Technology For All --- We empower communities!

CBAIS - Day One

2011-06-27T10:45:00.004-05:00

Ways and Teachings in Navajo - I attended a workshop this morning on "Engaging Diverse Entrepreneurs in Web 2.0." One of the most interesting take aways in the workshop was a small handout at the end as folks were already leaving the room. The handout focused on the ways of learning and teaching in Diné, the language of the Navajo. The handout points out that in the ways of learning and teaching in Diné, the clan system in important. Diné will introduce themselves by naming his or her clans. The clan relationships demand respect and certain ways of interacting physcially, emotionally and spiritually. In Diné culture, this kinship is utilized to develop special teaching relationships to support the learner.

Story telling is also key Diné teaching tool that serves to united family and community. Stories are told based upon the individual's stage of growth at a particular moment. The story teller will know when to tell the story to make allowances for the difference between the stages of growth. For example, if a child lacks courage and is afraid of certain situations, then it would be the right time to share a story that shows how courage is necessary to live. The story is told with hopes that the child will gain insights. Although some stories are only told at certain times, storytelllng is ongoing in Diné teachings. Most storytellers do not expect to tell a full story overnight, rather is a continual accumulation of stories in a Diné mind that begins to develop the person as an individual and a member of the community. Sometimes, it can take many years before one can see the meaning of the story.

This takes me back to Laura Breeden's presentation earlier in the day. Laura asked us to think back to what we were doing ten years ago. Technology For All was "flying high." We had a national partner in a Fortune 10 corporation -- Enron -- and we had a plan to work with Enron to establish broadband for public computer centers across the U.S. In just a few months that vision (with Enron) was abandoned. We had to ask Ken Lay the CEO of Enron to resign as our board chair and experienced a major loss of funding. The sharing of that story reminded me that it "can take many years before one can see the meaning of the story." We are now understanding the meaning of our story.

This post was written from the "Community Broadband - Adoption and Sustainability Conference" (CBAIS) in Cleveland, Ohio.

Headed to Cleveland

2011-06-23T09:33:00.004-05:00

Several members of the Texas Connects Coalition team will be in Cleveland, Ohio for three days next week for the Community Broadband Conference. I will be bloging from the Conference, so check it out and check it often.
Will Reed

Connections

2010-03-26T07:24:00.006-05:00

What began as a chance meeting in Monterey, California ten years ago has resulted in personal and digital connections that have advanced wireless research and created opportunities for four young people in a low-income neighborhood to enjoy the NCAA regionals in Houston this weekend.

Yesterday, Technology For All received four tickets by overnight delivery from Colorado. The tickets are for the NCAA regional basketball games this weekend and were received as a donation from a donor I first met by email on Wednesday afternoon. Because of his donation four of the kids that use the computer lab at our office at Mission Milby will be attending the two games tonight (Baylor vs. St. Mary’s and Duke vs. Purdue) and the regional finals on Sunday afternoon. How the donation came to be is a study in the ways that people make connections today. It is different than it used to be.

In 2001 I met Tony Elam, then assistant dean of the Rice School of Engineering, at a meeting we were both attending in Monterey, California. We attended the meeting at the invitation of a company named Enron and its Broadband division. While in California, we struck up a conversation and discovered that we lived very close to each other in Houston and even ate regularly in the same TexMex restaurant. We were connected. In 2003, Technology For All received a small collaborative grant from the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund that provided us the opportunity to install a one gigabit fiber circuit into the Mission Milby building where we office in Houston’s East End.

Fast forward to 2004 when I was drinking coffee at the house one morning and reading the Houston Chronicle newspaper. In the paper that morning I read an article by Eric Berger, who is now the “SciGuy” in the list of Houston Chronicle blogs. The article noted that Rice University had received a National Science Foundation grant with several other major universities across the nation. The grant was to fund research that would someday make it possible for 100 million homes in America to access at least 100 megabits of bandwidth. The article stated that the Rice researchers were going to be studying wireless solutions to the challenge. That intrigued me. The lead scientist on the project was to be a man by the name of Dr. Edward Knightly. I remembered my friend Tony Elam and sent him an online link to the Houston Chronicle article. I asked, “Do you know this professor?”

We corresponded by email and he shared with me that “Ed” Knightly was one of the rising stars at Rice and that he was on sabbatical as a visiting professor at ´Ecole Polytechnique F´ed´erale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. So my friend Tony introduced us by email and early one morning for Ed and late one night for me we talked briefly by phone. I told him that TFA had excess bandwidth (at least 100 megabits) that we would be willing to contribute to his research with the hope that together we could someday provide wireless Internet services to the low-income neighborhood around our office. That phone call began the development of a research relationship and friendship that continues to this day. So today, over 4000 users in the neighborhood around our office are able to access wireless Internet and Rice is able to advance research in the field. To date, over 75 journal articles have been published from research on the project. See the list here.

About two years ago two Rice alums were in Houston for the Rice business plan competition. My friend Ed introduced them to TFA and the collaborative wireless project with Rice because of an interest they had expressed. Ed hosted us and we enjoyed a wonderful meal and conversation at the Back Street Café on Shepherd Drive.

Earlier this week I got a phone call and an email from Cindy, one of the Rice alums. It seems that a friend of theirs had tickets to the NCAA regionals here in Houston. “Would TFA be interested in using them to send some deserving youth to the game.” I quickly said, “Yes!” Cindy put me in touch by email with their friend and this weekend four of our youth will enjoy the games.

Today, these four youth have the world at their fingertips because of the research by Dr. Knightly’s team. What began as a face to face meeting in Monterey, California in 2000 and the reading of a brief article in the print version of the Houston Chronicle way back in 2004 has resulted in digital and personal connections across the country and across the world.

That is the power of connections.

Texas Connects Coalition

2010-03-23T16:58:00.003-05:00

Technology For All has joined together with Austin Free-Net and the Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network to create the Texas Connects coalition. Our goal is to bring broadband technology opportunities to Texas' most vulnerable citizens.

New TFA Website

2010-03-23T16:49:00.003-05:00

We thank Jim Forrest and Holly Hanna for their work on the new TFA website that just went live. We are using DotNetNuke, a content management system built on Microsoft's .Net content management platform. Check it out and let us know what you think. Also be sure to check out our new Facebook page.

Thanks to Andy Carvin

2006-11-13T17:01:00.000-06:00

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.

TFA to Host C4All Conference

2006-11-12T14:43:00.000-06:00

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 .

Technology For All teams up with North Forest ISD

2006-09-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

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.

SimHouston Briefing and Luncheon

2006-07-22T06:31:00.000-05:00

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.

Net Neutrality

2006-06-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

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?

Mind Over Media

2006-06-06T07:08:00.000-05:00

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!!!

Computer Bundle offered by TFA

2006-05-27T09:08:00.000-05:00

TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL

Computer Bundle Special Promotion
for
Community Technology Centers
May 24, 2006

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

TFA Information for potential donors

2006-05-23T16:40:00.000-05:00

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

2006-04-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL

Invites you to the monthly CTC BROWN BAG LUNCH and a
CONVERSATION AMONG COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY FRIENDS

With Presenter
Twonda Thompson, Senior Community Liaison
After-School Achievement Program (ASAP)*
City of Houston

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Noon to 1:30 p.m.
At
Mission Milby CDC
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas 77012

The Program
Youth Development & Afterschool Programming

(Ms. Thompson will discuss the ASAP RFP that is currently accepting proposals from Community Organizations)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seating is limited so reserve space now by contacting Pam Gardner at Technology For All-Houston 713.454.6415 or Pam.Gardner@techforall.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to bring YOUR brown bag lunch to this event.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AGENDA

12:00 Lunch and Networking

12:15 Welcome and Introductions

12:20 Presentations and Discussion

1:30 Adjournment

Digital Houston RFP is out

2006-03-22T04:03:00.000-06:00

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

Almost 2000 Computers

2006-03-22T03:44:00.000-06:00

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.

Houston Hurricane Recovery Portal announces Office

2006-03-22T03:18:00.000-06:00

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.

CTCs to Assist Seniors with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

2006-03-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Louisiana Rebuilds

2006-03-10T05:03:00.001-06:00

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.

TFA receives Leadership in Action Award

2006-03-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

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.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

2006-01-26T07:28:00.000-06:00

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.

Note from Nikki

2006-01-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

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

January CTC Brown Bag

2006-01-11T16:16:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, January 25, 2006
12 Noon to 1:30 p.m.

The East End Life Center

2002 South Wayside

Houston, Texas 77023

An informative session regarding the
new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

Presented by
J. Hiloxi Jones, Southeast Texas Public Information Officer
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
&
Mary Southwick, Project Coordinator
Better Business Bureau Education Foundation

NAACP Family Technology Center - CTC of the Year

2005-11-13T05:57:00.000-06:00

Houston's NACCP Family Technology Center was recently announced as the CTC of the Year in the Houston Area. Three CTCs received Honorable Mention awards. These were Eastside University Village Community Learning Center, The M. D. Anderson YMCA, and the East End Life Center.

Joshua Cousin - The Bookman

2005-10-21T04:07:00.000-05:00

Joshua Cousin has joined the Technology For All staff as the Community Technology Center assistant at South Union CDC, the first new site of TFA's Community Technology 2.0 project.
-
Joshua is a new resident of Houston from New Orleans and was introduced to TFA when he came to the ACT Center (Astrodome Community Technology Center Report -PDF file) at Houston's Astrodome to write in his blog. Joshua hopes to begin attending college at a Houston area university in the Spring. Joshua writes his own blog at http://booknote.blogspot.com/

Empowering Our Communities

2005-10-21T03:56:00.000-05:00

Technology For All

Presents the
Fourth Annual Community Technology Conference

Community Technology Awards Presentation

It was confirmed today that Laura Breedon will speak at TFA's "Empowering Our Communities" Conference. Laura Breeden is the director of the America Connects Consortium (ACC), based at Education Development Center, Inc. in Newton, MA. ACC was established by the U.S. Department of Education in 2000 to strengthen community technology centers across the nation, by providing training, information, tools, and other resources that build organizational effectiveness. From 1996 to 2000, Ms. Breeden was an independent consultant focusing on Internet strategies and organizational development, based in Menlo Park, California. Her clients included SRI International (Menlo Park), the Morino Institute (Reston, VA), the James Irvine Foundation (San Francisco), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), as well as other leading institutions that study, develop, and promote the use of network technologies. From 1994 to 1996, Ms. Breeden was director of a highly competitive, multi-million dollar federal grant program (now known as TOP) designed to demonstrate the benefits of the "information superhighway" in the public sector. Under her leadership, more than 200 organizations received a total of $60 million for innovative community projects, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Ms. Breeden also spent eight years in industry, developing Internet services for educational and research organizations. Born in Kentucky, she is a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
-

Several other workshops focused on community empowerment, including empowering the new Katrina evacuee community, will be a feature of the conference in Houston, Friday, November 4, 2005. A unique panel discussion with Katrina evacuees and volunteers who spent 19 days working with evacuees at the Astrodome and Reliant City will be a feature of the conference as we also discuss "Community Technology 2.0" and our next steps in serving both existing CTC constituents and the 150,000+ new residents in Houston from Louisiana. Don't miss an opportunity to meet other community technology leaders and resource providers! At this exclusive event, gain new tools and resources to learn how you can work together to accomplish your mutual goals for the community! Also, celebrate together over lunch with community leaders recognized with awards for their leadership and vision in serving the community. Don't miss the opportunity for enrichment!

