Announcement

TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL/Technology For All-Houston
Occasional Update - March 2003- http://www.techforall.org | http://houston.techforall.org
"We Bring Technology to Underserved Communities"

Here's a quick update of news and information regarding Technology For All and our collaborative efforts to bring technology and the opportunities it provides to underserved communities. We hope this assists in your understanding of what we do and how we hope to do our part in making the world a better place. Important information for Community Technology Centers (CTCs) is located at the bottom. If you like this newsletter, please e-mail it to a friend.
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News and Updates

Attention Community Relations Managers and Corporate CIOs --- TFA-Houston Becomes Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher Do you need to do more with less? Are you looking for a higher ROI? TFA-Houston recently became a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR). What does this mean for you? TFA can assist you to redeploy your computers and other hardware being replaced into community based organizations serving the underserved. TFA can wipe your data, certify its destruction, and install a new licensed Microsoft operating system. Transferring OS licenses was cumbersome in the past. Now, as a MAR it is even easier for TFA to work with you to save your company money, create tax benefits and create goodwill in the community. For more information contact Dr. Douglas Caldwell at 713.961.0012 or go to http://www.techforall.org/pressreleases/031203.html

TFA-Colorado Names Interim Director --- Technology For All-Colorado, a project of the Jared Polis Foundation (www.jaredpolis.org), recently named Wayne Jin, Technical Director, as its new Interim Director. Sam Owen, former Executive Director, recently left TFA-Colorado to return to the for profit world. For more information call Technology For All-Colorado at 303.442.1130 or go to http://www.jaredpolis.org/prog.tfa.shtml

TFA-Houston to Host Second SimHouston Training --- On Thursday, March 27, TFA-Houston will host the second in a series of training events for community technology center (CTC) leaders interested in deploying the City of Houston's new SimHouston program at their CTC. Nineteen CTC leaders have already been trained for implementation of this new service from the City. Almost three hundred installed computers in publicly accessible facilities are represented by the CTC leaders already trained. These facilities serve approximately 3,500 persons per week. For more information call Pam Gardner, TFA-Houston Program Manager, at 713.961.0012 or go to.... http://houston.techforall.org/feature.html or http://www.simhouston.com .

ESL Classes Begin at Milby CTC --- In addition to the existing Recycling/Distribution operation at Misión Milby (2220 Broadway) in Houston's East End, TFA-Houston has also developed a community technology initiative there. Only 18% of the adults in the community have a high school diploma. Many adults have limited English speaking skills. Recognizing these issues, TFA and the LULAC National Education Service Center (LNESC) developed a relationship with Houston Community College to provide ESL classes at the Milby CTC. LNESC provides a classroom and the students in the class use TFA computers to practice their language and speaking skills. For more information go to... http://houston.techforall.org/submenus/milby.html

April Computer Distribution to Include Distribution of 60 Computers to Booker T. Washington High School --- Booker T. Washington High School, in collaboration with Independent Heights Super Neighborhood and other community organizations will be receiving the largest single computer grant made by TFA-Houston. Sixty computers donated by Lubrizoil will be granted to BT Washington for the creation of these new labs. The community will have unprecedented access to the computers after school and on weekends. This partnership between a public institution, a corporation, and the community will use the tools of technology to make their whole community a better place to live. TFA is proud to have been an active participant in both bringing the community together as well as making this large computer Grant. A total of 140 computers will be distributed to Houston community based organizations in the April 2003 distribution.

TFA Becomes TechAtlas Partner --- Developed by NPower (www.npower.org ) and TechRocks (www.techrocks.org), TechAtlas is a web-based planning tool that CTCs and nonprofits can use to assess current technology use and receive recommendations on how to better implement technology to achieve mission. Technology For All recently was approved by NPower as a TechAtlas partner. As a technology assistance provider to CTCs, Technology For All will be using TechAtlas to help CTCs and their sponsoring organizations to make the most effective use of technology by first assessing current capacity and then working together to develop a plan on how to improve it. For more information about TechAtlas and TFA's plans to use this tool with CTCs call Dr. Will Reed at 713.316.5761 or visit the TechAtlas site at www.techatlas.org

Technology For All and UH Plan Celebration Event- April 30 --- To celebrate the accomplishments of the first year of the "Technology in the Community" curriculum and program at the University of Houston College of Technology (UHCT), TFA and UHCT will host a celebration event on April 30 at the University Hilton. UH student projects with community technology centers will be featured and CTCs interested in working with TFA and UHCT to develop additional projects will participate in an orientation seminar for prospective CTC/student projects. Registration information will be available online after April 1 at http://houston.techforall.org or by calling Pam Gardner at 713.961.0012.
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Grants, Awards and ...

