Occasional Update April 2004

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Technology For All
Occasional Update - April 2004

"Together We Empower Communities Through Technology"

Here's a quick update of news and information regarding Technology For All (TFA) and our collaborative efforts to empower residents of low-income and underserved communities through the tools of technology. We hope this assists in your understanding of what we do. Important information for Community Technology Centers (CTCs) and nonprofits doing community technology is located at the bottom. If you like this newsletter, please e-mail it to a friend.

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News and Updates

Celebration for "Technology in the Community" Program, Friday, April 30 --- The University of Houston College of Technology sponsors a unique service learning program that provides beneficial services to Houston area CTCs and provides project management learning experiences for UH students. A celebration for CTCs and students working together during the Spring Semester will be held at Mission Milby CTC (2220 Broadway) on Friday, April 30 from 9:30 am to 12 noon. All participating Houston area CTCs and those interested in participating are invited to attend the event that will share lessons learned and honor students and CTCs participating in the program. For more information contact Hilda Puente at 713.961.0012 or by email at Hilda.Puente@techforall.org.

Kudos to UH and to Adam Blanton! --- Adam Blanton, a student with the University of Houston College of Technology has served during the Spring of 2004 as an IT intern with TFA at its Mission Milby program office. We thank and applaud Adam for his service!!!!! Under the direction of Dr. Cheryl Willis, several University of Houston College of Technology students have served as IT interns with community technology centers across the city. This program has created important new capacity for Houston area CTCs. Participating CTCs thank the University of Houston!!!!

Rice Graduate Student to Assist TFA --- Joseph Camp, a Rice Ph.D. student, will be working with TFA over the summer months. As a student working with Dr. Ed Knightly on the "100 x 100" NSF grant that Rice University is participating in, Mr. Camp will be assisting TFA at the Milby program office to investigate wireless technologies that could be utilized to serve and empower the low-income community surrounding the Milby office.

Volunteer with a Houston Area CTC through TechLinkup.org --- A new website to help put CTCs and volunteers together has recently been created by RTPNet in North Carolina. The photos on the site come from Houston area CTCs. TFA will be training Houston Area CTC leaders in the use of the site which is located at www.techlinkup.org . If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity with a Houston Area CTC go to http://www.techlinkup.org/UserInfo.asp?UT=V to register. For more information contact Pam Gardner (Pam.Gardner@techforall.org) at 713.961.0012. TFA will be utilizing the site to publish volunteer opportunities and technology needs for area CTCs. Individuals or corporations wishing to volunteer or make a computer donation can also utilize the site...Go to www.techlinkup.org.

Houston CTC Information on Super Neighborhood Site --- Through a collaborative and supportive relationship with the City of Houston, information about Houston area CTCs located in City of Houston Super Neighborhoods is now included on the City's Super Neighborhood website. With assistance this summer from University of Houston College of Technology interns, information gathered by TFA about Houston area CTCs will gradually be enhanced to include additional information such as hours, contact information etc. To locate a CTC in your Super Neighborhood go to: http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/planning/planning_dev_
web/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/sn_map_w_links.html

"A Mouse in Every House" --- This Saturday, May 1, 2004 twenty-four Habitat homeowner families in Dickinson, LaPorte, and Texas City will receive computers through the collaborative "Mouse in Every House" project with Bay Area Habitat for Humanity. The event is being hosted by the Faith United Methodist Church in Dickinson. For more information, please contact Will Reed (Will.Reed@techforall.org ) or Jerry Winburne (Bay Area Habitat - 281.993.5494)

Learn and Earn Program expands to Davis High School and M. D. Anderson YMCA --- At the end of May fifteen students from Davis High School will receive computers for their homes after participating in a unique "Learn and Earn" program first piloted by TFA for Milby and Chavez High School students. Using lessons learned from TFA's initial classes, the newest Learn and Earn class is a collaborative project sponsored by the M. D. Anderson YMCA as an outgrowth of the HISD "TARGET" grant that is focused on improving math and science scores in secondary schools. TFA has been working with TARGET grant schools to develop community outreach initiatives in collaboration with nearby community technology centers. Pam Gardner, Program Manager for TFA, coordinates TFA's participation with HISD in the TARGET grant program.