Friday, November 4, 2005
United Way Community Resource Center

50 Waugh DriveHouston, TX 77007
9 AM to 4 PM ~ check-in at 8:30 AM
Registration Levels

-$10 Students

$20 Nonprofits and community technology centers

$30 All others
$40 at the door on the day of the event
Click here to register NOW!or call Pam Gardner, 713.454.6415.
For more information.
www.techforall.org

Also FEATURING... Art McGee, NASA Resources, Digital Media for Youth, Security needs for CTCs, Awards, Door Prizesand other tools to serve your community including our new neighbors from Louisiana!

Community Technology 2.0

2005-10-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

Community Technology 2.0 to Support Hurricane Recovery
Technology For All, Houston Hope and South Union Community Development, Inc. Unveil Ongoing Effort with Evacuees in Houston’s Low-Income Neighborhoods

HOUSTON, October 7, 2005 – Today Technology For All (TFA) announced its ongoing Hurricane recovery plans in collaboration with South Union Community Development, Inc. and community technology centers serving Houston Hope and other low-income neighborhoods across Houston. Starting first with a new community technology center (CTC) at South Union Community Development, Inc. (South Union CDC), Technology For All will facilitate the implementation of “Community Technology 2.0”, a broad effort to train and support up to twenty (20) community technology centers (CTCs) involved in hurricane recovery efforts in addition to their ongoing activities to address the needs of their neighborhoods.

According to FEMA data, an estimated 57,000+ new residences (175,000+ persons) have been established in the Houston area by Katrina and Rita evacuees. Many have established residence in one of the designated Houston Hope neighborhoods. Sunnyside, for example, which is served in part by the South Union, has experienced an estimated 20% increase in population as over 3,500 persons have moved into the community. Other Houston Hope neighborhoods have also experienced significant increases in population as Katrina evacuees have established new homes in a new city. With almost one thousand new residents, Clinton Park, a relatively small neighborhood of 2,400, has added 30% to its population. Many Katrina evacuees have established new homes in Houston Hope and other low-income Houston neighborhoods served by TFA affiliated community technology centers.

During the weeks immediately following the Katrina disaster, Technology For All was active in providing supportive services with the thousands of Katrina residents of the Reliant Astrodome and Reliant City Complex. TFA created the ACT Centers (Astrodome and Arena Community Technology Centers) as well as a 110 computer station community technology center at the Reliant Center. With the assistance of over 300 volunteers who provided almost 11,000 hours of volunteer service, TFA assisted Katrina evacuees find and reconnect with loved ones, register online for various services and gain the computer skills necessary for assimilation into a new life and a new city. With a total of 210 Internet connected computers at all three locations in Reliant City, numerous corporate contributions made the project possible. Corporate contributors to the project included SBC, Yahoo, AMD, SimHouston, Plains All American Pipeline, Reliant Energy, Motion Computing, Trend Micro, CompuCycle and HP.

Community Technology 2.0 will take the ACT Center project to the logical next step. It is also an extension of the ongoing needs that community technology centers address with existing residents in Houston’s low-income and under-resourced neighborhoods. In working with over 16,000 Katrina evacuees during 19 days at Reliant City, TFA identified several key needs of the evacuee community. Many evacuees have limited computer and literacy skills. Many tools for effective assimilation into the Houston culture and community are online. TFA will replicate the lessons learned in working with the Katrina evacuee community and implement a training program for Katrina evacuees to gain the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to participate successfully in Houston’s information society. TFA will pilot the new program in collaboration with South Union CDC which is establishing a new community technology center at its facility at the corner of Lydia and Tierwester Street in the South Union neighborhood near 288 and 610 South. As the pilot is underway, TFA, working with Houston Hope, will choose up to 20 additional sites in Houston Hope and other low-income neighborhoods. These sites for expansion will be in collaboration with existing CTCs or CTCs under development.

TFA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to empowering under-resourced communities using the tools of technology. TFA provides various services, including workforce training, recycling and redeployment of corporate technology assets, document-conversion services for the business community, online content for workforce training, and consulting and leadership in its work with over 350 community organizations operating community technology centers (CTCs) in Houston and 56 other U.S. cities. Since 1997, TFA-Houston has assisted Houston-area community-based organizations in creating and developing more than 210 CTCs serving low-income and under-resourced communities.

“Technology For All is focused on expanding our services to the communities we serve,” said TFA’s President and Chief Executive Officer Will Reed. “Today, with our new Katrina neighbors, we have an opportunity and responsibility to help them gain the tools they need to assimilate into a new life in a new city. CTCs are in a unique position to serve a variety of needs with our new neighbors”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for South Union CDC to serve both our existing community and the new residents who have become a part of our community,” said South Union CDC Board President Efrem Jernigan. “We want to do our part to welcome and work with our new neighbors.”

###

Technology For All (TFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on empowering low-income and under-resourced communities using the tools of technology. In the Houston area, Technology For All-Houston has helped create and develop over 210 community technology centers (CTCs) in collaboration with community-based organizations across the region. Nationally TFA provides supportive services to over 360 individual CTCs in 56 U.S. cities. TFA’s local and national offices are located in Houston’s East End at 2220 Broadway, Houston, Texas 77012; phone: 713-454-6400. For more see http://www.techforall.org/ .

South Union Community Development, Inc. (SUCDI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization endeavoring to bring a “Ray of Hope” to the South Union and surrounding communities with the awareness that “Achieving Goals is Obtainable with Knowledge and Technology.” South Union CDI is located at 3601 Lydia, Houston, Texas 77054; phone: 713-747-7002 or 713-419-8352. For more, see http://www.southunioncdi.org/ .

Houston Hope (HH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working together to create hope in several of Houston’s poorest neighborhoods. Houston Hope represents the private sector side of a collaborative public/private initiative that will improve the quality of life in designated Houston Hope neighborhoods and bring hope for a brighter future to their residents. Houston Hope offices are located at 2220 Broadway, Houston, Texas 77012; phone 713.454.6464. For more see http://www.houstonhope.org/ .

Quick Stats and Factoids

2005-10-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

ACT Center
(Astrodome Community Technology Center)

Quick Stats

· 210 Computers in 3 locations—Astrodome, Reliant Center (including a children’s center), and in the Reliant Arena.
· Served approximately 16,000 clients over 19 days (Adults, Children and Youth)
· 307 volunteers provided over 10,800 hours of volunteer service
· 22,557 family records entered
· 2000+ family members reunited (approx.)
· Volunteers also assisted clients with housing and job searches, relocation issues, FEMA applications and setting up email and using other online tools
· TFA-Wireless facilitated roving volunteers to work with clients on the floor of the astrodome in addition to in the ACT Center.

FACTOIDS

Technology For All’s (TFA) efforts, and a generous donation by SBC, to provide broadband Internet access, created the ACT Center in less than 36 hours in a facility built nearly 40 years ago. This access not only enabled the ACT Center to provide the services it did, but also enabled the Red Cross to implement its IT infrastructure in the Astrodome as well as provide Internet connections and information for other organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Continental Airlines, which provided one-way tickets to reconnect families.

Reliant Energy provided the equipment, installation and ongoing support for over 50 computers located at the Reliant Center. Reliant Energy also provided the equipment for networking the computers to the internet as well as numerous printers. In addition to the computer equipment and support Reliant Energy volunteers staffed both the Astrodome and Reliant Center CTCs.

Trend Micro provided anti-virus solutions for the 60+ PCs located in Reliant Arena and Reliant Center.

SimHouston and CompuCycle worked together to prepare the initial 40 machines for installation at the Astrodome. Compucycle provided the computers and equipment. SimHouston provided software.

Plains All American Pipeline provided TFA 20 computers prepared with a complete software load and ready for installation at the Reliant Arena. These computers have been redeployed by TFA into a community technology center (CTC) at the South Union Community Development Corporation in service to the over 1000 evacuee families that have moved into the neighborhood.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) donated 150 Personal Internet Communicator (PICs) devices, which not only helped families find loved ones, but which also gave kids a chance to surf the Internet, and play on children’s Web sites. These PICs are being redeployed at CTCs serving the evacuee community in the greater Houston area.

HP provided the use of 15 laptops for the paging center and ongoing registration efforts.

A total of 210 computers and PICS were installed by TFA and its corporate and community partners at the Astrodome, Reliant Center and Reliant Arena.

Staff from TFA worked together with Yahoo engineers to assist in the creation of a customized portal / search engine that crawled the disparate Web sites and databases, which helped to connect family members throughout the country and even the World. Yahoo reports that its site received more traffic over the Labor Day weekend after Katrina than at any other time in Yahoo history.

The ACT Center enabled evacuees to set up email accounts, which was required to check the status of FEMA applications online. Many evacuees were unable to get in touch with a FEMA representative by phone, as the phone lines were overwhelmed. (Setting up an ISAAC account with FEMA, required to check the status of an application, required an email address that a PIN was emailed to.)

TFA quickly collaborated with Yahoo personnel to quickly code and network the paging system capability, which for many, was the only way for separated family members to find each other in the multiple, enormous facilities where thousands of persons were residing in shelters.

The ACT Center fax machine purchased by TFA was used not only utilized by TFA and the ACT Center volunteers to obtain birth certificates and replacement driver’s licenses, but also by many agencies and organizations located in the Astrodome, including FEMA and the Red Cross. TFA’s fax machine was the only FAX machine available to all agencies in the building and to evacuees.

