Technology For All 
Occasional Update -     December 2003  

We hope this assists in your understanding of what we do to make the world a better place. Important information for Community Technology Centers (CTCs) and other nonprofits doing community technology is located at the bottom. If you like this newsletter, please e-mail it to a friend. If you want to support our work and make an end of the year donation click here.

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News and Updates   

2003 Community Technology Center of the Year - Citywide Outreach Learning Center --- On November 6, 2003 Technology For All-Houston announced Citywide Outreach Center as Houston's 2003 Community Technology Center of the Year.  Citywide Outreach Learning Center is a nonprofit community technology center serving a low-income and underserved community in Northwest Houston near the intersection of North Houston Rosslyn and West Little York. Citywide Outreach provides GED instruction, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, ABE (Adult Basis Education) classes, computer classes for youth and adults as well as a place for public access to computers and the Internet.            Recognized with "Honorable Mention" awards were Wesley Community Center and The Corporate School. Wesley's community technology center serves a predominately Latino population on Houston's near northside while The Corporate School serves an ethnically and culturally diverse population in the Alief area of Houston. The three organizations recognized were chosen from eight CTC of the Year finalist organizations  among over 170 diverse multi-service agencies, faith-based and community based organizations in underserved communities throughout the greater Houston area that provide community technology centers (CTCs) in service to their constituents and communities. CTCs provide public access to computers and the Internet, youth development programs, adult education and literacy programs, mentoring, tutoring and homework assistance as well as after-school programs, workforce training, and basic computer skills training.  In addition to the honorees, CTC of the Year finalists included: East Side Village Community Learning Center, Iglesia Nazareth-Centro Technologico Nazareth, Open Door Mission, S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, and Texas Inter-Faith Housing.

Over 80 Persons attend Community Technology Conference --- The recent 2nd annual TFA-Houston sponsored conference for folks doing community technology was attended by over 80 persons from across the greater Houston area. Featured speaker for "Community Technology: A Catalyst for Community Improvement" was Dr. Elsa Macias, Senior Policy Associate for the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC.  Save the date for next years' conference which will honor the 2004 Community Technology Center of the Year....... Thursday, November 4, 2004 --- The featured speaker will be Kavita Singh, Executive Director of the Community Technology Centers Network. 

Mayor Announces Technology For All/City of Houston Super Neighborhood Collaboration --- Last night Mayor Lee Brown introduced Mayor Elect Bill White to the City of Houston Super Neighborhood program at an event at the Wortham Center. Organized by the City's Planning and Development Department, the event spotlighted the Super Neighborhood program and the Mayor announced a new collaboration between the Technology For All and the program. In an effort to increase community collaboration and educational and learning opportunities in Houston's low-income and underserved communities, TFA-Houston will be working with the city to place computers in Super Neighborhoods with limited access to technology, provide SimHouston and other training and help Super Neighborhood Councils connect with existing Community Technology Centers serving their communities. GIS data mapping of CTCs and libraries providing public access to computers will be developed and placed on the web to assist Super Neighborhoods and community based organizations in referring persons for educational opportunities in their communities. For more information go to: http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/planning/planning_dev_web/suprnbhds/abt_sn.htm      

New Laptops installed at the Mision Milby CTC --- Through a grant from the Beaumont Foundation, a new portable wireless laptop lab is now available for computer classes at TFA-Houston's Mision Milby CTC in the East End. Next week the LULAC National Educational Service Center will utilize the new Toshiba laptops in a unique workshop assisting high school students and parents in the completion of federal FAFSA forms, college admission applications, scholarship applications and other financial aid forms online. The Beaumont Foundation of America can be found online at www.bmtfoundation.com .

JobTech/STREET U project underway --- In collaboration with several community based organizations, the JobTech project is underway with initial "STREET U" classes taught by the The Telecom Opportunity Institute (www.ttoi.org ) underway at the Mision Milby Community Technology Center. STREET U is the training provider for the project. The goal of the JobTech project is to initially create 40 livable wage jobs in the East End, The Heights and the Third Ward. Initial significant funding for the project has come from a variety of sources including the United States Department of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program, Brown Foundation, HP, Rockwell Fund, the Beaumont Foundation of America and others. Additional matching contributions must be secured for the successful completion of the three year project.

Milby High School Students Earn Computers --- The first graduation of students from TFA-Houston's "Learn and Earn a Computer" program took place on Monday, December 15. Eight deserving students earned Pentium III computers donated by St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital for use at home. Three new classes have started and a waiting list has formed for other classes. Corporate and personal computer donations are needed for this and other TFA programs. Call Douglas Caldwell or Pam Gardner with TFA-Houston at 713.961.0012 to make a donation of computers for the program. By May 2004, TFA-Houston hopes to place over 100 computers in the homes of deserving students through the program. 