Recent Grants and Computer Donations --- FYI-Net, Vivian Smith Foundation, the Beaumont Foundation of America, Microsoft, Cliff Jones, Houston Endowment and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation have made recent grants/gifts to Technology For All. Computer donations have come from Enterprise Products, Steven Peyera, Joseph W. Milton, Patrick Hanudel, William A. Reagan, Campbell Concrete and Materials, L.P., Equus Corporation, First Wave Marine, Jack Trotter, and Patrick and Kathleen Whelan. Persons or organizations wishing to make computer donations are encouraged to contact Douglas Caldwell at 713.961.0012 or by email at Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org .

Save the date ....... Thursday, November 4, 2004 --- Third Annual Community Technology Conference and honoring the 2004 Community Technology Center of the Year. The featured speaker will be Kavita Singh, Executive Director of the Community Technology Centers Network.

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Important Info for CTCs and CBOs

CTC Grant Opportunity --- The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a new grant round for community technology centers. For more information go to http://www.ed.gov/programs/comtechcenters/applicant.html . Applications are due June 1, 2004.

Online Leadership Talks with RICHARD TOWNSELL ON APRIL 30 --- Inspired by Martin Luther King, Richard Townsell, director of Chicago social action network advocates the new birth of faith-based activism for social justice ."Richard Townsell is a social activist with sound business sense. ...His vision is realistic to the most conservative of marketers and business investors. He has credibility because he shows results." - Stephen Roberson, Organizer, United Power for Action and Justice. Join Leadership Talks at http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/townsell/ on Friday, April 29, 2004 at 1 pm EST for a live, online interview with 2003 Leadership for a Changing World awardee Richard Townsell, Executive Director of the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC), in Chicago. Townsell will discuss how he has used sound business strategies and organizing principles, combined with his religious faith, to help rebuild the impoverished North Lawndale community.

Information about Federal Grant Programs --- Information about grant programs in the U. S. Department of Education and other federal agencies that faith based and community organizations operating CTCs may want to consider applying for can be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/grantguide.html

Up & Running! --- UP & Running was designed as a response to the Fund for the City of New York's 20 years of developing systems for nonprofits. We identified a set of common information management needs of small to mid-sized organizations, and have designed a system with the potential to streamline operations and save nonprofits thousands of dollars in software and support costs. This community software product is distributed free of cost and developed using Microsoft Access, and follows an open-source development model. For more information go to http://upandrunning.fcny.org/index.html .

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Websites of Interest to CTCs

Tech Link-up --- www.techlinkup.org
TechSoup --- www.techsoup.org
TechAtlas --- www.techatlas.org
AfterSchool Resources --- www.afterschool.gov
CLICK - Creating Literacy in Computer Knowledge --- http://www.duke.edu/web/isis/click/
ContentBank --- www.contentbank.org
The Children's Partnership --- www.childrenspartnership.org
America Connects Consortium --- www.americaconnects.net
Houston Area CTCs --- http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/planning/planning_
dev_web/suprnbhds/abt_sn.htm
Houston CTC BLOG --- http://texasctcs.blogspot.com
CTCNet Annual Conference --- http://www.ctcnet.org/conf/2004/index.htm

Join CTCNet today - TFA encourages community technology centers to join the community technology centers network. Houston area CTCs receive additional benefits as CTCNet members. For Houston area benefits contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org To join, go to www.ctcnet.org .

Remember our Program Partners --- For a complete list of TFA and TFA-Houston program partners click here.

We welcome your feedback! Contact Will Reed at 713.961.0012, x102 or by email at will.reed@techforall.org .

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TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL/Technology For All-Houston

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 relationships with over 325 community based organizations operating CTCs in 56 US cities. Since 1997, TFA-Houston has assisted 185 community based organizations create and develop community technology centers that bring technology and the opportunities it provides to Houston's underserved communities. TFA-Houston operates its own CTC at Mision Milby in Houston's East End. 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.

If you do not wish to receive the Technology For All occasional update send an email to Will.Reed@techforall.org with the words "please remove" in the subject line.

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