SBC donated CallNotes numbers which not only provided a way for dislocated loved ones to find each other online and then contact each other, but CallNotes also allowed for evacuees to register online for FEMA. The FEMA online registration system required one contact number to be entered. Without the SBC donation of CallNotes, we would have been forced to enter a non working number like 000-000-0000.

When evacuees located missing loved ones in the ATC Center, they were invited to ring a cowbell. Each time it rang, it brought hope to all evacuees in the room, and the room would erupt into applause, hugs, and joyful tears.

ACT Center volunteers continue to assist Katrina evacuees and additional volunteer support is needed by TFA at twenty (20) local CTCs. The impact of working with disconnected and impoverished evacuees, combined with the empowerment that the technology provides, is creating not only a renewed sense of volunteerism, but a realization by evacuees of the true power that technology tools can bring to their lives. VOLUNTEER TODAY! Contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or call her at 713.454.6415

Check out the summary ACT Center Report (pdf) at http://www.techforall.org/TFA_051003_ACTCtrRpt-v4.pdf

TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas 77012
713.454.6400
http://www.techforall.org/

MARTA Rocks

2005-10-06T07:38:00.000-05:00

See the note below from Eugenia, one of our most active and dedicated volunteers. She writes of Marta, a volunteer from Chicago who showed up at the ACT Center at the dome to help. Marta and Eugenia assisted Larry, a Katrina evacuee.

"Hey everyone,
Larry arrived in Chicago today, where Marta picked him up at the airport, took him to the luxe hotel she had arranged for him at the medical center, and got him into an orthopedic specialist about his arm and shoulder. He called me tonight and said he was going back in for an MRI (tomorrow?) and that in the meantime he was trying to decide which of the two beds in his room to sleep in (he'd been sharing an apartment in Houston with about 8 other people so it was quite a luxury for him to have two beds to himself).
Thanks Marta!"

Will Reed
www.techforall.org

Katrina's sister Rita

2005-09-25T05:51:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lapse in communication. Preparations for Katrina's sister Rita took priority over the past few days.

The community technology center (CTC) at the Reliant Arena (adjacent to the Astrodome) was shut down on Tuesday as the remaining Katrina evacuees at the Astrodome complex were moved to Arkansas for safety and out of Rita's way. Rita's damage, while significant in the areas affected the most, could have been catastrophic if the storm were to have made a direct hit on Galveston and then Houston. Over 5.5 million people live in the Greater Houston area. The only damage Technology For All (TFA) sustained were a few bent antennas on the TFA-Wireless project. TFA's CTC at Mission Milby is intact. The other CTCs in the area sustained minimal damage such as missing shingles, broken tree limbs etc. The streets are full of debris from the wind, but that will be cleaned up in a few days.

The task ahead continues to be working with the over 100,000 Katrina evacuees that remain in our city. TFA is committed to providing the leadership to assist and challenge CTCs across the city to assist in this important work. Many of the evacuees have limited literacy and limited computer skills. Thus, many do not have the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to earn a livable wage in the Houston economy. This creates what I believe is both an opportunity and responsibility for community technology centers across the region.

To give you a sense of some of our work over the past several weeks with Katrina evacuees, I have pasted below the excerpt of an email from Jim Forrest, one of our TFA staff members. It illustrates the human side of our Katrina work.

Will Reed
www.techforall.org

"We are doing OK here. This is the first time I have had time to respond as I have been getting my home, and others secured. On Wednesday morning I decided to remain here at the house. The house has never flooded and I now have all my shutters in place. With all the problems on the freeway it appears that it may have been an OK good decision. The cell phones were almost completely useless on Wednesday but as of later last night (Thursday) the calls are going through.

Now that the storm appears to be heading more to the east of Houston I am feeling a little more comfortable with that decision. I have a generator, plenty of food and everything secured. Jesse, the young man that came home with me is doing great. He was such a big help in getting everything done here. I have finally gotten in contact with his mom in a high school shelter in Covington Louisiana.

Mabel, his mom, is with her semi comatose disabled sister and her 10 month son since the storm. Jesse was finally able to talk with her for the first time in almost two weeks. The last time she saw him he was being air lifted from their home by helicopter. She was being relocated from Covington to Folsom Louisiana yesterday and I have not spoken with her since early yesterday morning. It may be sometime before she is able to have Jesse with her again so I am planning to get him in school as soon as the storm passes.

I also have spoken with the young man that I made friends with earlier in the week, Jerel. He is safe in Houston with his mom and brother at a Holiday Inn near the Astrodome. Mark (thanks Mark for helping Claudia) helped her get additional days and they are going to ride out the storm at the hotel.

I received an email from him regarding his status yesterday afternoon. They have moved to from the 8th floor to the 2nd floor and are going to ride out the storm at the hotel. Jerel sent the email from the hotel computer. It is amazing because he didn't know how to use a computer just 7 days ago and now he is using it to communicate with the world."

I noticed they have opened a Rita Family Messages web site. I plan to update my status information this morning. As I mentioned cell phone service was bad and I was unable to answer the calls............"

The Honeymoon Continues

2005-09-20T03:05:00.000-05:00

A thirty-something couple volunteered during the day yesterday at the Arena Community Technology Center. It was something they decided to do together to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Clearly, they were still on their on the honeymoon. With three children (ages 6, 5, and 1) at home, they lingered at the center longer than planned because the husband of the couple chose to assist one more member of the evacuee community. His last evacuee client entered the Arena CTC as they were preparing to head home to The Woodlands (a planned community north of Houston) to be with their children for the evening. It was one of several opportunities they had to assist and empower those whose computer skills were limited.

With care and compassion nurtured by their love for each other they assisted evacuees throughout the day. It was a joy to watch them skillfully use the tools of technology while they sat with various evacuee clients experiencing both joy as well as heartache. They worked together and one of their clients for the day was a family. The family was looking for their father. Since becoming residents of the Astrodome more than two weeks before, they had come first to the ACT Center in the Astrodome as well as the Arena CTC to register themselves as survivors and then to regularly check on the status of the father. I was aware of the family because a day earlier one of our volunteers informed that she had spoken with a social worker in the Coroners office. A message to call the social worker was left for the family. Yesterday, our honeymoon couple sat with this family of adult children as they received the message to make the call. From a phone at the Arena CTC they made the call and received the message that their father had been hospitalized in a New Orleans hospital and later died while there. It was not the news they wished to hear. But, hearing the news with the honeymoon couple made it easier.

Many technology solutions have been developed since the devastation of Katrina. Some are incredibly sophisticated. But the application we have found most useful is very simple. The "Family Messages" tool allows individuals, families and loved ones in disparate previously unknown places to leave messages for each other. Family messages include everything from "I'm OK" to "call me at XYZ shelter." Most members of the evacuee community that we have worked with do not have email addresses and have limited computer skills. Over time in multiple visits we have used simple tools together to both find family members and empower evacuees with new skills for living in today's world. Many evacuees now have email addresses. Many are still learning how to skillfully use a mouse. But their skills are improving as they discover new ways to communicate with each other in the digital world. This is empowerment.

In my opinion, empowerment is one of the key roles of community technology centers (CTCs). The Arena CTC is but one of many CTCs across Houston and across the world. ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) is taken for granted by many of us who lived connected to the digital world by our cell phones, wireless Internet connections and other tools. CTCs bring the tools of technology into low-income and under-resourced communities. CTCs empower their clients by teaching them the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to use those tools. For more about community technology centers go to www.ctcnet.org or www.americaconnects.net.

Yes, our work is about empowerment. But it is also about sitting with people in the joy of new discoveries and with those who experience heart-wrenching grief. The honeymoon couple reminded us yesterday that relationships must be nurtured and celebrated. The tools of technology have been helping us to do that with thousands of members of the evacuee community. Thanks to each of you who have made this possible.

Will Reed
www.techforall.org

More Photos

2005-09-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

These photos are from the Reliant Center Community Technology Center. With the generous donation of AMD's Personal Internet Communicator devices we also were able set up an area there for children and youth. Over 100 computers and PICs were installed at Reliant Center, adjancent to the Astrodome.

Coverage of TFA's Katrina Relief Efforts

2005-09-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

The news media has covered TFA's Katrina relief efforts in radio, print, and television media. Online references to TFA's work include---

MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9175720/

Andy Carvin's Waste of Bandwidth - http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2005/09/bringing_intern.html

TomEppy.com - http://www.tomeppy.com/blog/2005/09/wiring_the_astr.html

Astrodome Photos by Zach Casper - http://flickr.com/photos/zcasper/sets/882803/

Zach Casper.com - http://zcasper.blogspot.com/

MySA.com - http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8CBQNPG0.html

SanLuisObispo.com - http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/12562822.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Lancaster Online - http://ap.lancasteronline.com/4/katrina_tech_donations

Help Katrina Survivors From Your Home

2005-09-18T05:19:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways that people can volunteer their tech skills from home is by assisting to connect Katrina survivors with lost loved ones. There are many Katrina survivors still looking for loved ones.

With assistance from Yahoo, we have worked together to create a page that aggregates search sites and tools. The site is http://news.yahoo.com/katrinahelp . On the site, pick a survivor or missing loved one at one of the search sites such as family messages. The People finder on the site web crawls every search site we currently know about. With phone numbers and other information, people can make calls and do other investigative search work to put families back together. Many of the more difficult cases involve families with limited computer skills. The help of tech savvy "Volunteer Searchers" can be an important help in this process.

Also, tech savvy volunteers with computers at home can work with Katrina survivors by phone to assist them to do other things such as work out ID problems, fill out forms etc. This may be more difficult because of the difficulty of establishing trust over the phone. Many of the evacuees have been issued cell phones or voice mail accounts to assist them in communicating. These numbers are often listed in the information included on the search sites such as Family Messages which allows evacuees to leave messages for loved ones online.

TFA has been aggregating the tools we have developed and other information online to assist our volunteers in Houston. You may find it useful. To view it go to, http://www.techforall.org/KatrinaSupport.html .

Tools

2005-09-17T16:20:00.000-05:00

Tools are what my father used in his vocation as a chemist and with his woodworking enjoyed in the garage after he came home at night. Plumbers, mechanics and electricians use tools to make life easier for all of us. Surgeons use tools to fix things wrong inside our bodies.

The volunteers at the Arena Community Technology Center (ACT Center) have been using the tools of technology to find lost loved ones, work with evacuees to establish email accounts, fill out various applications, and assist in searches for housing, jobs and the other things needed begin life anew in their new hometowns.

