technology planning
Technology Planning and Development
Organization:
A Home Within VISTA Name:
Dan Stangl
Program Start:
7/2008
Program End:
7/2009
Project Description:
Dan has a number of responsibilities. Currently Dan is mainly engaged with implementing a new database. Other duties include technology planning for the organization, website upgrades, technology assistant for our digital photography program and general assistance.
Project Outcome:
Dan has been instrumental in helping solve various tech problems presented by our photography program. Dan set up and formated a photo printer so that the students could properly print their work as they prepared it for their winter show. The production quality of the work made the students feel professional and helped impress the audience with the students’ work.
CTC Technical Support
Organization:
RTPNet VISTA Name:
Eugena Harrington
Program Start:
2/2001
Program End:
2/2002
Project Description:
The anticipated outcome of this project is a functioning, responsive technology support service for Triangle Area Centers for Technology (TACT) that will assist technology centers which are primarily in low-income neighborhoods.
Duke University currently provides one person to oversee technical support for community tech centers in Durham. The AmeriCorps*VISTA member will work with this person and other members of the tech support committee to plan and develop a working technology support group.
The VISTA member will identify and document support services to be provided by the TACT support committee, develop an expertise list that the Help Desk will use to forward problems, develop lists of recommended hardware and software for technology centers, as well as installing and troubleshooting computer systems and providing routine maintenance.
Project Outcome:
Gena is providing tech support for a large number of centers (about 20) in Orange, Durham, and Wake counties and she is helping some schools in the area. She is creating inventories for the centers, defining standards, and writing guides. Standards will help RTPnet provide technical support for the centers. Similarly, when there is a problem, the inventories will give tech support people preliminary information that will facilitate troubleshooting.
Technical Support
Organization:
Lowell Telecommunications Corporation VISTA Name:
Rickie Jackson
Program Start:
8/2001
Program End:
8/2002
Project Description:
The VISTA member will work with members of the Consortium and the larger Lowell NPO community. The range of activities will vary from organization to organization. In general, VISTas will supervise public access computers, train the community in a wide assortment of computer applications, provide technical support, assist in the setup of new computer labs (including small LANs), and improve and support information systems (i.e., websites, databases, electronic mail, access to the Inernet). We do not expect that every VISTA will have all the necessary skills to accomplish these, but we would like to see the bringing together of a team of individuals that can support and build upon their individual strengths.
Technical Support
Organization:
Lowell Telecommunications Corporation VISTA Name:
John Hunt
Program Start:
2/2000
Program End:
12/2001
Project Description:
LTC and the Consortium expect that access to additional technical support and training personnel will result in increased access to computer technology for the community and increased efficiency within organizations through better and easier to-access expertise.
The VISTA member will work with members of the Consortium and the larger Lowell NPO community. The range of activities will vary from organization to organization. In general, VISTas will supervise public access computers, train the community in a wide assortment of computer applications, provide technical support, assist in the setup of new computer labs (including small LANs), and improve and support information systems (i.e., websites, databases, electronic mail, access to the Inernet). We do not expect that every VISTA will have all the necessary skills to accomplish these, but we would like to see the bringing together of a team of individuals that can support and build upon their individual strengths.
School Site Manager
Organization:
The Media Aid Center VISTA Name:
Michael Matthews
Program Start:
1/2007
Program End:
1/2009
Project Description:
Currently the Media Aid Center provides during and afterschool digital media production courses for five high schools in South Los Angeles supporting large underserved and disadvantaged communities. The center supplies mobile media labs and studio facility to support community engagement and youth involvement activities.
The school site managers will be in charge of recruiting, training, supporting, scheduling, and recognizing non-AmeriCorps mentors and volunteers. The developer will ensure the appropriate orientation and accommodations have been made for each site to make volunteers within their Media curriculum. This includes developing field trip curricula and mentor-lead exercises as a part of the Media curriculum. The site managers will act as liaisons and mediators between the sites and the school. Media instruction will be framed as a tool to facilitate academic achievement, community involvement, exploration and expression.
Project Outcome:
The website remained incomplete. Some of the problem was the delay in training Mike properly. Mike acted as site manager at our main facility. This freed our staff to massively exspand our capacity from 100 students to 700 students per year. He planned and accompanied students on field trips. Mike also developed a website for us. He began a music develop project by converting one of our older computers into a beat machine.
Originally, web development was Mike’s primary task, but it is his work as a site manager that made the difference. It began with an outreach program to community schools. The schools stated they needed the program during school not after, and we have been growing fast ever since.