CTC Brown Bags to resume in January.  Are you looking for a place to connect with others doing community technology? Do you need new ideas and resources?  Technology For All-Houston hosts a brown bag lunch on the fourth Wednesday of each month on topics of relevance to community technology Centers (CTCs). The January topic is “Finding the Hidden Money". Presentations will be made by TFA staff and participants will have an opportunity to engage in conversation with Carolyn Watson, Program Officer with the Rockwell Fund.  Discussion will cover what foundations look for in grant proposals, research tools for grant seekers, information regarding current "RFPs" (requests for proposals) and resources to identify RFPs. Come early and visit!  Bring your own "brown bag" or order lunch ahead of time. Call Pam Gardner at 713.961.0012 (or email Pam.Gardner@techforall.org) to order your lunch for $4.00. TFA will provide the drinks.   Who should attend?  Directors, managers, staff, and volunteers of community technology programs, organizations, and projects. Individuals interested in increasing technology access and training in underserved communities.

Brown Bag -- Wednesday, January 28, 2004 -- "Finding the Hidden Money" - A conversation with Carolyn Watson, grant officer with the Rockwell Fund.  (A monthly event for community technology leaders on the Fourth Wednesday of each month except November and December)

12:00 noon to 1:30 pm @ 
Misión Milby Community Technology Center
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas  77012
Call 713.961.0012 to make a reservation and order your "brown bag" this free event.

H. E. Butt Foundation Camp Opportunity --- Following the January 28 "Brown Bag", Rebecca Lawson, staff person with the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp, will meet with churches and faith based groups interested in Foundation sponsored youth retreat opportunities at the Hill Country Camp. The meeting will take place in the conference room at the Mission Milby Community Technology Center. Reservations are required for this meeting. Call Pam Gardner at 713.961.0012 to make a reservation.

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Important Info for CTCs and CBOs

21ST CENTURY SKILLS - COUNCIL MEETS TO DISCUSS INTERNATIONAL ICT LITERACY STANDARDS --- The Global Digital Literacy Council's bi-annual summit met recently in the UK to address issues that influence and drive the development of information and communications technology (ICT) literacy standards. The purpose of the summit was to create an international forum for stakeholders to collaborate, shape and define emerging vendor-independent global Internet and computer literacy standards.  The summit produced an eight-month review of input from experts, who examined the current Internet and Computing Core Certification standards. The council also came to agreement on the comprehensive set of skills and knowledge necessary for basic information and communications technology competence. The Digital Literacy Council will continue to meet bi-annually to discuss technical and social changes affecting digital literacy standards in education and the workforce.  SOURCE: Global Digital Literacy Council http://www.gdlcouncil.org/gdlc_pr.html

Evaluation Exchange --- The Fall 2003 issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" is now available on the Harvard Family Research Project website.   The focus of the issue is evaluation of community-based initiatives. The articles explore lessons learned during the past decade of community building and their implications. Experienced and insightful authors investigate critical issues surfacing in the community-building arena, including: What innovative approaches can we take to capture the breadth and complexity of community-based initiatives? How should we address the need for greater
scientific rigor in our evaluations? How can evaluators and funders build on the self-assessment techniques that community-based organizations already have in place? To review the issue go to: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue23/index.html   

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Websites of Interest to CTCs 

Encarta WebCenter Homework Sites --- For AfterSchool programs this is a must on your "Favorites" list. With links to numerous resources across the web, students will find many helpful resources for additional learning and for homework. Go to: http://encarta.msn.com/ecnet/refpages/WebCenter.aspx?type=homework   

Celebrate the 100th Year of Flight with your students --- Happy 100th to the Wright Brothers as we celebrate their first successful flight ushering powered flight into the 20th century. The following sites might be useful to students wishing to learn more about the century of flight.   NASA.  http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov/edu/index.htm           Wright Brothers Virtual Museum   http://www.first-to-fly.com      Wright Brothers National Memorial   http://www.nps.gov.wrbr/           The Time 100 Wright Brothers Biography   http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/wright.html   Wright Brother's Photos   http://www.outerbanks.com/wrightbrothers/wrightlc.htm

Join CTCNet today - TFA and TFA-Houston affiliated community technology centers are encouraged to join the community technology centers network. For more information, 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 update_dec_04.html technology and the opportunities it provides to underserved communities.  TFA has supportive relationships 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. 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.

Copyright 2003 Technology For All, Inc. All rights reserved.

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