An example from the ACT Center today are the two volunteers from St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Houston, who assisted a young man looking for his lost father. The young man was safe with his mother living at the Astrodome and now the Reliant Arena. While she no longer has a relationship with the young man's father, the young man assisted by this couple wanted to know that his father was alive and OK. Through the tools of technology they located his father, who apparently had established an email account for the first time at another shelter. This volunteer couple assisted the son to establish an email account as well and send his father a message. The next step is reunification.

Without volunters and the tools that father and son were empowered to use, finding each other would have been almost impossible. Community Technology Centers (CTCs), like the ones TFA has helped establish and works with across the greater Houston area, empower low-income and under-resourced communities through the tools of technology. The knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for success in todays world are imparted to youth and their families through these CTCs. The CTCs that TFA has been operating to assist the evacuee community are no different than other CTCs across Houston and across the nation. These CTCs serve a critical need of empowerment with populations that now can utilize these technology tools that many of us take for granted. TFA is a membes of the Community Technology Centers Network (CTCNet). Other member organizations of CTCNet are involved in similar CTC projects at relief centers across the U.S. Without the tools and the work of empowering clients to use them, many persons served by CTCs might not benefit from the information resources many of us use with ease.

ACT Center now at Reliant Arena

2005-09-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we moved, along with 3000 members of the evacuee community. The ACT Center (now Arena Community Technology Center) is now located in the concourse area of the Reliant Arena adjacent to Section 201. The ACT Center at the Astrodome and the Reliant Center CTC closed yesterday as the remaining evacuees on site moved into the Reliant Arena. We still need volunteers to assist persons locate lost loved ones and utilize other online tools. The ACT Center will continue operations until this facility closes and all residents have been placed in other housing.

While we continue to have success in finding lost loved ones, our work is more difficult. Volunteers like Pam, Mark, Maggie, Kevin, Eugenia, Mike, Jimmie, Suzi and others continue to help out day after day. They are relentless in their efforts to assist evacuees. Sometimes the work is much more difficult than expected as in two cases yesterday. One volunteer assisted a young women make arrangements to bury her 2 year son who died in the floodwaters, while and another assisted an evacuee make travel arrangements to attend her father's funeral.

Life and death go on in this community. The living make arrangements to bury their loved ones. Children and youth leave for school each morning. Adults deal with the issues of starting life anew like looking for work, arranging for housing, establishing their lost identity etc. The ACT Center is a vital part of this community. Connecting people to the information and resources they need is empowering. Today, they get help from a bevy of caring volunteers. In the process, they are learning new skills for living in today's world.

Without the generous comittments of volunteers and donors, this would not be possible. We thank our many donors including SBC, Yahoo, AMD, IBM, DIR, Plains All-American Pipeline, Reliant, SimDesk Technologies, Pinnacle Wireless and many more who have made individual donations of cash, supplies, volunteer snacks, computer hardware, and other tools.

Nice Note from a Volunteer

2005-09-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your help and for letting me be involved in the Community Technology Center project at the Astrodome. I found an apartment for Sally, the woman I was helping, and we are going to be moving her in on Wednesday. Hope things are settling down there - keep me posted on your needs.

Mike

Blogger at the Astrodome Community Technology Center

2005-09-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

I had seen Joshua in the room for several days, but I did not know what he was doing. I thought he was sending emails or instant messaging friends in other places. Today, in talking on a more personal level with Joshua Cousin I discovered that he has been using his time in the ACT Center to write in his blog. http://booknote.blogspot.com . Joshua began writing his blog in January 2005 as a way to release some of his thoughts and feelings. Since hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Joshua has written in his blog almost everyday. His blog reflects on life at the "Dome my home" and other choice topics. His blog has been featured on CNN and it is a good read from the perspective of an evacuee.

We Need Volunteers with Flexibility

2005-09-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

The three community technology centers (CTCs) on site at the Reliant Complex are in a period of transition as the residents seek permanent and temporary housing off-site and begin to rebuild their lives.

Tonight we begin our first organized class onsite at the ACT Center in the Astrodome. Debra Santos, a new CTC volunteer, will be teaching a class on email and Internet skills each evening from 6-8 p.m. The goal is to assist attendees to gain the skills they need to function more effectively in the world that more and more utilizes the internet to share and disseminate information.

In less than a week we expect the number of persons in the Houston area shelters to be consolidated into the Reliant Arena. The CTC that TFA established there will be utilized for continuing classes and support for the evacuee community. In addition TFA is developing a plan to train leaders in existing CTCs to prepare for the provision of classes and services to members of the evacuee community.

The bottom line is this! We will continue to need volunteers for a long time. The location and timing of volunteer support will need to be flexible. Until the ACT Center at the dome closes, we ask that all volunteers not previously assigned report to the ACT Center for deployment to CTCs in need on site at the Reliant complex. The Astrodome Community Technology Center is located on the ground floor of the dome in the Theatre that is located at the South Ramp inside the concourse. If you have last minute questions regarding volunteer assignments at the Reliant complex, please call 713.454.6415 between the hours of 8 and 4.

Volunteers willing to continue providing supportive services to the evacuee community following the movement of our work from the Reliant Complex are asked to email Pam.Gardner@techforall.org with an indication of times available.

The Role of CTCs

2005-09-10T05:10:00.000-05:00

Community Technology Centers (CTCs) use computers and technology as tools to serve the needs of low-income and under-resourced communities. The Community Technology Centers Network (www.ctcnet.org ) is a national member organization focused supporting the work of CTCs across the nation. At last count there were an estimated 400-600 Katrina relief shelters across the United States. Many of these are in communities served by CTCs.

Several leaders of the CTC community across the U.S. participated in a conference call this week. The purpose was to discuss the role of CTCs in both the short-term and longer-term ongoing relief efforts as America assists the evacuee community to get on with their lives and begin to build new lives in new hometowns.

Together, we agreed that CTCs do have a role in this effort. The short term role is to address the immediate needs of evacuees by assisting them to find loved ones, register for various relief programs and make the plans necessary to begin life anew. In the longer term, CTCs will have a role of training, public access to computing for the evacuee community and the implementation of programs to assist the evacuee community to effectively move on through life. Digital media projects with evacuee youth and young adults could assist evacuees to capture the personal stories of this tragedy in a way that brings healing and wholeness. Training programs to assist evacuees to gain specific skills, knowledge, and abilities for employment in their new hometowns will also be important.

In the immediate short term, the large relief centers with thousands of evacuees are being replaced by smaller centers in the hearts of neighborhoods. Many of these are served by CTCs. In the Houston area, Technology For All (TFA) will assist the smaller shelter sites to develop CTCs, if they are not established, and assist existing CTCs to develop effective programs to address the needs of our new neighbors.

We will be looking to our existing community partners to assist in this effort and will also seek the funding needed to build the capacity necessary to serve the estimated 100,000 persons who will remain as permanent residents of our city in addition to the regular clients of Houston area CTCs. These CTCs will need additional capacity and resources to serve their existing clientele as well as their new clients.

PEARLIE

2005-09-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

Three days ago Pearlie's story was shared. Her husband was lost somewhere in an Austin shelter. We knew he was in Austin, but we did not know where. Wednesday night, with the help of volunteers, she spoke to her husband on the phone for the first time since Tuesday, eight days before. Pearlie had not slept in three nights because she was so concerned. As she shared her story with excitement and glee, Pearlie said "I won't be able to sleep tonight either." The volunteer that assisted Pearlie to find her husband and make that phone call took her home, provided her a bed for the night, a nice warm shower, and then drove her to Austin and back yesterday. Pearlie and her husband were reunited through the efforts of caring and concerned volunteers. Last night they slept next to one another on cots on the floor of the Astrodome. Today, they began looking for an apartment together as they prepared for their new life in Houston.

Volunteers have been the heart of this relief effort. We have had over 250 volunteers register for service in the ACT Center at the the Reliant Arena and the Reliant Center. There are many more whose names we did not capture on paper, but helped. Thousands of hours of volunteer service have made it possible for evacuees to find loved ones, register for various relief programs and connect on the human level with persons who cared and listened to their stories. The best estimate is that volunteers have committed over 3,000 hours of volunteer service to this project. We are grateful for these efforts without which this project would not be possible. Several of our most experienced and helpful volunteers have been members of the evacuee community. Several more traveled from other cities across the U.S. to spend a week or more in Houston assisting evacuees.

NOTICE TO VOLUNTEERS - Reliant Park has experienced intermittent shutdowns. The Community Technology Centers at Reliant Park still need volunteers. To enter the park successfully, enter the park at the volunteer entrance on Kirby, register in Reliant Center and make your way to the ACT Center on the bottom floor of the dome at the south entrance. Once there you will be trained and assigned to a place of service.

We especially thank our persistent volunteers who have been here day after long day. There are many, but Greg, Liz, Travis, Will (the other one), Lynn, James, Eugenia, Melissa, and Paul have been here day after day.

CONTRIBUTIONS - Many organizations and individuals have contributions to this effort. In addition to the early contributors Technology For All (www.techforall.org ), SBC (www.sbc.org ), CompuCycle (www.compucycle.net ), SimHouston ( www.simhouston.org ) and Yahoo (www.yahoo.com ), we have received more recent in-kind contributions to this effort from HP, IBM (through SBC) Reliant Energy, Plains All American Pipeline, AMD, Pinnacle Wireless, Motion Computing and many more. In addition to our direct out of pocket expenses, TFA has made significant investments in the project out of our cash reserves.

Media

2005-09-07T06:41:00.000-05:00

Several different media have reviewed the work of the ACT Center including ABC, CBS, Univision, NPR, Nightline, Japanese News, Good Morning America and Oprah. For a recent article about the Astrodome Community Technology Center written by Ron Harris of the St. Louis Post Dispatch go to http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/12562822.htm ,

They have Beads...We have a Cow Bell

2005-09-07T04:57:00.000-05:00

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a party all night atmosphere as floats wind their way through the French Quarter. People yell "beads, beads, throw me some beads." The crowd wants beads and the decorated floats with their Krewes are prepared to toss them.

For many years the Astrodome was the home of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest Livestock Show and Rodeo in the world with over 1 million attendees each year. It is a huge cultural event for Houston. New Houstonians discover that though they may not own a ranch or have any cows, its a lot of fun with great entertainment. During February in Houston, it is not unusual to see more cowboy hats and boots than suits and ties.

