Technology For All (TFA) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to empower under-resourced communities through the tools of technology. By working together and partnering with local community-based organizations, corporations, foundations, technology providers and public entities, TFA creates educational, economic and personal opportunities for low-income persons and the communities in which they live. TFA provides various services including workforce training, online content for workforce training, consulting and leadership in its work with over 300 community organizations operating community technology centers (CTCs) in Houston and 56 other U.S. cities. Technology For All-Houston (TFA-Houston) focuses on the creation and support of CTCs in the Houston area. TFA and TFA-Houston also worked together to assist in the establishment of two other CTC umbrella organizations in Colorado and in Cleveland including TFA-Colorado, which is now known “Community Computer Connection” and is funded by the Jared Polis Foundation.

 Since 1997 TFA-Houston has assisted Houston-area community-based organizations create and develop over 180 CTCs serving low-income and under-resourced communities.  These organizations include community development corporations, YMCAs, social service agencies, faith-based community initiatives, schools, churches, and collaborative community initiatives concerned about their neighborhoods. As the leader of community technology efforts in Houston, TFA-Houston has served these organizations by providing training in best practices and technical and program assistance while redeploying technology and other assets donated by Houston-area corporations and delivering online services provided by TFA. Much of this work is coordinated at our program office at TFA-Houston’s own Misión Milby Community Technology Center (MMCTC).  TFA-Houston operates the MMCTC in collaboration with the Misión Milby Community Development Corporation (MMCDC) at its Misión Milby facility in Houston’s East End.

 Several Houston business leaders conceived TFA-Houston in 1997 because they were concerned about the disparity of opportunity that existed in Houston’s low-income neighborhoods. In many homes across the United States children, youth and their families have access to the world at their fingertips, while in low-income communities, access to technology and the opportunities it provides are often limited to brief periods of computer use and Internet access at school or at the public library.  Technology For All created the first Houston-area community technology center (CTC) at the M.D. Anderson YMCA in early 1998.  In serving a low-income Latino community in Houston’s near northside, the establishment of this first CTC at the M.D. Anderson YMCA enhanced its other programs and services. The M.D. Anderson YMCA service area is typical of the communities that TFA-Houston and TFA affiliated CTCs serve--multi-ethnic communities with high poverty rates and low educational attainment.  TFA-Houston has upgraded the hardware at this CTC several times and the “Y” received a significant grant of new equipment from Hewlett-Packard.

Technology For All was created in late 1999 to share the lessons learned in Houston with community-based organizations in other cities. TFA’s role has been to aggregate and share resources with TFA-Houston and local organizations across the U.S. to enhance their community technology efforts. Assisting in the provision of resources for these efforts have been major corporations like BP, Shell, and ExxonMobil as well as young, emerging technology companies like SkillSoft, which provided TFA access to an entire library of over 2000 courses of online content for workforce training.

 TFA and TFA-Houston have combined forces with several Houston-area non-profits to create a model for workforce development and training across the Houston area. By working together with organizations like the Houston Area Technology Advancement Center (HATAC), The Telecom Opportunity Institute (TTOI) and others, STREET U, a model for workforce training, has been created that leverages the collective strengths of each organization and the community credibility of the CTCs operated by community based organizations across the city. The vision of the STREET U workforce development initiative is to Share Technology Resources Enabling Economic Transformation in Underserved Communities through a network of public and private resources.  Our shared goal over a three-year period is to help 3000-4000 (depending on funding) low-income and underserved persons gain the skills they need to earn a livable wage as a part of Houston’s workforce.

STREET U classes began in fall 2003 at the Misión Milby CTC operated by Technology For All-Houston in collaboration with the Mission Milby Community Development Corporation (MMCDC). The MMCDC is also a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation and has donated several thousand square feet of space for this collaborative project.  The Misión Milby CTC/CDC serves a predominately Latino community of tremendous need of high poverty and low educational attainment. Per capita income in the community is less than $10,000 (U.S. per capita income is $30,331) and only a third of the adults in the community have a high school diploma.

 Technology For All and Technology For All-Houston have received significant support from several foundations and other donors including Houston Endowment, Brown Foundation, M.D. Anderson Foundation, Beaumont Foundation of America, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Smith Foundation, Rockwell Fund, Powell Foundation, and the Hamman Foundation as well as numerous smaller family foundations. Major corporations and firms providing support have included HP, Shell, BP, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, Lyondell, Lubrizoil, Fulbright and Jaworski, Gulf States Toyota, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital.  In October 2003, TFA received confirmation from the U. S. Department of Commerce that it had funded $675,000 of a three-year $1.4 million project called JobTech that will create 40 livable wage jobs in three of Houston’s poorest communities. STREET U will serve as the training provider for the project. The federal grant must be matched by local dollars and services. TFA seeks additional funding from a variety of sources for the required match.

Technology For All is a “Microsoft Authorized Re-furbisher.” Program partners  are numerous including the following: 1) City of Houston Planning and Development Department; 2) Houston Area Technology Advancement Center; 3) The Telecom Opportunity Institute; 4) LULAC National Educational Service Center; 5) Decision Information Resources; 6) Project GRAD; 7) Bay Area Habitat for Humanity; 8) Houston Independent School District; 9) the Mexican Institute; 10) Houston Technology Center; 11) Houston Community College; 12) Rice University; and 13) a unique service learning relationship with the University of Houston College of Technology.  

TFA is a member organization of several other organizations promoting community technology and community development efforts. These include the Community Technology Center’s Network, the Association for Community Networking, the Enterprise Foundation and the Local Initiative Support Corporation.