

VISTA Name: 
Katherine Smith
Program Start: 
8/2003
Program End: 
8/2004
Project Description: 

•curriculum development (in coordination with the Multimedia Instructor)

•volunteer recruitment and management

•student outreach

•development of outreach networks and relationships

•student instruction/discussion facilitation

•development of program documentation

•participation in program evaluation

•developing a resource library for students on a variety of topics (gender, multimedia, education, etc)

•Website development in coordination with web design curriculum development.

Project Outcome: 

Girls Get Digital trains women in the use of media; program participants create multimedia resources for local nonprofits and other clients. GGD was able to see the fruits of our labor during our pilot year. As in the first half of her year with the program, Kathy was the keystone of our success, though additionally exciting was watching Kathy truly come into her own in her coordination of the program.

A strong curriculum was created in our pilot year. This is under constant review and reconstruction, but curriculum work (including reflection on what worked and what should be changed) in the first year has created a strong foundation for that.

The GGD application and program evaluation documentation was created prior to the first session and has needed very little revision since. Documentation for the rest of the program was created on as-need basis, and has largely followed guidelines by our summer session funder, which provided a standard set of consents, incident reports, etc.

Kathy did a great job conducting outreach in schools, through local social service organizations and in clubs for participant recruitment. Kathy also did great work with a volunteer and the Multimedia Instructor to identify field trip sites.

Kathy’s excellent research and writing skills were a huge asset to the program and resulted in our funding by AfterSchool Matters (for the summer and now the fall GGD sessions) and for our very first foundation funding.

Kathy developed and circulated press releases. The newsletter was tabled for the time being, and is now being developed by our current VISTA staff.

Initial work on identifying local program and online resources for program participants was completed. In a city as populated and large as Chicago, an exhaustive resource library is a Herculean task. Kathy assisted with the foundations for this library and the task is being carried on with staff at this time.

CTC Youth Media Program Building

VISTA Name: 
Anthony O'Rourke
Program Start: 
9/2006
Program End: 
9/2007
Project Description: 

The priority during Tony’s time at the clubs has been to develop programs specializing in youth media.

Project Outcome: 

Tony successfully created a project plan, lesson plans, program write-ups and evaluations for programs in the past year. These programs provide valuable skills to students in the following areas. Photoshop- design and tools, , Movie making, Robotics, Music Making, Diversity training, Literacy enrichment, Web Design, Graphic Design/Arts and the Techathalon (a state wide event). The Americorp Vista participated in outreach and recruitment with several community groups. He secured several donations for fundraising efforts through community relations he developed. During the past year, he visited the Young Champions program and urged them to participate in after school programs at the club site, greatly increasing the size and reach of our programs.

Impact Quote: 

Tony O’Rourke has performed above expectations throughout his time at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley. He has consistently documented programs and developed resources and trainings in supported of the computer and youth leadership programs.

CTC Support and Program Building

Organization: 
RTPNet
VISTA Name: 
Vahid Nourani
Program Start: 
9/2004
Program End: 
9/2006
Project Outcome: 

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.

Community Outreach and Organizing

Organization: 
Friendship House
VISTA Name: 
Mike Connolly
Program Start: 
9/2004
Program End: 
9/2005
Project Description: 

1. Form a Steering Committee to assist in the development of the CTC.
2. Complete community analysis and assessment.
3. Design the initial program and determine requirements.
4. Develop a business plan.

Project Outcome: 

• Completed the demographic analysis of the neighborhood
• Formed a Steering Committee (SC)
• Developed a survey form for assessing and prioritizing the desires of the neighborhood
• Assessment of the neighborhood is underway
• I attended 3 grant-writing seminars (2 general and 1 on government grants)
• I helped define the scope and vision for the project and the organization’s future
• I am overseeing a pilot program
• I supervised the expenditure of $45,000 for technology equipment
• I am in the process of developing an operational budget and MOU’s
• I am researching funding opportunities

CTC Outreach and Research

VISTA Name: 
Michael Eagle
Program Start: 
9/2004
Program End: 
5/2005
Project Description: 

Goal 1: Increase attendance at CTOC events by 30%.
Goal 2: Help to coordinate a minimum of six CTOC events.
Goal 3: Assist in the development of training curriculum for Train the Trainer events.
Goal 4: Assist in the evaluation of CTOC’s project activities.
Goal 5: CTOC will leverage national, regional and local resources, including AmeriCorp*VISTA members to ascertain funding and enable the growth of the project.

Project Outcome: 

Mike has updated CTOC’s current database and is 70% complete with updating the information on CTOC members of organizations. Our VISTA has gained considerable knowledge of the organizations listed in our membership database and will be able to easily consolidate both databases into one main database. With the consolidation of both databases that total over six hundred (600) CTC’s, CTOC will be able to significantly improve our outreach efforts.

As part of the updating procedures we have contacted each organization to establish a contact person for each non-profit organization that provides technology services. Mike has completed updating 70% of the organizations’ contact information and has been able to find a designated person for each organization and updating their email addresses. His efforts to gain the correct contact information for these organizations has provided CTOC with a face and voice in the community and increased our visibility with CTCs in Los Angeles. With the increased visibility in the CTC community we have been able to increase the attendance of CTOC members and Non-Member to event workshops by at least 30%.

Mike has designed and developed promotional materials for at least three of CTOC’s events over the past three months.

