Technology For All 
Occasional Update - February  2004    

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News and Updates   

Fourteen Organizations to Receive Computers -  Since 1997 TFA-Houston has assisted 176 organizations in the development of community technology centers (CTCs). During February 2004, over 200 refurbished computers donated by Houston area corporations will be distributed to fourteen organizations. Nine of the organizations receiving computers are groups establishing new CTCs and six are receiving "upgrades." With these distributions 185 organizations will have received computers and developed CTCs with the assistance of TFA and its corporate donors. To donate a computer or for more information about the program, call Pam Gardner at 713.961.0012 or email Pam.Gardner@techforall.org .

Milby High School Students Earn Computers --- Two classes of students recently graduated

from TFA-Houston's "Learn and Earn a Computer" program. The 19 Milby High School  students participating earned Pentium III computers donated by St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital for their 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 program that places computers in the homes of deserving students unable afford a computer at home. Contact

Pete Rodriguez (Pete.Rodriguez@techforall.org) or Hilda Puente (Hilda.Puente@techforall.org) at 713.961.0012 to donate computers for the program. By May 2004 TFA-Houston hopes to place over 100 computers in student homes through the program. Watch for an announcement about the expansion of the "Learn and Earn" program to serve students from two other HISD high schools in collaboration with community technology organizations in Houston's Third Ward and the near Northside. 

"A Mouse in Every House" --- Technology For All and Bay Area Habitat for Humanity will announce a unique collaboration on Thursday, February 26, 2004 at 3:30pm at the home of a Habitat client family in Dickinson.  The goal of the project is to place "A Mouse in Every House" built by Bay Area Habitat for Humanity. Through a unique sweat equity relationship with TFA, seventy (70) Habitat homeowner families will "Learn and Earn" a computer that will be installed in their home during "A Mouse in Every House" blitz event on Saturday, May 1, 2004 and beyond. Corporations or others interested in sponsorship opportunities or making a computer donation should contact Will Reed (TFA - 713.316.5761, Will.Reed@techforall.org ) or Jerry Winburne (Bay Area Habitat - 281.993.5494) 

Full Schedule at Mission Milby  --- TFA also operates its own CTC (MMCTC) in collaboration with the Mission Milby Community Development Corporation and the Milby United Methodist Church in Houston's East End. With several ESL classes, STREET U, Learn and Earn classes, after school programs and public access to computers and the Internet, the MMCTC is almost at full capacity with a schedule that includes classes from 9 in the morning until 8 pm during the work week. Ken Yu, CTC Vista staff person with TFA, coordinates this program that is meeting vital needs in a community of high poverty and low-educational attainment. Volunteers are needed as mentors for junior high and high school students, learning coaches, ESL assistants, and learn and earn trainers. For more information, contact Ken Yu (Ken.Yu@techforall.org ) at 713.961.0012.

TFA/Super Neighborhood Collaboration --- The City of Houston has 88 "Super Neighborhoods," many of whom have organized "Super Neighborhood Councils." TFA is working with the councils to encourage the development of CTCs where public access to computers is limited in low-income neighborhoods. In addition, several volunteer Super Neighborhood leaders will learn and earn a computer for use in neighborhood activities and the development of additional CTCs. This is an effort to increase community collaboration and educational and learning opportunities in Houston's low-income and underserved communities. TFA is 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. The first group of Super Neighborhood leaders involved in this program will be trained on Saturday, February 21, 2004 at TFA's Mission Milby CTC with assistance from the SBC Pioneers.      

JobTech/STREET U project underway ---  In collaboration with several community based organizations including East Side Village Community Learning Center and New Nuevo Heights, the JobTech project is underway with initial "STREET U" classes taught by the The Telecom Opportunity Institute (www.ttoi.org ) at the Mision Milby Community Technology Center. STREET U, whose collaborative goal is to work with CTCs to help Houston develop a more diverse and better trained workforce, 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 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, Beaumont Foundation of America, Local Initiatives Support Corporation and others. Additional matching contributions must be secured for the successful completion of the three year project.