We decided on Tuesday to introduce our new friends from New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana to a little Texas culture. Every time a member of the evacuee community found or reconnected with a loved one, we invited them to ring a Texas cow bell. There were several times during the day that it rang three or four times in less than five minutes. It was fun, and the evacuee community began to enjoy the celebration. There was clapping and "Yahoos" as people celebrated with those who were reconnected.

It was near the end of the day yesterday just a few minutes before eight when the ACT Center was to be closed that an elderly gentlemen made a phone call on the cell phone of a volunteer to the hotel phone # listed online where his daughter might be staying. He was retired and after retirement and the death of his wife he moved in with his daughter and son-in-law. Last night was the first time they had talked to each other in over a week. When he walked in he was slow and almost shuffled. When he walked out he was waving his arms in the air and almost dancing. He grabbed that cow bell and rang it for the longest time. There was cheering and hugs between the elderly gentlemen and the volunteer he had met for the first time only a thirty minutes before. They both cried together. The room was full of clapping and cheers as he almost ran out of the room to pack his plastic grocery bag with the few belongings he had aquired since being evacuated from the Superdome. His daughter picked him up last night and the volunteers who assisted him slept better, knowing that they had a small part in restoring hope to man who had almost lost all hope.

Prior to finding a room in the hotel, his daughter had been living as an evacuee in the Reliant Arena, a building adjacent to the Astrodome. So close, yet separated by miles of grief and anxiety for over a week. Today, with the help of additional volunteers, TFA will lead an initiative to reconnect family members at two other sites. Community Technology Centers with about fifty computers each will be set up in the Reliant Arena and the Reliant Center. Each of these locations have over 5,000 residents. Many are separated from their families and loved ones. The model and best practices for reconnecting families that was developed at the ACT Center will be replicated at the Reliant Center and Arena. This will require the volunteer staffing and training of over 170 volunteers during all hours each of the sites are open. With funds yet unknown, TFA will be seeking to employ Tech and Program Coordinators for each site as well as volunteers to work with the members of the evacuee community. "This is the most rewarding work I have ever done," said the volunteer who assisted the elderly gentlemen who was reconnected with his daughter and son-in-law. To find loved ones click on www.familymessages.org or use the web crawler search at the top of the listing of links at http://news.yahoo.com/katrinahelp . CTCs and computer centers at relief sites across the country need to invite loved ones and survivors to go online, add information and reconnect. Share these links with relief center leaders and residents.

You too can assist mothers and fathers reconnect with their sons and daugthers. You too can do the detective work required to help brides and grooms of every age reconnect. Technology is only a tool. This work is about using the technology to rebuild lives and restore relationships, not just in a physical way, but also at a relational level. Many of the persons we have helped reconnect have learned to value their loved ones in ways never before experienced. Be a volunteer! Check in at the ACT Center on the bottom floor of the Astrodome at the South Entrance. We will train you and assign you to one of the sites. We especially need regular volunteers during the day and during the work week. The typical work shifts are 8 to 1, 12 to 5 and 4 to 9, but you can volunteer at any time during the day.

Today, I have a meeting with community technology leaders across the country to discuss the long and short term role of CTCs (community technology centers) in serving the evacuee community. Later today, I will be meeting with a TFA consultant who is assisting us in planning a training and education plan to assist the evacuee community that will be living in the Astrodome and the adjacent buildings. We believe that our responsibility to serve the evacuee community will continue on after all evacuees reconnect with or learn the fate of their loved ones.

Thanks for your support!

Will Reed
www.techforall.org

Labor Day Reflections

2005-09-06T05:10:00.000-05:00

From 9 am to 8 p.m., the Astrodome Community Technology Center (ACT Center) was teaming with activity. New friends worked with one another to find loved ones, apply for FEMA assistance and unemployment, write emails to loved ones and reconnect with the world community. If you review the photos from the day, you will discover a room filled with people getting to know one another and building a new community plus a few photos of Oprah greeting the visitors to the Center.

Without the assistance of hundreds of volunteers who just show up, the ACT Center could not accomplish its mission to empower the evacuee community through the tools of technology. Many of the volunteers and evacuees have developed new friendships. When my colleague Jim Forrest and I left the dome last night at 9, there were several evacuees waiting at the door. One asked me if I had heard from the folks in Austin trying to locate her husband. I had not, but I told her that as soon as I had she would know. She thanked me and we wished each other a good night's sleep. Another told us that she had found the help she needed at the Center to find one family member, but she was still looking for her five children and her husband. Though she still did not know where most of her family was, she had a thankful smile on her face. It was a smile of hope grounded with the one succesful reconnection that the ACT Center has assisted her with.

Today will be another day of building new relationships and addressing the needs of the evacuee community through the tools of technology.

VOLUNTEER NEEDS - We continue to need volunteers to staff the ACT Center. For folks working in the morning, we ask that volunteers report around 8 am prior to the opening of the center. If you come later in the day, report to the Volunteer Program Coordinator for the day at the front desk. The Center is located at the bottom level in the Theatre Room at the South Entrance of the Astrodome.

Supply Needs - We need pens, pencils, paper for note writing, legal pads (8.5 x 11), anti-bacterial wipes, and cleaning supplies like Lysol and Windex. If you know a volunteer who will be reporting for duty, send along a few supplies. They will be greatly appreciated. Oh, by the way, if you have some reading glasses laying around the house we need those too. Many of the evacuees who use reading glasses lost them in the evacuation process. Reading glasses will help them to be able to complete forms, use the computer and catch up on the daily news.

Will Reed
Technology For All

More Success

2005-09-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

Today was one of more successes and a little excitement. The number of persons in the collective survivor/connector databases has grown dramatically as survivors input data at a multitude of sites across Houston, Texas, and the U. S. Yesterday, we cheered 2 or 3 times every hour. Today, a cheer went up every few minutes. People are making connections and discovering hope anew. There was the lady who discovered her husband was taken to a shelter in Austin. I called my friend Gene Crick in Austin, who is working to determine which shelter he was taken to. It is about working together. It is about hope and celebration.

We estimate another 1000+ persons came through the Center today and registered their information in the www.familymessages.org online database. Yahoo is now mirroring the site and it is much more dependable now. It was receiving so many hits yesterday, that it crashed regularly. Thank you Yahoo for making this possible. Plus, Yahoo created a web crawler for folks to use to search multiple sites collecting the names of Katrina survivors. Several hundred thousand survivors are located in over 200 shelters across the US. The main Yahoo Katrina help site is located at http://news.yahoo.com/katrinahelp . To search most of the survivor connector sites at once click on the "Search for Missing Persons" at the top of the page.

Other companies have stepemade donations include HP and IBM. Both companies donated wireless laptops for the project.

As we connect more families, the concerns shift to other things like finding jobs and affordable housing. Many have requested help with things like unemployment and FEMA. The next step will be job and skills training.

The other interesting thing that happened today involved a few visitors to the Center. We had a variety of television and media folks come by and talk with some of the evacuees. Good Morning America, Nightline, Oprah Winfrey and several local news stations came by.

We continue to need volunteers -- 8-1, 12-5, 4-9. Give Pam Gardner a call at 713.454.6400 or send her an email (Pam.Gardner@techforall.org ) . Thanks for your support! Let's work together to create some more hope!

Volunteers and Donations

2005-09-05T05:42:00.000-05:00

We will continue to need volunteers to assist members of the evacuee community to locate and reconnect with loved ones. The ACT Center is located at the bottom level of the Astrodome in the Theatre at the South Entrance. We now have over 90 connected computers in the dome and numerous individuals bringing laptops to connect to wireless. We don't yet know what Tuesday will bring, but we expect that for the long haul the ACT Center will need a Tech Coordinator and Program Coordinator volunteer for each day it is open along with at least 15 roving volunteers to assist and provide support to those using the ACT Center. Our concern is finding enough volunteers beginnning on Tuesday after Labor Day. If you can be a Tech or Program Coordinator or a Rover and are willing to take a shift (8-1, 12-5, or 4-9) on any day in the next two weeks, please let us know through an email to Pam.Gardner@techforall.org who will be coordinating volunteers begininng Tuesday am, the first day after the Labor Day holiday. She can be reached at our main #713.454.6400.

We anticipate the need to install additional conected computers. We have 90 connected at the Dome. However, we are in the process of figuring out the needs in other relief center locations and will keep folks posted. One of the things we have learned is that we need to be both flexible and nimble in addressing the needs of the evacuees. Thanks for your understanding.

On another note, we have shared lessons learned with the folks running CTC at the GR Brown Convention Center. They should be up and running soon.

Ring The Bell

2005-09-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

We did not have a bell, but today our volunteers and members of the Evacuee Community began a new tradition in the room. Everytime someone was reconnected with a family member or loved one, the room cheered. There were high fives and smiles and celebrations. Over 1,000 persons came through the ACT Center today. It was a good day!

The support from both the Evacuee Community and the community of care across the U. S. has been tremendous. Yahoo sent twenty volunteers from California. They were great! We have several volunteers who paid their own way from other states and we been overwhelmed with the support of Houston volunteers. Several in the evacuee community have become regular volunteers assisting those with limted computer skills. As I write this, there are over fifty volunteers that will be spending the night doing data entry of paper forms filled out by evacuees on the floor of the dome.

We have learned many lessons along the way and will share them with other sites across Texas and U.S. The most important work is the interaction between volunteers and evacuees as they search for loved ones. For many the conversation is therapeutic. The computers are only a tool. Thanks to each of you who have made this work possible, especially the hundreds of caring volunteers who sat with Houston's new residents.

This work will not be complete for many months. Now we are helping persons find loved ones. Tomorrow, the need will be housing, job training and searching, and for many, assimilation to life in a new hometown. Keep these folks in your thoughts and prayers. A new community is being birthed. It is a community that understands life is a gift!

Austin Helping New Orleans

2005-09-04T05:53:00.000-05:00

Our friends in Austin are working together on relief efforts as well. Thanks to Gary Chapman for sharing this with us. http://austinhelpingneworleans.org/

Reflections from the Floor

2005-09-04T05:02:00.000-05:00

The stories are heartbreaking. While I am working at a macro level, I am also able to observe the celebrations when members of the Evacuee Community find loved ones or experience the heartache of loved ones not found.