Mike reviewed materials on evaluation methods and was instrumental in assisting CTOC’s staff in the development of a survey instrument that we are using to collect data on the CTCs in the Los Angeles region. Mike completed 24 CTC site visits in Los Angeles. Not only have these site visits given us a chance to collect information on the local CTC, it has given him an opportunity to get first hand knowledge of the types of programs that are offered by the various CTCs around Los Angeles. We have collected data on 61 CTCs in the Los Angeles region including San Bernardino County. Over the past six (6) months he has enter the 60% of the data that will be used of evaluation. Over the next six (6) months he will assist the staff with data evaluation.

Mike has provided us with information on funding resources that are available via the CTCnet listserv. He has participated and given input in our discussions on being a CTCnet chapter affiliate. He will be doing some research and grant writing for demonstration project that we will undertake.

CTC Outreach and Support

VISTA Name: 
Chaneqa Wooten
Program Start: 
8/2002
Program End: 
5/2003
Project Description: 

Develop infrastructure, policy and planning, program development and service
delivery capacity with regards to digital divide initiatives in Miami-Dade County,
 Florida.

Project Outcome: 

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.

Impact Quote: 

Ms. Wooten has done a phenomenal job in successfully accomplishing many of the initial goals that were established and gone on to expand upon her current role. By compiling a comprehensive listing of organizations and companies which offer free software and services for non-profit organizations, preliminary expectations were surpassed. Although nearly 50% complete with this research, the accumulated data has already proved to be beneficial to the Technology Access Coalition.

CTC Program Building

Organization: 
San Diego Cyber-Y
VISTA Name: 
Sharon al Hourani
Program Start: 
8/2002
Project Description: 

Goal 1: To help create and find sustainable solution for a new technology based afterschool program targeting youth in the community.
Goal 2: To help design and find funding for technology skills workshops aimed at adult community members
Goal 3: Help design a program evaluation system that accurately monitors the Cyber Y’s programs
Goal 4: Design a program to manage and recruit 10 new Cyber Y volunteers
Goal 5: Work with other San Diego Community Technology Coalition (SDCTC) members to help find collaborative solutions to region wide community technology challenges.

Project Outcome: 

Sharon has shown only the utmost dedication to the Cyber Y and has helped nurture our afterschool programming into a highly successful and sought after community afterschool option for our neighborhood. The first class was an overwhelming success with high retention and participation from our local 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. This semester we added one day of programming and now offer Cyber Y afterschool for 3rd and 4th together and a separate class for the 5th graders.

In addition, Sharon has also worked closely with the Cyber Seniors class that meets once a week and provides ongoing instruction support and recruitment for the class. She also developed an open access time one morning a week in order to provide additional out of class time to participants to have more computer usage time. Starting with only a couple of attendees, word of mouth has quickly filled up this morning time.

Impact Quote: 

As the Project Director for YMCA Youth and Family Services’ Community Collaborations Project Area I can say that it has been a tremendous asset to our programs to have Sharon onboard as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Sharon has shown only the utmost dedication to the Cyber Y and has helped nurture our afterschool programming into a highly successful and sought after community afterschool option for our neighborhood.

CTC Outreach and Implementation

Organization: 
Byte Back
VISTA Name: 
Murel Carmichael
Program Start: 
8/2001
Program End: 
8/2003
Project Description: 

Byte Back needs VISTA assistance to meet the following goals:
1) Better community service through better information and outreach: VISTA workers will assist us with Community Mapping and community Outreach to determine modifications to services at existing CTC’s and the location of additional CTC’s
2) Definition and documentation of the methods, the curriculum, and the effectiveness of the Byte Back model, the Technology Expert Organization (TEO), so that others may benefit from this success.
3) Establishing a sustainability program so that Byte Back is not reliant on grants for continued existence and service.”

Project Outcome: 

While actual canvassing of the local neighborhood was fruitful for relationships in our home neighborhood, networking with other organizations was more effective when we were exploring territory that was new to us. We have provided assistance to many new organizations and this assistance ranges from extensive and on-going to brief and by request.

VISTAs helped shape Byte Back’s future through the information gathered in community mapping and other outreach activities. Although we initially thought computer sales and fees for specific tasks might provide sustainability for Byte Back, our understanding the needs of the non-profit community changed through community mapping and attending or leading events and focus groups. We found that many local non-profits had little idea how to meet their technical needs economically, and also needed assistance integrating program and technical planning. Often they relied on irregular volunteers or expensive consultants. Because of these needs revealed through our outreach programs, we have developed a Tech Gap Working Group which is redirecting our efforts towards the providing of planning and services.

Outreach Coordinator

Organization: 
Byte Back
VISTA Name: 
Shirley Dumas
Program Start: 
8/2001
Program End: 
8/2003
Project Description: 

Byte Back needs VISTA assistance to meet the following goals:
1) Better community service through better information and outreach: VISTA workers will assist us with Community Mapping and community Outreach to determine modifications to services at existing CTC’s and the location of additional CTC’s
2) Definition and documentation of the methods, the curriculum, and the effectiveness of the Byte Back model, the Technology Expert Organization (TEO), so that others may benefit from this success.
3) Establishing a sustainability program so that Byte Back is not reliant on grants for continued existence and service.”

Project Outcome: 

While actual canvassing of the local neighborhood was fruitful for relationships in our home neighborhood, networking with other organizations was more effective when we were exploring territory that was new to us. In St Phillip the Evangelist Church in South East we installed a computer lab with their donated computers and are running their computer training program. At Shaw Ministries we provided information that assists them to make cost effective decisions about use of space and purchase of materials. At World Mission Extension Center we provided computers and set up a lab and provided Junior Internship training for their Junior Councilors so that they could assist in camp and after school programs.

Transmission Project