Technology For All 
Occasional Update -   October 2004 

"Together We Empower Communities Through Technology"

Here's a quick update regarding Technology For All (TFA) and our collaborative efforts to empower residents of low-income and underserved communities through the tools of technology. 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  

Save Money - Sign up today -- Third Annual Community Technology Conference and Awards presentation - Thursday, November 4, 2004. TFA thanks Sim Desk Technologies for its support of the conference and the YMCA of Greater Houston for the use of the YMCA Training Center.   Keynote speakers will be Kavita Singh, Executive Director of CTCNet, Amy Borgstrom with the Department of Commerce, Carlos Solis with Rice University and Ray Davis with SimDesk Technologies. At the conclusion of the conference TFA will recognize the  Houston area Community Technology Center of the Year. The CTC of the Year will receive a CTCNet Membership, registration for the CTCNet Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio in June and roundtrip airfare.

Jim Forrest joins TFA as Business Development Officer ---  Jim Forrest recently joined TFA as its Business Development Officer with a focus on helping TFA develop business relationships for TFA's social enterprises. For more information click here.

Recent Donations to TFA --- TFA expresses thanks to its recent donors including HP, Continental Airlines, SimDesk Technologies, Hank Flagg, Charley Porter, Williams Bailey Law Firm, Mike Lyon, Paula Martin, Mike Wittman, Rev. & Mrs. J. Michael Wheeler, Linda Collins, Cornerstone Recovery, USA United Space Alliance,  James D. Fuchs Sr. and Hertz Corporation. To make a computer or other donation to Technology For All contact Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org or call 713.961.0012.

Students to Earn Laptops --- TFA will soon be starting an advanced Learn and Earn program for seniors at Milby High School. Students in the program will be recommended by their school and have the opportunity to learn and earn laptops donated by TFA's corporate donors. For more information about the program contact Pete.Rodriguez@techforall.org or call 713.961.0012.   

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Important Info for CTCs and CBOs

CTC Brown Bag -- Wednesday,  October 27, 2004
Nijima Caldwell on the Social Security Administration Ticket to Work Program
Facilitated by Pam Gardner, TFA-Houston
12:00 noon to 1:15 pm @ Mission Milby CDC, 2220 Broadway,Houston, Texas  77012

Learn about employment and healthcare initiatives for people with disabilities who want to work and how to become a provider for local and state vocational rehabilitation agencies. The CTC Brown Bag is a monthly event for community technology leaders on the Fourth Wednesday of each month except November and December. For more information call Pam Gardner at 713.961.0012.

Children and Internet Access --- A new report from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation,  ( http://www.kff.org/ ) in Menlo Park, California,  indicates that children between the ages of eight and  eighteen with less educated parents or who attend school  in lower-income communities are significantly less likely  than other children to use the Internet in a typical day  or to have Internet access in their homes.  The report, "Key Findings from Children, the Digital Divide, and Federal Policy" (16 pages, PDF) says that in  2004, 80 percent of white children age eight and older  have Internet access at home, compared to 61 percent of  African-American children in the same age group. The  report also found that 82 percent of children whose  parents have a college education had home Internet access,  compared to 68 percent of those whose parents have a high  school education or less, while only 39 percent of children aged six months to six years from families with  incomes of $75,000 a year or more have never gone online,  compared to 69 percent of children from families with  annual incomes of less than $20,000.

Free Grant Consultation and Training ---  Registrants for TFA's Fall Conference are reminded that they can sign up for a free private consultation with grant consultants from Texas A & M's Center for Community Support. Also, TFA is hosting a post conference workshop on federal grant opportunities on Friday, November 5, 2004. Both programs are free to conference attendees. To sign up contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or call 713.961.0012.

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Websites of Interest to CTCs 

How Stuff Works   ---  http://express.howstuffworks.com/
Math Baseball (for World Series fans) --http://www.funbrain.com/math/index.html
Learn to Read at Starfall --- http://www.starfall.com/ 
Microsoft Lesson Plans --- http://www.microsoft.com/education/LessonPlans.aspx 
Join CTCNet today - TFA encourages community technology centers to join the  Community Technology Centers' Network. For more information, go to www.ctcnet.org .
Support 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 working together to empower underserved communities through the tools of technology.  TFA has supportive relationships with community based organizations operating CTCs in 56 US cities. TFA creates social enterprises to empower communities. 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 click on the donate now button located at the bottom of this page. 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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