Recent Grants --- During the past several months grants and gifts have been received from The Rockwell Fund, Jack and William Light Charitable Trust,  Local Initiatives Support Corporation, George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, RGK Foundation, CTCNet, Continental Airlines, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, The Simmons Foundation, the CTC VISTA Project, and several TFA board members, staff members and friends.  Computer donations have recently been received from the Williams and Bailey Law Firm, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Enterprise Products, and numerous individuals and other organizations. 

Thanks to Anne Meyn --- Technology For All-Houston thanks Anne Meyn for leadership on the Board of Directors from 1999 to 2003 and her commitment and dedication to "Building Communities Through Technology".  Elected recently to fill Anne's place on the Board was Jackie Martin, Business and Community Liaison for Technology with HISD.

UH: "Technology in the Community" --- Through a unique service learning relationship with the University of Houston College of Technology, ten more CTCs will have technology assessments completed during the spring semester by teams of UH College of Technology students. This is a part of the required "Technology in the Community" project management class. In addition, several students have been assigned as volunteer interns with area CTCs to provide IT support during the spring semester. Adam Blanton is the student intern with TFA-Houston's Mission Milby CTC in the East End. Adam provides 15-20 hours of volunteer IT services each week and will receive college credit for his services. Both of these unique programs are the creation of Cheryl Willis, Ph.D, UH College of Technology Associate Professor and TFA-Houston Board Member. 

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 Brown Bag -- Wednesday, February 25, 2004 -- "Financial Literacy Training Opportunities for Your CTC - A conversation with Washington Mutual" 

(A monthly event for community technology leaders on the Fourth Wednesday of each month except November and December)

12:00 noon to 1:20 pm @ 
Misión Milby Community Technology Center
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas  77012
Contact Hilda Puente (Hilda.Puente@techforall.org ) at 713.961.0012 to make a reservation and order your "brown bag".

GTECH Grant Opportunity --- GTECH is the company that provides Texas Lottery services. The GTECH After School Advantage Program is a national community investment program, which is focused on non-profits with community technology initiatives serving children and youth 5-15 after school. The program will provide new computers, online technology, software and volunteers to successful applicants. For more information go to ....
http://www.gtech.com/public/asa_guidelines.htm

Standards of Excellence ---  The TFA-Houston Board of Directors recently recommended the use of a new "Standards of Excellence" document to encourage best practices among Houston area CTCs. The TFA document is adapted from a similar document used by permission and created by the Lowell Telecommunications CTC in Boston through a "Field Innovations Grant" funded by the America Connects Consortium, a U. S. Department of Education initiative to support DOE funded community technology centers. TFA sponsored workshops in support of the best practices encouraged in the document will be announced soon.     

Virus Battles at CTCs ---  Some CTCs have reported difficulties caused by the MyDoom virus, which hit Jan. 26 and infected several hundred thousand computers across the world. For information about winning the virus battle at your CTC join the online discussion about virus vaccinations and computer security at TechSoup. To participate or review the discussion go to: http://www.techsoup.org/forums/index.cfm?fuseaction=list&forum=2029&cid=117     

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    

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Websites of Interest to CTCs 

ESL Go --- ESLgo describes itself as a "free website for learning English as a second language." The site developed by an American now teaching in Korea, offers online lessons in grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing for ESL students. To use the site go to www.eslgo.com

Kidz Online --- Nortel Networks developed and maintains Kidz Online. It offers technology skills training for teachers and students on a variety of subjects from building web pages, security and media awareness to digital audio and digital video. This is an interesting presentation of professional development through 12 technology units, video clips of topic related interviews (as part of "Teen Focused Interviews"), and content areas with technology integrated. The core curriculum component includes standards-based lesson plans and the links within links are most applicable to the middle to high school range for classroom or CTC after school use. Nortel's Kidz Online credits federal funding and congressional support for its successful launch. The site is located at www.kidzonline.org  

Join CTCNet today - TFA encourages community technology centers 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 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.

Copyright 2004  Technology For All, Inc. All rights reserved.

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