Transmission Project

Denise worked closely with the STAR Center staff, clients, stakeholders, and volunteers to update our volunteer handbook, develop a list of volunteer opportunities, and revise our procedures and processes for volunteers. She helped plan and host a volunteer appreciation luncheon for over 300 guests in October 2006. During the holidays Denise assisted as we thanked our supporters with fruit baskets and homemade fudge that our volunteers made. In addition to her coordination of the volunteer program, Mrs. Meise also took an active role in the Development/Fundraising department. She assisted with three summer fundraisers which will gave her the opportunity to be involved with all aspects of planning and executing an event for up to 8,000 participants. Ms. Meise was involved with the filming of the new STAR Center video and was able to see the process from conception to finished product. At the end of her first year of service Mrs. Meise became a VISTA leader as part of the STAR Center’s new Building Together VISTA project.

For our annual KidsFest Event Mrs. Meise recruited over 300 special event volunteers who provided an additional 920 hours of volunteer service. They assisted with the set-up, execution, and break down of the event. Through the volunteers efforts the STAR Center was able to raise over $65,000 and hold a fun family event for our community.

When James first joined Boat People S.O.S. (BPSOS) as an AmeriCorps*VISTA Member he was assigned multiple tasks as set forth in his AmeriCorps*VISTA Member Assignment Description. He was able to successfully complete the objectives of Goal 1 for Quarter 1. However, he was not able to complete Objective 2a, to implement an ESL class at the House for Senior Citizens at the Lockwood/Elmwood in Arlington, Virginia for two reasons. First, the occupants did not feel the ESL class was necessary (they were only interested in learning about the Internet and computers). Second, James was not able to recruit a volunteer to teach the class. He did successfully complete Objectives 2b and 2c.

For Quarter 3, James assisted a BPSOS staff in setting up new program for Victims of Trafficking. He worked on this program for approximately one month and then he assisted another staff member with the Tax Assistance for Vietnamese Immigrants with Low Income (TAVILLI) program. From January 1 through April 23, he organized tax preparation sessions 3 days a week, 2 hours each session. He recruited volunteers and established a database containing names of volunteers that may help with future tax clinics. He went out in the Vietnamese community and distributed 800 flyers advertising free tax preparation. He enrolled 300 individuals for tax preparation, and kept a database of those individuals. When he enrolled the individuals for tax preparation, he gave out a needs assessment/opinion survey for them to complete. This survey informed individuals about programs available at BPSOS (computer, ESL and etc…).

Unfortunately, he was unable to complete the objectives as stated in Quarter 4 before the end of his one-year service because the first issue of BPSOS Mach Song was not published until July 2002. However, he did update BPSOS newsletter database. This database contains names of past and current BPSOS clients as well as others who want to receive the newsletter in the mail. Articles written in the newsletter highlight human-interest stories as well as provide information of services available to individuals.

VISTAs have not had an easy time keeping in touch with each other, both during and after service. In some cases certain personal information wasn’t even kept on file, such as a home telephone number. I created a global addressbook last year and incorporated it into the redesigned VISTA website this year. Alumni and current VISTAs now have a simple facility on the Project website to share their information as well as access other VISTAs’ information. In enhancing VISTA alumni resources and communications the VISTA Leaders wrote a form letter to all past alumni announcing the creation of a new CTC VISTA alumni connections mailing list (January), which also served to connect alumni to the great CTC VISTA directory networking resource. We plan to use this addressbook to periodically send a newsletter to alumni and hold reunions.

Assistant Director Paul Hansen and I worked collaboratively to re-launch the VISTA website (http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/vista/), creating a mock-up on a development server before going live with the re-design. In addition to migrating the directory pages off the development server, I replaced the static roster listings (current VISTAs, alumni, all VISTAs, and organizations) with dynamic database- backed pages, laying the groundwork for a recruiting system in which potential supervisors can add and edit VISTA job descriptions directly on the website. (The rosters do not at present list who is a second- or third-year VISTA, and it does not indicate any special titles for people, like VISTA Leader, for example).

Developed enhanced VISTA resources. One of the biggest challenges any group of short-term workers faces is the loss of knowledge when the staff turns over. In an effort to combat the lack of knowledge retention between VISTA “classes,” Dan
Schackman and I erected a resource wiki on the Project website. A wiki is “a website that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content” (WikiPedia.org). The wiki technology is widely deployed across the Internet and was chosen for its ability to cater to both novice and advanced Internet users. Dan and I created a modest framework though which VISTAs and non-VISTAs alike can contribute to and maintain a database of resources exclusively targeted to CTC VISTAs. Dan and I fleshed it out with resources provided by VISTAs David Johnson and Michelle Rogers. I feel the wiki will serve as an effective tool enabling VISTAS to have greater participation

The Community Technology Review website (www.comtechreview.org) was beefed up and migrated from an obsolete web server to a server which hosts all other CPCS website properties (CPCS, VISTA, CBC, etc.). Of note are the new comment approval system and the PayPal order page. The comment page will ease the approval process for user-submitted comments, and the order page will streamline CTR hardcopy purchases which can now be handled with a credit card. I also trained Dan Schackman to use the administration interface and made some minor code changes for the Winter 2005 issue.

