Technology For All --- We empower communities!

Technology For All thanks Andy Carvin for a great presentation last Friday for our 5th Annual Commmunity Technology Conference. Approximately seventy-five (75) persons were in attendance. Andy led two sessions on "The Rise of Participatory Media" and "Using Web 2.0 to Make a Difference in Your Community." Summaries of Andy's presentations will be online at the TFA web site (www.techforall.org ) and on Andy's site (www.AndyCarvin.com ) sometime in the next few days.

Thursday, December 7, 2006, Technology For All will be hosting with CTCNet (www.ctcnet.org ) a conference aimed at helping community technology centers do a better job of serving persons with disabilities. For more info, go to www.techforall.org .

It was a rainy Saturday morning two weeks ago when Technology For All began delivery of over 900 computers to North Forest ISD. Through our TFA-STARRS program, TFA redeploys corporate technology assets being replaced into communities and neigborhoods that can benefit. TFA is teaming up with the District and SimDesk Technologies to provide computers for schools and for distribution in the homes of students in designated feeder patterns. For about the project check out the article in the Houston Chronicle.

Host: SimHouston and Technology For All

Location: Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel
3000 North Loop West Freeway, Houston, Texas

When: Monday, August 7, 11:00am to 2:00pm

Phone: 713.688.0100 (RSVP)



SimHouston - On-demand Solutions for Population-Wide Computing

BROUGHT TO YOU BY SIMDESK TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL

Join a select group of Houston's best computer technology organizations for this important technology briefing and complimentary luncheon!

On August 7, 2006, Simdesk Technologies and Technology For All invite you to join us for an important update on SimHouston and the new version 3.4, the most powerful and easy-to-use release of SimHouston to date. Your FREE attendance will provide you with powerful resources and will spark new ideas to improve and sustain CTCs in the greater Houston area.

Your attendance also automatically enters you in a drawing to win an HP Desktop Computer!

HOSTS AND MODERATORS:
Louis Waters
President and CEOSimdesk Technologies, Inc.
www.simdesk.com

Will ReedPresident and CEO
Technology For All
www.techforall.org

Lou and Will are committed to providing CTCs with the resources and advocacy necessary to bring technology access to underserved communities in the greater Houston area. This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

The SimHouston event will provide CTC attendees with…

- Live demonstration of SimHouston version 3.4 including the new Simdesk Tray and S-Drive
- Updates on the SimHouston initiative
- Posters
- CDs
- New User Guides and more!

Please do not miss this important gathering of your peers! Together with SimHouston, CTCs will realize the vision of a world in which all people have equitable access to technology and the skills necessary to use it meaningfully.

One of the issues facing Congress and public policy makers is the issue of "Net Neutrality." The heated debate continues among Internet Service Providers, backbone carriers, Legislators, community technology advocates and a host of others.

Today, on one of the list-serves I participate in, the question was posed "Could someone explain to me why i ( young, black poor male, frequently offline) should really care about net neutrality? I think I understand the arguments and still it seems pointless. "

Andy Carvin's (www.andycarvin.com ) response was helpful and enlightening.

"From the time the Net was created until now, there's been no discrimination against those of us who create content on the Net. Anyone with access has equal right to post new content and execute their own online software - the underlying infrastructure won't discriminate against anyone.
If network neutrality ends, internet providers will be able to discriminate against what content is available to the public. For example, cable ISPs that own their own content streams could decide to block all video bloggers and sites like youtube.com because video takes up more bandwidth and competes with their own service. So they offer high-speed access to multimedia content of their own and their business partners, while slowing down or blocking access to services that refuse to deal with them or pay up. Corporate content gets put in the fast lane, while public media gets put in the slow lane - or blocked entirely.
Imagine if Walmart opened up a store in your town and acquired all the local roads in the process. They could set up roadblocks or tollroads to their competitors, while offering a superhighway directly to their own doorstep. So while the underlying issue is about network discrimination, it translates into ISPs controlling access to content, and restricting free speech and free expression."

What are your thoughts?

Nikki Payne serves as an AmeriCorpsVISTA at TFA through the Community Technology Centers CTCVISTA Project. The project recently created the CTCVISTA Project Digest which chronicles some of the work of CTCVISTAs across the US during the past year.

Much of Nikki's work with Technology For All has been with the "Mind Over Media" program. Through an annonymous grant, Nikki visited digital media programs in South America in early January and instituted the Mind Over Media project at TFA's Mission Milby Community Technology Center.

Much of Nikki's work with the Mind Over Media project is chronicled in a five minute video on the CTCVISTA Project Digest site. Click on the lower right square under the Wall of Video. We are proud of Nikki and the program. At the end of her term, Nikki will be heading to Rice University to begin work on a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology.

CONGRATULATIONS NIKKI!!!