Yesterday, an older gentlemen without computer skills came into the ACT Center (Astrodome Community Technology Center) looking for his wife who he had not seen in five days. Through one of the online people connector sites and assistance from a caring volunteer, he discovered that his wife was on her way to the Astrodome from Louisiana to pick him up. At the Superdome they had gotten separated in the bus area. She ended up at another site in LA and he ended up at the Astrodome. He was distraught when came in and left with a huge smile on his face. Then there was another man, a 35ish young father who had not seen his wife and two daughters for three days. He was frantic to find them. He posted his information and looked for information about them on several connector sites. He did not find them. Emotions here range from numb to jubiliation. Hopefully, what all of these connector web sites and CTC projects at relief Center sites create is a greater chance that loved ones will be reunited with their families.

Technology For All has been working with FEMA here at the dome to expand their registration process. This is a critical issue now at all sites in addition to assisting with the locator process. TFA has been asked to assist at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center with the development of another CTC there when the Telco orders are processed as well as other efforts including a digital story telling project with the University of Houston.

We will be working with Deaf Link at the dome this morning to operate a hearing impaired intake center. We have also been asked to assist with CTC development programs for San Antonio, Dallas, Ft. Worth as well as various other locations here in Houston. TFA will be working with other CTCs in Houston to expand local efforts at existing CTCs and CTCs we have under development at other relief centers. I thank my friend Gene Crick for his assistance in helping hand off the task of identifying local CTC/community networking point persons in other Texas cities that can help local Evacuee Community efforts there. Each of these sites in Houston and in other cities will need hardware, volunteers and $'s to pull this off. As we know the needs and who the point persons and organizations in other cities are, we will post it.

We are working closely with the Red Cross and Yahoo on integrating with many locator databases (http://www.familymessages.org/ http://www.msnbc.com/) as well as the home placement sites such as http://www.katrinahomes.org/ and http://www.katrinahousing.org/. We know of several other efforts to create a centralized database or web crawlers to pull disparate databases together. Our hope is that somehow everyone working on these "centralized projects" will begin to talk to each other and work together to create one solution. This is not about who can build a better database and get more "hits" and admiration for it. It is about working together to build a solution that works and helps these folks find their loved ones and start a new life in their new hometowns.

TFA is also beaming TFA-Wireless public access Wi-Fi to the floor of the dome to assist Motion Computing and the Red Cross with registration and the location of family members here at the dome. This will be a useful tool at other sites in other cities. We have taken on the responsibility of getting TFA-Wireless up at the sites here in Houston.

There has been overwhelming support in terms of time and resources from our community, business and of course our individual volunteers. The Red Cross database does need more EXPERIENCED volunteers for data entry here at the dome this morning. They are far behind and could use competent volunteer support. If you know interested parties please let us know by making a comment on this blog (click on the # below to make a comment) or send an email to Will.Reed@techforall.org . The ACT Center is located in the Astrodome on the bottom level at the south entrance. We are open this morning at 9AM. Any data entry volunteers can report there and we can get them to the Red Cross. We also continue to need volunteers locally to assist evacuees who are not computer literate to input people locator and FEMA information.

Thanks for your support!

A Good Day

2005-09-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

Over 250 persons were assisted today by volunteers from the community at the ACT Center in Houston's Astrodome. Most persons were looking for dislocated friends and family. The Red Cross has a private database of the Evacuee Community under development. Individuals that are trying to locate family members are registering on www.familymessages.org . The ACT Center will be open tomorow from 9 am to 9 pm.

ACT Center Opens today at 1 p.m.

2005-09-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

Volunteers from collaborative partners around the city and across the country gathered for last minute instructions prior to opening the ACT Center today. Attending the meeting was Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and his wife who greeted the volunteers and thanked everyone for assisting in this effort. The Evacuee Community is being encouraged to register online at www.familymessages.org a new site setup by the Red Cross to assist families to connect with each other.

ACT Center Volunteers

2005-09-03T05:41:00.000-05:00

After several hours of teamwork, the ACT Center volunteers rested for a group picture before going home last night. Many of the volunteers will return to the ACT Center today at 9 a.m. to finalize details for its opening this morning to serve the Evacuee Community.

More volunteers will be needed for staffing the ACT Center and opening and staffing CTCs under development at other locations around the City and in other Texas cities. To volunteer, contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org .

ACT Center established

2005-09-03T04:57:00.000-05:00

The ACT Center (Astrodome Community Technology Center) was established last night as a service to the Evacuee Community with the assistance of a multitude of helpers. We thank Compucycle (www.compucycle.net) for preparing the initial 40 computers for installation, SimHouston (www.SimHouston.com ) for facilitating the utilization of their email and on-demand services for accessing files anytime anywhere, and SBC (www.sbc.com ) for their pull out the stops efforts to install DSL lines for the ACT Center and other communication needs at the dome.

Please forgive me if I have missed someone, but we are thankful for the yeoman efforts of individual helpers including Clive Hess and his CompuCycle team, TFA staff including Rosemarie Foster, Pam Gardner, Jim Forrest and Esther Schaefer, Marcus Brown and son Tyler from Envision Technologies, Danny Perry from TechCorps Texas, Marie Arcos and J. P. Cortez from the M.D. Anderson YMCA CTC, Robert Way from SimHouston, Travis and his SBC installation crew, Jim Segovia and Katie Beeden from SBC, Alice Aanstoos from SBC for facilitating many details, Doug Mischlich, Efrem Jernigan, Zach Casper, Bryan Snow, Corey Withersby, Victor Seaborn, Eric Pho, Ben Tran, Esteban Sanchez Vera, Paul Jackson, Nona, whose last name escapes me, and several more who volunteered annonymously.

Some of the volunteeers from last night and a new crew will arrive at 9 am this morning to finalize the opening of the ACT Center, make signs, and establish use procedures and an ongoing volunteer support plan. We thank Marie Arcos and Nona for leading that effort. Additional computers (40-50 laptops) are expected today. Plus, we learned last night that DSL lines are being installed for similar installations at several others sites around Houston. This will require more volunteers and more computers, plus a little cash. With all of the in-kind donations etc., we only spent about $750 to get the ACT center up and running. We have already had several computer donations for installation at the other sites.

We thank our friends at the community technology centers network (www.ctcnet.org ) and the Digital Divide Network (www.digitaldividenetwork.net ) for helping get the word out about this project which begining today will assist the Evacuee Community in making connections with missing relatives, apply for various assistance programs and participate in other meaningful activities. Together we are establishing a list of relevant links to assist and empower the evacuee community. Thanks to all for your help!!!!! If you can volunteer at the ACT Center to assist evacuees, please email Pam.Gardner@techforall.org . Pam is coordinating the volunteer shifts to staff the ACT Center.

CTC Installation begins at 3 p.m.

2005-09-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

Technology For All staff and volunteers will be meeting on the East (Fannin) side of the Astrodome at 3 p.m today, September 2, 2005 for the initial installation of 40 computers. Some will be utilized in the Astrodome press boxes by relief workers for administrative purposes and some will placed for public access. This is our initial installation and we believe we have plenty of volunteers for today. However, we will need many more volunteers in the days ahead. We are grateful to SBC (www.sbc.com ) for the installation of DSL lines and SimDesk (www.simdesk.com ) for productivity software on the computers. CompuCycle (www.compucycle.net ) prepared the computers for installation and will be delivering them at 3 p.m. We will need additional volunteers in the immediate future. Prospective volunteers can indicate their interest in an email to Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or by calling 713.454.6400. Computers received as donations today and after are being prepared for additional installations in the dome and in other locations.

Katrina Equipment and Other Needs

2005-09-02T06:08:00.000-05:00

In response to the needs of Hurricane Katrina victims, Technology For All and its corporate and community partners is undertaking an effort to expand existing CTCS and provide additional CTCs in places where Katrina evacuees will be living. Our initial installation under development at the Astrodome has enough committed resources, but we need much more for other sites.

Here is quick summary of what we need....
Pentium 4 or faster computers
SVGA Monitors
10/100 switches and routers
Printers
Money for connectivity, expendable supplies, software, etc.
Volunteers (contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org )

Call TFA at 713.454.6400 for larger equipment donations. Online donations can be made at www.techforall.org. Individual equipment donations can be brought to our office at 2220 Broadway, Houston, Texas 77012. For a map go to http://www.techforall.org/directions.html

Katrina Response Update

2005-09-02T06:04:00.000-05:00

As of late last night, the Astrodome was full and evacuees were being diverted to other sites. We have an internal Technology For All (TFA) meeting this morning to update everyone working on the Astrodome Community Technology Center (CTC) project. The minor change in plans is that we now expect to be working on the development of CTCs at shelters and staging areas across the city in addition to the Astrodome.

In speaking late yesterday to our contact in the mayor's office, it is estimated that at least 100,000 persons will be scattered across the city in multiple long term shelters including the Astrodome, empty buildings, churches, and other sites. Helping to connect these folks to the outside world will extend beyond this emergency situation, because we expect many of these evacuees to stay as permanent residents in the area. Many of them are the poorest of the poor and will need additional assistance, training, support etc. Schools are accepting new students. Yesterday, for instance, my wife's school received 30 new students and they were over capacity before that. Many new students across the region could benefit from CTCs that provide after school programs near shelters and schools. Creating opportunities for digital stories of this ordeal could be both a cathartic and a learning experience for victims of Katrina. Using these computers for job training and searches will also be important. This is just the beginning.

The existing and rapidly expanding Houston CTC community will be asked to step up to the plate to prepare for the opportunity/challenge. We have had enough equipment, software, and connectivity donated for the initial installation at the dome, but we are going to need much more. Once all our donors have signed off (some have asked for anonymity), I will provide a summary of their donations. Thank you to each of you and your corporations/organizations who have already signed up to help.

Your help is needed. We now know we need additional equipment, connectivity, software, volunteers, and of course $'s. I will put a list of equipment needs on our blog at http://texasctcs.blogspot.com/ .
Cash contributions can be made online at www.techforall.org or by check to the address below.