Article to be Published in Community Technology Review --- Recently, Drs. Karla Back and Cheryl Willis of the University of Houston collaborated together with TFA's Dr. Will Reed on an article for the next edition of the Community Technology Review. The article entitled "Building Community Technology Capacity Using a Service Learning Approach" will be published in the Spring 2003 edition of the Community Technology Review and will be online at http://www.comtechreview.org Dr. Willis is Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Information Systems Technology in the Department of Industrial Technology in the College of Technology at the University of Houston - University Park. She is the lead faculty consultant and creator of the "Capacity Building-Community Technology Outreach Project." Dr. Back is Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Masters Degree in Technology Project Management in the College of Technology at the University of Houston - University Park.
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Important Info for CTCs and CBOs

Adult Education Research --- The America Connects Consortium recently posted an excellent research report on promising practices for educating adults at Community Technology Centers. The report contains many important suggestions and web links to adult ed tools. For more information go to http://www.americaconnects.net/research/AdultEdPP.asp

Beaumont Foundation Deadline Approaches --- TFA affiliated CTCs applying for Beaumont Foundation grants are encouraged to get their proposals in ASAP. While the deadline is not until the end of the month, reviewers are already beginning to evaluate submitted proposals. For more information go to http://www.techforall.org/pressreleases/012303.html .
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Websites of Interest to CTCs

National Center for Adult ESL --- Many CTCs across the country also provide ESL classes through relationships with community colleges and other local providers. Check out this site which also includes links to recommended sites for organizations teaching English to adults and out of school youth. The sites for ESL learners include many helpful interactive sites that will enhance your ESL program. http://www.cal.org/ncle/

Mouserobics --- This tutorial is for novice computer and Web users. The tutorial provides practice using the mouse to point, click and scroll, use radio buttons, and check boxes. The first pages contains quite a bit of text. However, the rest of the tutorial has very little text and beginning computer learners can work through the activities with minimal assistance. http://www.ckls.org/~crippel/computerlab/tutorials/mouse/page1.html

Digital Equity Portal --- Recently launched, the Digital Equity Portal presents a collection of educational resources for K-Adults addressing inequitable access to technology tools, computers and the Internet. Each resource has been screened by experts in digital equity and professionally catalogued to help you find high quality material that addresses your specific needs.
http://digitalequity.edreform.net/home

Community Technology Center's Network --- TFA encourages every organization involved in community technology to join CTCNet. In addition to a wealth of information on the website, CTCNet membership has many benefits. http://www.ctcnet.org
Remember Our Program Partners --- For a complete list of TFA and TFA-Houston program partners, go to http://www.techforall.org/partners.htm or to http://houston.techforall.org/submenus/partners.html

We welcome your feedback! Contact Will Reed at 713.316.5761 or by email at will.reed@techforall.org .
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TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL/Technology For All-Houston
http://www.techforall.org | http://houston.techforall.org

This newsletter is produced by Technology For All especially for our donors and friends.
Technology For All (TFA) and Technology For All-Houston (TFA-Houston) are Houston based non-profit organizations focused on bringing technology and the opportunities it provides to underserved communities. TFA has supportive relationship with with over 300 community based organizations in 56 US cities. Since 1997, TFA-Houston has assisted 170+ community based organizations create and develop community technology centers that bring technology and the opportunities it provides to Houston's underserved communities. To make a donation go to https://app.etapestry.com/happ1/Technology%20For%20All/OnlineGivingCreditCard.html. To learn more call 713.961.0012 or email info@techforall.org.