Finally, I became savvy with Final Cut Pro and edited a couple of small VISTA project videos for distribution on the web (http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/vista/video/). I massaged the swearing in footage for the 2004-05 crop of VISTAs originally shot on September 1 by former VISTA Leader James Fishwick, featuring US Representative Barney Frank and UMass/Boston Chancellor Keith Motley. A couple more projects have been added to the archives, including a Liz Cavano’s half-hour “What’s a VISTA” (2001) and Scott Hillier’s “CTC VISTAs: A Day in the Life” (2003).

The past few months haven’t been spent exclusively glued to a keyboard and monitor. I spoke at Faneuil Hall in October on AmeriCorps Opening Day, an ambassador of the CTC VISTA Project. A number of situations arose with a few VISTAs, some of whom I tried to help with varying degrees of success. For my part I served as a liaison with a VISTA in Minnesota, who ended up leaving the program after transferring from her first assignment and failing to make her second assignment work; I supported two VISTAs in Massachusetts, one in California, and one in North Carolina who had some conflicts with their supervisors and another experiencing some serious interpersonal conflicts with one of her co-workers. These situations have been very time and energy intensive, requiring frequent and detailed communication with VISTA support staff and the involved parties.

On a related front of Project responsibility, I assumed coordinating responsibilities for the monthly meetings among the Boston VISTAs, ensuring an agenda, chairperson, and minute-taker for every meeting as well as editing and posting the minutes

During the 05-06 project year, Saul’s supervisor said the following:
Saul has continued to lend his considerable technical skills to a number of projects– some to the benefit of the college others to the benefit of the Project. The addition of the reporting system to the Project’s ‘online application system’ has been an enormous help and was pulled-off pretty much without a hitch. Reports were submitted by participating organizations largely on-time! This was unheard of in the past and represents a huge leap forward in efficency. He continues to work on the application system. Currently he is revising it so that organizations can have and access more than one application– for multi-year projects. This revision is proceeding slowly however. In the role of VISTA Leader (and as the Leader of the other Leaders) Saul has performed well. Communication between the Leaders could be better (more frequent perhaps) but the improvement over previous years has been considerable largely due to his coordinating efforts which began well before the August 2005 PSO. Saul also plays a vital role as the person whom I bounce my ideas off of. As I often have bad ideas, the value of this cannot be underestimated.

To quickly review Jennifer’s first quarter initiatives, her project included research into the demographic makeup of the city of Cambridge, preparing a significant report on ethnic and language identity by zip code of our community, and identifying organizations in our community to build relationships with to better serve our city. Jennifer’s second quarter worked to increasing member production rates and values by fostering and mentoring two member production groups; one group for the support of active producers working on individual productions, and the next a group focused on cooperatively producing a current affairs program.

Jennifer has also been responsible for a couple of community television events. These are events that, without CCTV and the hard work of our interns, would not have made the nightly news.

In the fourth quarter, a new initiative was born and Jennifer became the supervisor for our Summer Media Institute, a youth media program operated here at CCTV in collaboration with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The Mayor’s office runs a program each summer placing teenagers for six weeks in various host sites with the intent to provide structure, job training, and income for youth in the city of Cambridge.

The twelve teenagers placed with CCTV undergo a rigorous media training program including digital camera and editing techniques, documentary and fiction production, software and other hard skills through project-based workshops and weekly screenings. This program empowers our twelve Cambridge youth each year with the ability to produce media that more accurately reflects their lives and experiences in our city. This program is several years old and graduates continue to return for our services and facilities in their independent media work.

1. RTPnet
• Helped increase sponsorship for the RTPnet Conference to $2,500.
• Planned and executed RTPnet Conference for about 100 nonprofit and IT professionals.
• Promoted RTPnet, TechLinkUp and the RTPnet Conference at the N-TEN Nonprofit Technology Conference and the CTCnet Conference.
• Created a detailed how-to manual to plan next year’s conference.
• Helped shape discussion for 2006 conference in Winston-Salem or Greensboro area.
• Helped shape new RTPnet web site and Judy Hallman’s article for Community Technology Review.

