Transmission Project

Mike Denegal has provided technical assistance to the Family Learning Opportunity Centers (FLOCs) and he’s well respected for his professional technical advice for the organization. The FLOCs began with limited resources, equipment, and program structure. We are glad that Mike has assisted the Community Development Division in growing its resources, researching viable technology funding options, and establishing a line of communication among staff through the message board. Mike displays a high level of enthusiasm for growing the resources and establishing partnerships for SDCTC. He has made sure that both OTS and SDCTC stay abreast on technological trends, resources, policies, and innovations.

As a result of her work with issues related to sustainability and donor cultivation we were able to consistently produce and distribute our newsletter and double the revenues generated from our annual event. We were able to add a new cultivation event “Lunch on Us” which has resulted in 120 new prospects/donors for our organization. She also organized and laid a system for grant development accumulating appropriate materials which contributed to the efficiency of grant development.

Amanda increased her Spanish language skills and through our leadership development program began to identify and address her own leadership strength and weaknesses.

HOLA’s AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Ashley Cross, has been an amazing addition to Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA). You need only visit our new and improved website to see the many ways that she has made a tremendous impact upon the organization. At www.heartofla.org you will see updated stories and press releases which Ashley designed and published. She also designed and formatted a link for point of donation opportunities, as well as a merchandizing page featuring HOLA cards designed by our youth. HOLA has received close to $3,000 in donations through our website to date, which funds can be directly attributed to Ashley’s efforts. We also received a $50,000 grant that came through our new and improved site. Please take a look at the home page and the articles included on the site, which Ashley was responsible for designing and formatting. Ashley was able to recreate on our web site the entire article about HOLA, including photographs, which was published in “La Opinion”. She was responsible for creating the Special Events page and many of the stories and pictures throughout the site. At the same time, we have been able to hard copies of the PDF articles from the web site to form an integral part of HOLA’s press packet. Ashley’s contribution to the HOLA website is only one very critical part of how she’s expanded the capacity for our organization.

Ashley succeeded in refurbishing the 30 laptops ahead of schedule, but the organization encountered some unforeseen obstacles in procuring battery packs, a wireless router, wireless cards, and most importantly, a space to accommodate the Mobile Lab Project. Thanks to Ashley’s research, these were obtained during the last quarter of her term. While these challenges were being addressed, we added the new goal of increasing the capacity of HOLA’s development office through the overall improvement of the website, which Ashley undertook with great efficiency and success.

The Mobile Lab Project is now slated to be unveiled in March or April of 2006, a successful culmination of Ashley’s research and development efforts. Batteries, cards and a router have been obtained, and funds have been secured for the build-out of the new Teen Center.

• Only a few computers were recycled to low-income families and individuals because that effort was given a low priority until early 2003.

• Adam assisted in the detailed technology assessment of the ARC of the Tri-Cities facility. This involved assessment of a network of about 20 computers and subsequent repair/upgrades. He also helped sort and refurbish about 30 donated computers, making them ready for eventual home placement.

• Adam wrote, edited and revised a grant request to Verizon for a portable teaching computer lab. Verizon responded with $9,000 in funding. The portable lab (4 laptop computers, network, and SVGA projector) is now operational. Additionally, the RECA Foundation is now a Verizon e-partner and has started providing technology classes to non-profit agencies in the area.

• Adam wrote, edited and revised a $20,000 “Progressive Technology” grant application to America Connects Consortium. This project will provide for the development of a standard Linux based computer that can be replicated by other CTCNet members all over the U.S.

• Adam’s major focus was on completely redesigning the CBPIN.ORG web site (http://www.cbpin.org/). Most of the development work was completed. The work needs to be finalized and a new CBPIN server put in place.

Objective 1: Objective completed at the beginning of the program-February 2001.

Objective 2: All Vistas Have had over 10 days of training.

Objective 3: Victoria has provided support services to all 516 graduates

Objective 4: Victoria has scheduled Workshops for 414 graduates since she started. She has assisted in the recruitment of 24 volunteers. Victoria is part of the new and old equipment teams. These teams are responsible for the dispensing and acquiring of all computers and component parts.Victoria has assisted in the scheduling of 24 volunteers,

Objective 5: We have received funding from foundations for over $90,000. We fell short of our objective to raise $8,000 from faith based organizations and $14,000 in individual donations. We received $7,100 from faith based organizations and $10,000 from individuals. We have received a continuation from the City of Lansing Economic Development Initiative and increased the funding to $40,000.

One of the major problems our program has encountered in the past is the overwhelming popularity our program; we have reduced our waiting list to the point that that a new applicant is able to attend class in 6-8 months. We have a new internet service provider ACD.NET who has generously agreed to provide all of the Closing the Digital Gap’s graduates with free 1 year internet service. We have come along way in a short period of time, but we still have a long way to go.

Matt has developed a database of hundreds of potential funding sources for BWM and TechMission. He has narrowed down that database to a list of the top 20 prospects. We have used that database and research to provide information on grant opportunities to hundreds of other CTC’s through our E-mail list. Matthew has developed template grants for both PREP and TechMission that follow the Associated Grantmakers format and other standard formats. We have made available some of these templates to hundreds of other CTC’s through our E-mail list and on our website to assist them in developing resources and grantwriting.

Matthew has also been working with us in our partnerships with organizations to help provide resources to CTC’s. Matthew has provided feedback to other CTC’s on their grant applications for free computers to the Beaumont Foundation. In addition, he has assisted in the review process with the Beaumont Foundation and the Connections for Tomorrow consortium.

Matt has also been involved in many of the strategy discussions for sustainability for TechMission Inc. He has assisted us in applying for an AmeriCorps state application and an AmeriCorps national application. In addition, he has worked with us to secure resources from the Boston Foundation and is assisting us in developing other resources. He has also assisted us in applying for the Department of Education CTC grant, which we were awarded.

We plan to hire Matthew to work for TechMission after completion of his VISTA year.

During her term, Charlena researched three online volunteer management programs and posted volunteer position descriptions. Charlena organized activities for the Black Family Technology Awareness Week, which consisted of three days of workshops focusing on family, technology, and financial stability. She developed, coordinated, and managed the workshops.

Charlena met with World Vision, First Baptist Church staff and Middle School Youth Rep. to develop and implement an ongoing student recruit drive.

She provided assistance to business center users and provides technical assistance to the church, its members, and the community.

She has developed procedures for an after-school program.

She developed the FBC Computer C.A.F.E. website (http://fchurch.org/cafe/index.shtml).

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.