Transmission Project

BPSOS’s project ACCESS, Access to Computers for Community Empowerment, Support and Services, hopes to improve English fluency and the acquisition of computer skills in the low-income community. The VISTA members will work on the following tasks:

1. Work with community groups to identify youth needing the service and mobilize their participation in the program.
2. Set up neighborhood-based classes. This involves identification of additional resources to support these classes (such as donated computers, text books, class space, supplies).
3. Teach ESL and computer classes. This will include tailoring existing class materials to the needs of the target population.
4. Recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers to serve as instructors and mentors.
5. Encourage parents to take part in the education of their children.

BPSOS’s project ACCESS, Access to Computers for Community Empowerment, Support and Services, hopes to improve English fluency and the acquisition of computer skills in the low-income community. The VISTA members will work on the following tasks:

1. Work with community groups to identify youth needing the service and mobilize their participation in the program.
2. Set up neighborhood-based classes. This involves identification of additional resources to support these classes (such as donated computers, text books, class space, supplies).
3. Teach ESL and computer classes. This will include tailoring existing class materials to the needs of the target population.
4. Recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers to serve as instructors and mentors.
5. Encourage parents to take part in the education of their children.

The long range goals of the project are to provide affordable technology-based access and training to low income residents of the Downtown / Little Tokyo area and LTSC CDC’s low income housing projects; to support and help develop the community technology capacity among other API agencies; and to function as a comprehensive community technology resource for area residents.

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will be assigned to help oversee the computer job skills development program. This would include outreach activities and identifying candidates among LTSC CDC’s housing projects and the Downtown/Little Tokyo areas. He/She will also be responsible for developing the program curriculum, forming relationships with corporate partners for job placement opportunities, delivering the course training, and providing participant support during open access periods. Other responsibilities will include the training and coordination of our volunteers to assist in classroom instruction.

The long range goal is to enhance the organizational capacity of community technology center staff. By developing our membership base and supplementing the services provided to those members, by providing on-site technical support and by expanding access to our national conference this AmeriCorps position will have a major impact on the low-income community where they are serving. By providing services to centers that create equitable access, these projects inherently expand access themselves. The by-product of this impact on low-income communities is an increase in the skilled workforce and a heightened sense of personal efficacy.

Goal 1: Expand local ties among member centers and increase organizational capacity to deliver in-person consultation and support.

Goal 2: Assist in creating a system of technology-related technical assistance support for CTCs in the Boston metropolitan area.

Goal 3: Conduct research, WWW design activities and email activities to maintain and expand delivery of services to member centers.

BPSOS’s project ACCESS, Access to Computers for Community Empowerment, Support and Services, hopes to improve English fluency and the acquisition of computer skills in the low-income community. The VISTA members will work on the following tasks:

1. Work with community groups to identify youth needing the service and mobilize their participation in the program.
2. Set up neighborhood-based classes. This involves identification of additional resources to support these classes (such as donated computers, text books, class space, supplies).
3. Teach ESL and computer classes. This will include tailoring existing class materials to the needs of the target population.
4. Recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers to serve as instructors and mentors.
5. Encourage parents to take part in the education of their children.

BPSOS’s project ACCESS, Access to Computers for Community Empowerment, Support and Services, hopes to improve English fluency and the acquisition of computer skills in the low-income community. The VISTA members will work on the following tasks:

1. Work with community groups to identify youth needing the service and mobilize their participation in the program.
2. Set up neighborhood-based classes. This involves identification of additional resources to support these classes (such as donated computers, text books, class space, supplies).
3. Teach ESL and computer classes. This will include tailoring existing class materials to the needs of the target population.
4. Recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers to serve as instructors and mentors.
5. Encourage parents to take part in the education of their children.

VISTA activities include mentoring, training, and being a role model to youths. VISTA individuals with work collaboratively with partners to reach out to youths for activities.

The long range goals of our technology vision are that all citizens, no matter what socio-economic or academic background they come from, are entitled to access to technology.

The anticipated outcome of the project is that an increased number of Greater Lansing citizens will gain access to computers and be able to utilize technology and information to improve their economic, social and political lives. The Project will result in participants getting better jobs, their children getting better grades in school and the community benefiting from a better informed, more involved citizenry.

The VISTA workers will engage in outreach activities designed to involve members of the target populations in the program. They will teach participants how to use computers, how to upgrade computers and how to access and utilize the internet to improve their lives.

SCAT currently has two computer stations that will soon be linked to the Internet, and will be dedicated solely to community members, and we hope to have a high speed cable modem connection soon. The VISTA volunteer’s work would revolve around helping move SCAT into the “digital age” without leaving behind anyone in the Somerville communities SCAT has been serving for over 25 years: at risk youth, immigrant communities, low- and middle-income people, and organizations who feel ignored by the “mainstream” media, and seniors looking for a way to make their voices and concerns heard. The concrete activities would include but not be limited to the following:

Planning and policy work: Research how other public access stations have “crossed the digital divide” and implemented computer center programs, as well as programs related to the new digital video technologies. Make recommendations to SCAT staff and Board of Directors, and help implement the plan, which would include the purchase of some equipment.

Outreach: Collaboration on the development of messages and programming for the public access channel aimed at making people aware of the new resources and programs at SCAT; development of printed outreach material personal outreach work, such as visiting service agencies, youth groups, community associations, etc., with a translator where necessary.

Training programs: Design and implementation of a creative program of training on the computer stations, especially related to the internet and to the multimedia possibilities offered by the WWW; collaboration with SCAT staff who work with the non-linear editing system in the design and implementation of new multimedia training courses design and implementation of an advanced training program related to web site design, video streaming, etc.

Impact: It is hoped that this new facet of SCAT’s work will have many different impacts for low-income youth and adults, from both the English-speaking, and the non-English -speaking communities, including but not limited to: concrete, career-related training, increased accessing of the resources available through the internet; a dynamic new addition to SCAT television programming; the development of a dynamic multimedia program, where teh assets and opportunities of public access television and the internet are combined and made accessible to all.

There are two primary long-range goals of this VISTA project. The first is to develop a sustainable network of computer resource providers in the neighborhood in order to help low-income residents bridge the digital divide. The second is to link technology training to local employment opportunities.

The VISTA member will perform the following takss:

- Assist with teaching computer classes

- Identify resources in local area for additional classes and training

- Recruit and train volunteers

- Provide Allston-Brighton Community Computer Collaborative members with information about resources available to them

- Develop outreach materials for marketing classes

- Assist with publicity for program

- Maintain database of class participants

- Develop relationships with area employers to assist class graduates with reaching computer-related employment goals