Impact Quote:
“Music was not a priority for our center, but it is a major part of Mike’s vision. When he began to build the beat machine, the program began to attract at-risk youth that were out of reach to the center before.”
- Martin Cheeseborough, supervisor
Website Development and Online Community Management
Organization:
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC) VISTA Name:
Morgan Sully
Program Start:
6/2007
Program End:
12/2008
Project Description:
Our Technology Infrastructure and Content Development project will focus on the next phase of developing our online suite of tools to help our members. We have begun to put the Plan in place by building a new “Mapping the Field” database; preparing for 2007
For the 2007 Technology Infrastructure/Content Development Project we ask the VISTA volunteer to:
1. Manage and contribute to NAMAC’s 2007 technology planning project which will help our membership connect and work with each other more fully across the field.
2. Develop NAMAC’s website, with special attention to building it out with Web 2.0 platforms.
3. Assist program staff in creating a variety of new content and participatory areas of the web site.
4. Contribute to helping the national media arts community to build capacity through online participatory technologies.
5. Work with program staff to upgrade our website with a new “look and feel.”
6. Work with programming staff to build out the online historical “media arts movement” timeline.
Project Outcome:
Morgan’s primary focus has been on the complete redesign of the NAMAC website – from complex technical programming to taxonomization of data and content to social networking and blogging. It launched in the end of August and is becoming the nervous system of the NAMAC offerings. We are very happy with the results and look forward to our next phase of community building online, educating our membership in social networking through the site, and extending its reach to other nonprofits, communities and the public. Morgan has been a kind, reponsive and patient staff member throughout this process, always thinking strategically about how our online offerings can benefit new members, communities and organizations.
Morgan wrote an article about the website-building process for our member newsletter and produced a short video on how to use the site to its maximum capability. Now he is transitioning into the role of online community manager. He is managing our website content, troubleshooting any technical problems, and most importantly creating an online community of dedicated users from the NAMAC membership and other nonprofits, to the public at-large.
It was a hard challenge to solve a lot of the technical problems that the transistion to a Drupal environment posed. But we were very pleased to see that not only was Morgan a problem solver, but he was a solution seeker, reaching out continuously to the technical community and his network of programmers to find ways to deal with the small to large issues that would arise.
Impact Quote:
“The work accomplished by Morgan Sully will have a long lasting effect on the organization, and by extension to the field of media arts and public media. He has transformed our online presence into an interactive Web 2.0 environment. He is becoming an online “community manager” developing networks of users and supporters that will have great impact in the future of the organization and how we offer services and programs to our membership and beyond.”
- Helen DeMichiel, supervisor
Technology Capacity Coordinator
Organization:
Hyde Square Task Force, Inc. VISTA Name:
Wes Kaplan
Program Start:
8/2007
Program End:
8/2008
Project Description:
hrough our after school programs and community organizing initiatives, we strive to develop the skills of youth and adult residents so that they are empowered to enhance their own lives and build a stronger urban community. We serve over 500 youth and their families annually directly through our programs, which include:
•School-based after-school and summer programs for area elementary and middle school students
•A Paths to Career and College Program for over 125 middle and high school students that includes one-to-one mentoring, tutoring, career and college planning, and SAT Prep.
•Youth leadership and youth organizing programs for teens
•Youth workforce development programs
•A Parent Engagement Initiative for Boston Public School parents
•A Latin and Hip-Hop Dance program and a variety of recreation programs
•Cultural and Arts programs for youth and parents
The CTC VISTA Project will support the inclusion / expansion of technology as a component of all of our youth and community development programs. Computer / Internet literacy and proficiency in other technology applications are now part of the “basic literacy” expected of all high school graduates, in order to succeed higher education and professionally. Computers and the Internet have also become indispensable tools for a range of music and artistic pursuits. Technology applications such as digital video and photography and web page development are also useful learning and communications tools across a variety of disciplines, including arts, literacy and community development. “Activating” technology in our youth and community development programs will provide an essential tool as our youth develop their voice and vision for personal success, civic participation, and community building.
Project Outcome:
Wes assisted in the set up of the new HSTF Music Clubhouse, including providing training to youth who will eventually be in charge of a youth-run music studio. He worked with youth to set up for the Clubhouse’s first Open House which was held in early April. He is also supporting the Youth Literacy Tutors program in creating fliers for a community event that the youth will be hosting in May. Wes also attended the NTEN conference in March.