End Date: June 30, 2006*

Cost: $100 per computer bundle

Special Promotion: 2 free computer bundles for every 5 computer bundles purchased

Package includes: Free Dell CPU Computer
(1GHZ, USB, CD-ROM) USB, Mouse/Keyboard)
Windows 2000 Operating System
Anti-virus and Anti-spam software
Adobe Reader
SimDesk software
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
Power cords
Free Microsoft Office 2003 software (can only be used in a community technology center lab and is not for administrative purposes nor can it be transferred to computers that are used outside of the CTC computer lab).

Make Checks Payable: Technology For All, Inc.

*This special promotion is for a limited time only and is available on a first come first served basis. The offer expires when 100 free computer bundles have been allocated but no later than close of business on June 30, 2006.

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Other organizations that do not qualify as a 501(c)(3) organization and/or individuals that are interested in purchasing computer bundles can contact Jim Forrest at 713-454-6413 or email: jim.forrest@techforall.org, for information on upcoming promotions to purchase computer bundles.

www.techforall.org

Technology For All recently completed the process of uploading all its financial and other information to DonorEdge, an online resource for donors created by the Greater Houston Community Foundation.

DonorEdge is an online resource designed to provide an unmatched level of information about Houston-area nonprofits. Donors have told us that they need more information in order to make informed charitable giving decisions. DonorEdge will provide this information in a format that is readily available and consistently presented.

DonorEdge Online is a powerful online resource to inform, empower and enrich charitable giving in a specific region, benefiting donors, nonprofits and the community at large. This new online tool supports the DonorEdge process, a combination of local hands-on assessments, technology, education, and targeted technical assistance. It captures critical information relating to the organizational and programmatic performance of nonprofits and makes it easily available to donors.

Today’s donors demand detailed and insightful information about local nonprofits to help them make strategic charitable investments and create positive change. Developed by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation in response to donor needs, DonorEdge provides access to an unmatched wealth of knowledge about local nonprofits, including detailed financial, operational and programmatic measurements. Information is collected through a hands-on interview and profile process by trained Community Foundation professionals and is updated at least once a year.

When implemented on a large-scale basis, this program has the potential to drive impact well beyond the initial organizations and communities included in its database, through the creation of a national center of information on the performance of nonprofits. Such an asset could help an expanded number of philanthropists make informed grant decisions and influence the performance of nonprofit organizations, by making it possible to offer targeted technical assistance based on the nonprofit’s needs and educational opportunities.

The DonorEdge process has three core components:

Profiling nonprofits – Using performance measures and comparable information on hundreds of organizations in a local community, to help philanthropy understand the current capacity needs of nonprofit organizations;
Analyzing nonprofit profiles – Employing 75 organizational indicators to build efficiencies and to identify promising business and mission practices in nonprofits and within the sector; and
Responding to trends – Creating and implementing educational services and technical assistance programs that meet the needs of donors, nonprofits, and the community based on local and national trends gleaned from the data.

For more information go to www.ghcf.org

The City of Houston has issued the RFP for a Wireless Broadband Network and Management Services. Technology For All was a participant in the process of writing and commenting on various sections of the RFP. Section B11 of the RFP addresses community technology services and requests respondents to the RFP to propose solutions to encourage digital inclusion across the City.

TFA encourages community technology practictioners to attend the Tuesday, April 4, 2006 Bidders Conference to support and encourage digital inclusion efforts with potential bidders on the RFP. The conference will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. downtown at 611 Walker in the Garden Level Auditorium.

http://www.houstontx.gov/it/wirelessrfp.html

This week Technology For All received a grant of 1900+ computers from a local corporation through the United Way Gifts in Kind program. The computers will be utilized first to assist and empower our Houston area Community Technology 2.0 sites (http://www.techforall.org/community_technology2.0.html ) where we are focused on building the capacity and effectiveness of CTCs serving Houston Hope (www.houstonhope.org ) neighborhoods. TFA staff and volunteers will be working together over the next few days to develop a plan to fully deploy the PCs into all the neighborhoods we care about. One of those neighborhoods is Pecan Park, the East End neighborhood that surrounds TFA's office. TFA-Wireless provides wireless Internet access in the neighborhood. Many of the computers will be re-deployed through "Learn and Earn" programs with HISD students in the neighborhood. When the plan is finalized we will report back here.

The Joint Hurricane Housing Task Force office is now located on the Katy Freeway. The Disaster Recovery Center on the South Loop is now closed. The Task Force is comprised of City of Houston, Harris County, Housing Authority of the City of Houston, Harris County Housing Authority, Houston Apartment Association, Housing Authority of New Orleans, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and FEMA.