Will

William S. Reed
TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL®/Technology For All-Houston
2220 Broadway
Houston, TX 77012
Tel: 713.454.6400 Direct: 713.454.6411 Fax: 713.454.6454
e-mail: Will.Reed@techforall.org
website: http://www.techforall.org
BLOG: http://texasctcs.blogspot.com/
"We Empower Communities"

Katrina Blog Digests

2005-09-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Katrina Missing/Found Persons Digest
(sources: Craigslist, Nowpublic.com, NOLA.com) http://katrina05.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-missing-personsfound-persons.html

RSS: http://app.feeddigest.com/digest3/NISXSWRCYF.rss

Katrina News Digest
(Sources: Yahoo! News, NOLA.com, the Sun Herald, the Times-Picayune, etc) http://katrina05.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-news-digest.html

RSS: http://app.feeddigest.com/digest3/XGLM0GL614.rss

Katrina Blogosphere Digest
http://katrina05.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-blogosphere-digest.html
(Sources: Technorati searches for "Katrina," "Hurricane," "New Orleans,"
etc)

RSS: http://app.feeddigest.com/digest3/OQTOVYUXOL.rss

OPERATION COMPASSION

2005-09-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

This morning I attended a meeting of religious and community leaders at Second Baptist Church. Present in the audience were leaders from Houston's diverse religious community. Included were Christians of all varieties, Jews, Muslims, Budhists, Unitarians, Hindus etc. Those that gathered committed to raise the millions of dollars and volunteers necessary to feed the 25,000 evacuees from New Orleans that will soon be making the Astrodome their new home for the next several months. This is a monumental effort. A United Way Katrina Food Relief Fund has been established to raise funds for the Project call "OPERATION COMPASSION." Contributions can be sent through your church, synagogue or religious group or sent directly to the United Way account which has been established at Chase Bank as Account #00113475207.
The United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast mailing address is:

P. O. Box 924507
Houston, Texas 77018-8015

CTC at the Astrodome

2005-09-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

Technology For All(TFA) is working with its community and corporate partners to set up a Community Technology Center (CTC) at Houston's Astrodome, which will soon be home for 25,000 evacuees from the New Orleans Superdome. We are pleased to have the opportunity to help in this way and have made an initial commitment to install a 40 station CTC. We expect we will need to expand that, but want to move quickly with what we can do and then assess the additional need. TFA also anticipates working with public leaders and officials to assist in the deployment of a Wireless Mesh Network in the Astrodome. Those details are under discussion. Pam Gardner (Pam.Gardner@techforall.org 713.454.6415) on our staff is coordinating volunteer efforts to set up the CTC and then provide programming assistance. TFA will need additional computers (Pentium 4 or faster), software, volunteers, $'s and organizational capacity to pull this off. Thanks in advance for your assistance. As more details are worked out we will pass them along.

Katrina Survivor-Connector List

2005-09-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Over 8000 names have already been recorded in the Katrina-Survivor connector list online . It has been created by www.gulfcoastnews.com . If you are looking for someone or have found someone alive, please log on to the list.

Katrina Blog

2005-09-01T05:52:00.000-05:00

Andy Carvin, of the Digital Divide Network www.digitaldivide.net , has created a blog to address a multitude of issues related to Katrina including locating missing persons. The blog is located at
http://katrina05.blogspot.com/ .

2004 CTC of the Year Assists Katrina Victims

2005-09-01T05:44:00.000-05:00

Macedonia Outreach and Career Center of Houston (MOCC) was TFA's 2004 community technology center of the year. MOCC and Wright-Way Community Development Corporation of Cleveland, Liberty County Texas are both 501c3 tax exempt organizations who are currently collaborating to provide services in support of the victims of hurricane Katrina. Macedonia, of Houston Texas is presently serving 16 families from New Orleans and Wright-Way of Cleveland, Texas is presently seeking services for 125 victims for victims from New Orleans and Louisiana counties who are in desperate need of both daily hygiene supplies, food and housing support. Macedonia has room for approximately 150 people to provide temporary shelter at one of their collaborating service centers, located at 7111 Homestead.
For more information contact Macedonia Outreach and Career Center at 713.674.8898.

Tracy Shipman
Macedonia Outreach and Career Center
3110 Tidwell
Houston, TX 77093
713.674.8898

Katrina Disaster - Here's How You Can Help

2005-08-31T22:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. Houston's religious and community leaders will be meeting in an emergency meeting to prepare for the 25,000 persons who will be relocating to their new home at the Astrodome in the next 18-24 hours. I will be there representing Technology For All and Houston Hope who are working together to assist in this effort. We don't yet fully know what that means. But in the short term, we are already working with several corporate partners to initially provide 40 computers and Internet connectivity for those who will be living at the dome. We hope to provide many more. This will be one of their connections to the outside world.

You can assist with donations of Pentium 4 or faster computers that you have replaced. With our corporate partners CompuCycle (www.compucyle.net ) and SimDesk (www.simdesk.com ), we are working together to get these computers into place to provide a connective lifeline for the victims of this horrible natural disaster. We have 40 computers ready to go. We anticipate we will need many more. Our office at 2220 Broadway will be open from 8-6:30 p.m. tomorrow to receive computers and other donations that can be utilized for the set-up at the dome. For larger donations please call me directly at 713.454.6411.

Community Technology Center volunteers and others will be mobilized by TFA's Pam Gardner to assist in this effort. If you are willing to volunteer, please Pam know at 713.454.6415 or by email at Pam.Gardner@techforall.org . There are a number of useful BLOGs related to Katrina relief efforts. See them below.

Let's work together to create hope in the hearts of our neighbors from Louisiana!

Faithfully,

Will

William S. ReedTECHNOLOGY FOR ALL®/Technology For All-Houston2220 Broadway Houston, TX 77012 Tel: 713.454.6400 Direct: 713.454.6411 Fax: 713.454.6454 e-mail: Will.Reed@techforall.org website: http://www.techforall.org BLOG: http://texasctcs.blogspot.com/ TFA-Wireless http://www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html "We Empower Communities"
HOUSTON HOPE® - "Working Together to Create Hope for Houston's Neighborhoods"2220 Broadway Houston, TX 77012Tel: 713.454.6444 Direct: 713.454.6411 Fax: 713.454.6454e-mail: Will.Reed@houstonhope.org website: www.houstonhope.org BLOG: http://houstonhope.blogspot.com/

Katrina Aftermath - http://katrina05.blogspot.com/
Craigs List, Katrina assistance - http://neworleans.craigslist.org/about/help/katrina_cl.html
SciGuy - http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/
Harris County Citizen's Corps - http://www.harriscountycitizencorps.com/
Katrina Missing Persons Feed - http://katrina05.blogspot.com/2005/08/missing-persons-photo-feed.html

Support Spectrum for Community Wireless

2005-08-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

The following information was posted by Steve Ronan on the Digital Divide Network listserv. Technology For All has posted a comment on the FCC decision per his suggestion.

"In March 2005, the FCC made an an innovative and helpful decision to open up a new band of spectrum for community wireless folks and others to use: the 3650 to 3700 MHz band. The plan was for there to be an unlimited number of licensees throughout the country, with an easy online application process, no eligibility restrictions to speak of, and with all licensees having a mutual obligation to cooperate and avoid harmful interference to each other. That band is currently used for Fixed Satellite Stations and they would continue to use it in and near their facilities which are mostly on the East and West Coasts, and exclusion zones around those facilities would prevent much of any usage nearby. For that reason, some coastal cities, such as New York, Philadelphia and the Bay Area would not benefit much if at all from the new rules, but the great majority of the geographic area of the country including rural areas would benefit and many major metropolitan areas such as Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma CIty, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Tucson.

A map on page 66 of the FCC's Order clarifies the areas that are outside of the FSS exclusion areas.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-56A1.pdf

The power limits and other aspects of that FCC decision would make it much easier for free and low-cost networks to be deployed that could reach greater distances, with radio signals carrying broadband Internet access through walls and ceilings and other obstacles more effectively than low-power WiFi devices. More detail here: http://makeashorterlink.com/?N13563D8B
Unfortunately, after the decision was issued, there was a time period for those opposing the decision to file a Request for Reconsideration and nine parties have done so including some, such as Intel and Motorola, who are asking for there to be severe restrictions on who can use the spectrum. Rather than opening it up for anyone to use, Motorola is requesting that the 50 MHz of spectrum be divided into two 25 MHz blocks with each auctioned off to the highest bidder. Intel and a couple of others signed another petition calling for all that spectrum also to be divided among two exclusive licensees in most major metropolitan areas such as the ones listed in the first paragraph above. And the Wireless Communications Association called for half the 50 MHz of spectrum to be made available to just one exclusive licensee in each rural and urban area that isn't already excluded by the presence of Fixed Satellite Stations.

The filing of the Petitions for Reconsideration and their availability for review was published in the Federal Register last week, setting off a fifteen day period for opposition to the Petitions for Reconsideration to be filed. Those comments are due by August 11 (there still may be an opportunity to file comments "ex parte" after that but it's better for them to arrive before the deadline if possible).

Please consider filing at least a brief comment thanking the FCC for their original decision to open up the spectrum for nonprofit community groups and all others to share while committing to not interfere with each other's networks, and in your comment opposing the attempt to instead have much or all of the spectrum auctioned off to the highest bidder.

You can review previous comments that have been filed, including the Petitions for Reconsideration at the FCC web site by entering 04-151 in the search bar in the top left corner at www.fcc.gov.

See how easy it is to file a comment...
just enter 04-151 in the proceeding number here:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi
complete the brief form, selecting Reply to Petition for Reconsideration in the drop down box at the bottom, and then either upload your comment or type it into the text entry box...
Just a couple of paragraphs identifying your and/or your organization's interest in equitable access to technology, thanking the FCC for opening up the spectrum for uses that can bridge the digital divide, and then opposing the idea that the rights to the spectrum would instead be auctioned to the highest bidder would be a huge help."

July Brown Bag

2005-07-17T21:13:00.000-05:00

Technology For All (TFA) will host the July CTC Brown Bag on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 12 noon at Mission Milby CDC, 2220 Broadway. TFA will present details of the coming "Request for Computer" process and a distribution of almost new monitors donated by ChevronTexaco. Any CTC wishing to participate in either distribution must attend the brown bag. TFA will provide drinks and cookies. Bring your own bag. For more information contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or call 713.454.6400.

U. S. Broadband Policy

2005-06-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

There is a very interesting article regarding the U.S. falling behind in the deployment of broadband and applications that utilize it as well as broadband policy in the July issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. Shortcut to: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050501faessay84311/thomas-bleha/down-to-the-wire.html?mode=print

According to Gary Champman (LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin), the irony of the article is that one of the author's recommendations is that the White House should strengthen PITAC, the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (a group of private-sector IT leaders and academics) and involve them as key leaders in advancing broadband deployment. This week, the White House announced it is dissolving PITAC. (See http://www.fcw.com/article89355-06-23-05-Web)

7th Annual National Community Internet Summit

2005-04-09T11:47:00.000-05:00

April 28-30, Austin, Texas
Holiday Inn South (3401 South IH-35, Austin, Texas 78741)

“Community Internet – Planning for Success”
Even though we have stronger technology, more knowledge and opportunity than ever before, community Internet is facing a crisis. While broadband access has become vital for economic and social development, America is falling behind in local Internet service; public and private support for community telecommunications is diminishing. It’s time for people interested in community Internet access to get together, to share information, to plan and work with each other to learn and plan for the future of local Internet services. The 2005 Community Internet Conference is a very special gathering of experienced people and organizations who have learned to succeed in the real world of community technology – a unique summit meeting of experts to share wide experience, practical knowledge and innovative ideas for successful community Internet capacity and value.