2. Triangle United Way
• Helped plan and volunteered at Triangle United Way’s Agency Communications Committee workshop, “Getting Wired for Success.”
• Helped recruit speakers for the TUW workshop, including two speakers from the RTPnet Conference.
• Helped plan the events and agenda for TUW’s Internal Campaign and created the PowerPoint presentation for the Kick-Off event.
• Research grant opportunity and potential partners for an MLK Service Day sponsored by TUW.
• Volunteered for TUW’s Annual Meeting and Campaign Kick-Off event.

3. TechCoop and 501 Tech Club
• Planned and executed 501 Tech Club meeting with the most number of attendees.
• Increased membership on the club’s email list by promoting the 501 Tech Club to partners and contacts I’ve made through RTPnet.
• Planned a TechCoop to lead a discussion on a strategic plan for the future of 501 Tech Club meetings.

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.

Shirl completed her year of service in November 2002 and extended service through January 2003.

Shirl assisted the president of the CTCNet board of directors (Erroll Reese, Durham, NC) with CTCNet program development and capacity building. She helped coordinate activities with national conference and meetings and followup with local leaders.

In addition, Shirl developed a PC Access database for RTPnet. The database consists of information gathered from an online form, http://www.rtpnet.org/rtpnet/vol.html The database allows us to find volunteers with skills that meet current needs and it allows us to keep information about volunteers current. The database contains about 50 entries.

Goal 1: The project has accomplished its major goals for 2002 already, in the recruitment of over 170 local volunteers for CTCs in our network and setting up CompuMentor volunteer management training for CTC staff.

Goal 2: Increased attendance at Quarterly meetings and annual conference from last years’ numbers, signed up 20+ attendees for CompuMentor training.

Goal 3: Working with members from local CTCs to encourage committee work and leadership within the C-CAN.

C-CAN’s AmeriCorps/ VISTA members have finished work on development of our main project: The Volunteer Hub. This project required finalizing the database of local CTCs, contracting them to review their data, and training them in use of the online volunteer database and volunteer opportunities directory

Jeff Streier has concentrated on working with organizations to prepare them for using the Hub, Heidi Marshall has focused on recruitment of volunteers. Both Members staffed a booth at the MN State Fair in late August of 2002 for 10 days.

In addition to work on the volunteer management and recruitment projects, both Members helped to organize the second annual Twin Cities Community Technology Conference, which attracted over 75 participants. The Mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Ryback, was on hand to deliver the keynote speech, and was so impressed by what the community is doing in terms of CTC activity that C-CAN was invited to a series of meetings at the Mayors’ Office.

These meetings have resulted in the development of a new Community Technology Task Force, featuring participation by local government, industry, and non-profit technology providers. The focus of this task force is to develop a City agenda for improving “Digital Opportunity” for residents of the City of Minneapolis. Another outcome of this partnership is that C-CAN and the City of Minneapolis have just submitted a proposal for a cluster of 25 new AmeriCorps members to serve in local CTC projects.

In August 2002, Kristin assisted the organization and youth in preparation for its Street-to-Street block party/media installation event by co-designing an installation with Street-Level’s Girls Group participants, and co-producing two video pieces for Street-Level’s outdoor public broadcast/performance of youth media work in September 2002.

During the fall of 2002, Kristin accompanied staff and youth representatives to the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture conference in Seattle, WA, and worked with staff to develop a searchable database for our collection of youth videos, as well as create a system for the management and tracking of videos distributed to film festivals and screenings.

Jason has been instrumental in coordinating the special events that CMC has sponsored or hosted. He has willingly shouldered the duty of making appearances at public functions as the CMC representative, recently meeting the esteemed Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, the morning after her State of the State Address.

Other special events include the nationally recognized educational broadcast of the JASON XIV Project. This weeklong workshop was at held at local gathering place Celebration Cinema where Jason led the CMC’s presence, reaching out to the youth of our community. This high-profile event that was attended by many of Kent County’s eight graders and was broadcast 24/7 on GRTV’s second channel LiveWire.

Most recently, Jason coordinated a visit from Detective Sullivan (Oprah Winfrey, the Today Show, and others have featured his new book and software), who teaches Cyber-Safety to school children and their parents. In addition to his interview during drive-time on WYCE 88.1FM, our sponsorship of his visit has resulted in exposure in the Grand Rapids Family Magazine.

Jason has helped the CMC become the production house for the statewide broadband mapping initiative “LinkMichigan.” He designed the LinkMichigan brochure and has recently taken over the large task of redesigning the “FREE Internet Access” brochure that includes a map, location, and hours for every public Internet Access site in Barry, Ionia, and Kent Counties. When finished, this brochure will be featured as part of a large marketing campaign funded by the state to promote already existing Internet Access sites and Community Technology Centers in the area.