Wes finished working with youth to create new website for HSTF Music Clubhhouse and continues supporting youth in utilizing technology in the music program particularly to create original compositions and arrangements.
Because Wes’ direct supervisor is not involved in technology implementation on a day-to-day basis, it often means that Wes has to “fend for himself” in working with program staff. To help alleviate this issue, Wes and his supervisor are now meeting on a more frequent schedule and his supervisor will take a more active role in troubleshooting any communication gaps between Wes and program staff.
Nonprofit Tools Development
VISTA Name:
Jack Waugh
Program Start:
6/2007
Program End:
7/2008
Project Description:
Our AmeriCorp*Vista helps nonprofits learn to manage technology. They will also help them improve their ability to reach their constituents using web-based communication tools. Jack has been focused on developing back-end tools that we implement on our client’s websites that allow them to post web content.
Summary of Goals
1. Provide technology consulting services to nonprofit organizations such as planning and making decisions on software and communication tools. This will allow organizations to make technology decisions that are sustainable and meet their operational needs.
2. Develop web-based data management systems that will improve data management amongst local nonprofits.
Project Outcome:
Jack has sucessfully tracked and coordinated project activities. He has developed (programmed) functional components of the tools such as publishing editions, relating articles to additions, formatting content and processing visitor comments.
Jack faced challenges in learning the development framework used at CCTS. This was a new language for him. Furthermore, Jack had to adapt from the software engineering environment he in which he previously worked to a website development environment.
Impact Quote:
“Jack has a perspective that is valuable in the development world. He is logical, detailed and structured in his thinking. We are a small staff and have greatly benefitted from Jack’s analylitical abilities when planning and organizing our development activities. […] It points to the importance of Jack’s role as a member of our team.”
- Gayle Carney, supervisor
CBO Technology Planning
Organization:
ScienceQuest/EDC VISTA Name:
Lauren Penney
Program Start:
8/2003
Program End:
8/2004
Project Description:
Lauren’s primary assignment throughout the course of her service year at YouthLearn has been to redesign our web and email tools and resources to help us better serve our community.
There were three primary tasks detailed in Lauren’s workplan:
• Leverage existing and new tools/content/resources to enhance website/discussion list/newsletter and related services
• Develop a more systematic, integrated way of identifying and/or creating resources for YouthLearn community and broader field
• Evaluate and improve systems (automated and otherwise), especially our choice/use of technology tools, for efficiency/cost-effectiveness/appropriateness and advise on new technology
Project Outcome:
Lauren’s work has led to three major changes in our online services. She has converted our discussion list to a new format using mailman software that offers us much easier facilitation. She has created a member database where we are able to collect feedback from our community as well as demographic information. Lauren also created an incredibly effective blog format for our online newsletter that can be continually updated by any member of our team and automatically delivered to subscribers on a regular basis. These and other contributions from Lauren’s year have greatly improved YouthLearn’s capacity to harness new technologies and better serve the field.
Impact Quote:
“Lauren has been an extremely dedicated worker and possesses many impressive qualities including commitment to our work, her conscientiousness, her follow-through on tasks, her professionalism, and her willingness to receive constructive criticism and learn/adapt accordingly. We were all consistently impressed with the ownership she felt toward her tasks and the initiative she took with them, as well as her strength as a team player and commitment to other YouthLearn staff members.”
- supervisor
Technology Planning
Organization:
Lowell Telecommunications Corporation VISTA Name:
Erik Milosevic
Program Start:
8/2003
Program End:
8/2004
Project Description:
http://mvhub.com includes search-able directory of social service providers and the services that they provide. The principle advantage MVhub.com has over other sites is that dedicated staff is not required to keep the site up to date. The process for reminding organizations to update their records is largely automated.
Erik completed Leslie Koplow’s graphic design, worked with David Siegal on the search engine and worked with Felicia Sullivan in integrating a community calendar and tidying up various templates.
Erik also contributed to
- Completing Incremental Backups
- Refine Use of Visitors Reports
- Implement New Website Design
- Formstore Configuration File Generation
- Mapping Configuration File To An Array
- Webmail HVHUB Banners
- MOD_PERL
Project Outcome:
http://thecsl.org had a plain design emphasizing casual pictures of people in my old MCSE classes. Erik’s graphic redesign, while not so flashy as to be hard to use, has a smoother, more worldly look.
Other improvements to the look of our site included:
• the random display logos and pictures from our sponsors.
• A RSS feed from slashdot. (headlines)
• XHTML 1.0 compliance.