Technology For All is seeking community technology centers willing to open their computer labs to assist seniors to enroll in the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Interfaith Ministries is preparing a flyer to enclose in the City of Houston water bills announcing the locations that will be hosting these enrollment sessions. Interested CTCs should contact Pam Gardner at 713.454.6400, if they would like to have their organization included in this list. Contacts made after deadline may still be eligible to participate, however their organization will not be listed and the announcement of their session will have to be made by the organization. The enrollment sessions will be facilitated by Wendy Ramirez (Interfaith Ministries) and Barbara McGinty (BBB Education Div.) along with their volunteers and any volunteers that the CTC may have identified.

CTC Information and Volunteer Training Sessions-Please mark your calendars
Two information sessions and training for volunteers that will assist with facilitating the enrollment sessions are scheduled.

Monday, March 20 @ 1 p.m.
Mission Milby CDC
2220 Broadway
Houston, TX 77012

Tuesday, March 21 @ 9:30 a.m.
United Way Community Resource Center
50 Waugh Drive
Houston, TX 77007
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For more information contact:
Pamela J. Gardner
Technology For All
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas 77012
Tel: 713.454.6415 Fax: 713.454.6454
e-mail: pam.gardner@techforall.org
website: www.techforall.org

Yesterday, the new "Louisiana Rebuilds" website was unveiled by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco with displaced Lousiana citizens at The Joy Corporation in Zachry, Louisiana.
While there she demonstrated The Road Home website. The Road Home serves as an Internet and toll-free housing registry where homeowners who suffered damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita can input key information about their homes and register for the state's housing recovery program by simply logging on to http://www.LouisianaRebuilds.info or calling 888-ROAD 2 LA (888-762-3252) 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

In addition, Louisiana Rebuilds is a resource for Houston area CTCs to introduce to their constituents who may be Louisiana citizens. Houston's own NAACP Family Technology Center helped to beta test the site prior to its going live.

Recently, Technology For All was the recipient with ATT (SBC) of a Leadership in Action award presented by Leadership Houston (www.leadershiphouston.org ) at a luncheon at the Junior League for our collaborative work in creating the Astrodome Community Technology Center. We were recognized along with several other organizations and Judge Eckels and Mayor White for our work with the evacuees from New Orleans. I am grateful each person and organization that assisted in this important effort and the success we created by working together. Without the help of so many including SBC, CompuCycle, SimHouston, Plains All-American Pipeline, Decision Information Resources, AMD, IBM, Yahoo!, Reliant Energy and many more this would not have been possible.

I thank each of you who are a part of the TFA team as a donor, friend, board member and staff member! Without your commitment to our common vision to empower communities and make the world a better place, the important work that we do together could not be achieved. May this award be the inspiration for us to dream greater dreams and work together on more important visions to lead Houston to become a better and stronger city for all.

I want to especially thank our TFA colleague, staff member and my friend Jim Forrest for his tireless work of 18-20 hours a day for 19 consecutive days in early September. Without Jim’s commitment and heart, the award today would not have been possible. Thanks Jim and thanks to each of you who participated in our work together at “Reliant City” and the Astrodome Community Technology Center.

An Opportunity and Responsibility for CTCs

The new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage is an opportunity for CTCs to reach out to older adults in their communities. For seniors who do not sign up for a plan by May 15, 2006, joining later means you pay a higher premium. There is a 1% penalty for each month you are not in the plan when you are elgible. For example, if you wait 12 months to sign up, you will pay 12% more on your Part D premium for the rest of your life. If you have drug coverage, you may be exempted from this penalty.

The opportunity and responsibility for CTCs is this. Individuals can enroll online at www.benefitscheckuprx.org or www.medicare.org . Trained volunteers at CTCs can perform a tremendous service by helping persons sign up online, which takes about 45 minutes per person.

The enrollment period ends on May 15, 2006 and then persons cannot sign up for a plan again until November 15, 2006. For more information about how Houston area CTCs can assist in this effort contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or call her at 713.454.6415.

Nikki Payne, TFA's AmeriCorps*VISTA member, is in South America. With a digital media grant obtained through one of our volunteers during our work with Katrina evacuees, Nikki is visiting digital media programs in Ecuador, Argentina and Chile. Below is Nikki's latest note from south of the Ecuator.

From: Nikki Payne
Sent: Wed 1/11/2006 7:21 PM
To: Will Reed
Subject: updates

Hey Will!
I hope this letter finds you well....I've always wanted to say that! Leaving Gauyaquil...it was awesome so far of the three centers I've seen I like CefoCine the best! Wait till you see what these kids made! simply fantastic.... I also got a phenomenal interview with Rafael I want to model my program after his... I have so many things I want to show you guys. each center gave me tons of material. CefoCine has something similar to our job tech program and other programs gaining them recognition al over south America! They have a fantastic place and are opening up a new one. I think we should stay in contact with them as they grow! I rode the bus in guayaquil... what an adventure! there is no rhyme or reason but we managed. No place takes Credit cards.. they are like the black plague.. so I'm having to eat at the hotel which is kind of expensive and annoying... especially when there are so many KFC's around!

Best wishes

Nikki