The Community Internet Summit Conference offers two important educational events:

Thursday, April 28 - a comprehensive one-day Interactive Workshop Seminar on:
“Community Internet Service: Broadband over Power Line and Wireless Access”

Seminar/Workshop for community and industry leaders interested in accurate, objective information on wireless and BPL possibilities for local Internet. Experts explain current costs and technical capacity, legal and regulatory concerns, business models and more.

Sessions will describe basics simply (with information materials) then discuss individual questions and specifics with all participants in interactive group workshop format, with clear, practical information of value for anyone, whether beginner or technology veteran.

Fri/Sat, April 29-30 - an interactive, high level meeting for community Internet planners
“Open Space Austin” – The Community Internet Leadership Summit”

Open Space Austin brings organizations, experts, and individuals together to learn, share and work together for strong, effective community Internet. This intense two day strategy summit provides ideas, information, resources, support and assistance for:

Community broadband access Wireless broadband Internet service
Community Internet Service Providers Broadband over Power Lines (BPL
Community networking initiatives Independent community media
Community technology programs Social, educational & literacy opportunities
Community informatics & research Community social and economic development
Community youth technology resources Business, workforce and job skill development
Community Networking ‘Hall of Fame’ …and other issues of community telecom

Experts lead large and small group discussions on specific issues and questions, plus a copy of a ‘Community Internet Guide’ describing ideas, projects and support resources.

If you care about community Internet, this unique nonprofit, non-commercial conference offers the best professional guidance for successful, sustainable community technology.
We look forward to seeing you April 28-30 at the Holiday Inn South in Austin, Texas.

Details & Registration: http://www.tcrc.net/conference 512-919-7590

Technology For All --- Occasional Update, March 2005

2005-03-06T04:33:00.000-06:00

"Together We Empower Communities"
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. To support our work, go to http://www.techforall.org/ or call 713.454.6400.

News and Updates

TFA-Wireless featured in Houston Chronicle -- TFA-Wireless was featured on the front page of the the March 3, 2005 Houston Chronicle. In addition to TFA-Wireless, the article focused on the proposed Omnibus Telecom Texas House Bill 789 under discussion in Austin. The 300 page bill continues the deregulation of the telecom industry, but contains a one paragraph provision that would impose regulations to prohibit community wireless projects like TFA-Wireless (www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html ) because of its collaboration with the City of Houston Public Libraries and Rice University. TFA and other organizations are involved in projects like TFA-Wireless because it is the right thing to do. But if the proposed paragraph with more regulations is included, low-income Texas communities and neighborhoods will lose and competition, innovation and research will be stifled. For more go to the TFA BLOG at http://texasctcs.blogspot.com/ .

TFA-Wireless Thanks Many --- Mayor Bill White and Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado along with Rice University President David Leebron assisted TFA and the Houston Public Library in announcing TFA-Wireless recently. Over 150 persons were present for the announcement held at the Melcher Branch Library in the Pecan Park Super Neighborhood. Many persons and organizations deserve recognition for the successful event including......
Mayor Bill White and his staff
Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado and Chief of Staff James Rodriguez
Toni Lambert, Interim Director, Houston Public Library
Sandra Fernandez, Public Relations, Houston Public Library
Ray Davis, Founder and President, SimDesk Technologies, (SimHouston)
Leroy Robinson, Melcher Branch Manager and the Branch staff
Professor Ed Knightly, Ph.D. and Joseph Camp, Rice Networks Group, Rice University
Jade Boyd and B. J. Almond, Rice Media Relations Office
Rice University students taking Dr. Ed Knightly's class #438 "Deployment and Measurement of Wireless Networks"
Dave Dawson, President, Capital 4 and the staff of Capital 4
Steve Winter and Brett Passmore, ERGOS Technologies
Bill Chalupnik, Volunteer
Rod Thompson, Volunteer
Jack Clark, Attorney and TFA-Houston Board Member
University of Houston Interns - Levi Adkinson, Ted Bronstad, Chris Bossier, Geremy Eiland, Teague Kramer, Kevin Nguyen, Larry Nguyen
Our Community Friends at the Cossaboom YMCA and the Houston Community College Southeast
Technology For All Staff members and friends Jim Forrest, Douglas Caldwell, Rosemarie Foster, Pam Gardner, Mary Collins, Pete Rodriguez, Jesse Linarez, Fernando Lopez
...........and our first residential customer Mrs. Francisa De Leon.
THANK YOU!
For more information about TFA-Wireless go to http://www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html.

TFA-JobTech Begins Work --- TFA-JobTech is TFA's social enterprise that provides document conversion and knowledge management services for business and industry while employing residents from neighborhoods served by TFA and its community partners. TFA-JobTech's first employees are in the process of being interviewed and hired to complete several contracts for conversion services. Training was provided through the collaborative STREET U workforce development program. For more information about TFA-JobTech and the document conversion and knowledge management services it can provide your organization call Jim Forrest at 713.454.6413 or email him at Jim.Forrest@techforall.org . For information about TFA-JobTech on our website go to www.techforall.org/tfa_jobtech.html .
Support TFA's Social Enterprises --- Technology For All operates three social enterprises: TFA-JobTech, TFA-STARRS, and TFA-Wireless. Each enterprise uses technology to address a community need, provide a needed service to the community or to the business community and create revenue through scaleable business models to support TFA's core mission of empowering low-income and under-resourced communities. TFA-JobTech provides high quality document conversion and knowledge management services to its customers. Employees of JobTech are residents of the communities served by participating community technology centers. TFA-STARRS (Secure Technology Asset Recycling and Redeployment Services) provides a needed service at a lower cost to major corporations replacing information technology assets. TFA-Wireless provides an affordable wireless Internet solution in low-income communities while also providing the necessary infrastructure for some JobTech employees to work out of their homes. TFA's social enterprises seek customers and capital to to reach their full potential. For more information, go to http://www.techforall.org/social_enterprises.html or contact Jim Forrest, TFA's Business Development Officer at 713.454.6413 or by email at jim.forrest@techforall.org .

Mission Milby CTC --- New Spring classes have started at TFA's Mission Milby Community Technology Center. New classes include Intermediate Spanish computer classes, Introduction to Computers, Learn and Earn for High School Students, GED, English as a Second Language, STREET U Level 3 and TFA-Wireless orientation classes.

Recent Donations to TFA --- TFA expresses thanks to its recent donors including the Vivian Smith Foundation, Ed Fendell, Jin Foor, Joan Krause, Ashley Kishino, Amanda and Richard Hellman, Alice Hahn, Jill Harmon, Grant Maloney, Christine Sichter, John Brasher, ChevronTexaco, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and the U. S. Department of Commerce. Cash donations can be sent to Technology For All, 2220 Broadway, Houston, Texas, 77012. To make a computer or other technology donation contact Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org or call 713.454.6412.

WE NEED COMPUTERS! --- Is your corporation replacing desktops or laptops? TFA has several community organizations waiting to provide a home for those computers in service to community technology centers serving Houston's low-income neighborhoods. Consider the goodwill that your computer donation can create by empowering a low-income community. We have a large donation of several thousand monitors from ChevronTexaco underway. But each of those monitors need a computer. Can your company or organization fill the gap? TFA has established TFA-STARRS to assist corporations with its Secure Technology Asset Recycling and Redeployment Services. Through our strategic alliances we can provide you a turn key solution that addresses your data security issues and reduces your total cost of ownership when upgrading computers. For more information contact Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org or Jim.Forrest@techforall.org at 713.454.6400.

Important Info for CTCs and CBOs

The Latino Digital Divide --- There is an excellent article/cover story in the bilingual Missouri magazine Adelante on the Latino digital divide:
English: http://www.adelantesi.com/cover_engFEB05.htm
Spanish: http://www.adelantesi.com/cover_espFEB05.htm

March CTC Brown Bag to Feature NASA Educational Programs - Terry Hogdson from NASA's educational services department will be the featured speaker at Houston's monthly brown bag for community technology leaders on Wednesday, March 23 at 12 noon at TFA's offices located at 2220 Broadway. For more information contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or by phone at 713.454.6400.

CTCNet Spring 2005 Newsletter --- CTCNet recently posted its Spring 2005 newsletter at http://www.ctcnet.org/ctc_network_news/spring05.htm

Websites of Interest to CTCs and CBOs

The Quilts of Gee's Bend - http://www.tinwoodmedia.com/geesmain.html In a show organized by Houston's Museum of Fine Arts, the Quilts of Gee's Bend is a site that features quilts but so much more. For CTCs wishing to teach their constituents how to tell and illustrate the stories of their communities and culture through various media, go to this site. It is well done.

Sensitive Language --- As CTCS work together with many different communities and cultures we need to avoid insensitive and offensive language. Check out this site to help with "sensitive" language. http://www.randomhouse.com/words/language/avoid_essay.html

America Connects --- http://www.americaconnects.net/
Digital Divide Network --- http://www.digitaldivide.net/
Association for Community Networking --- www.afcn.org

Join CTCNet today - TFA encourages community technology centers to join the Community Technology Centers' Network. For more information, go to http://www.ctcnet.org/ .

Support our Program Partners --- For a complete list of TFA and TFA-Houston program partners, go to http://www.techforall.org/program_partners.html

We welcome your feedback! Contact Will Reed at 713.454.6400 or by email at will.reed@techforall.org .

Houston Chronicle article moved to archives

2005-03-05T08:22:00.000-06:00

The Houston Chronicle article has moved to the archives..... You may have to register to see it...
To find it go to http://www.chron.com . Search the archives. "Eric Berger" was the reporter who wrote the article. It was published on 03/03/05.

HB789 and TFA-Wireless in the news

2005-03-05T07:41:00.000-06:00

TFA-Wireless and Texas HB789 introduced by Rep. Phil King has generated lots of interest across the state and the country as communities and interested persons advocate for municpal wireless projects. In addition to being featured in the Houston Chronicle (registration required), Rice University and the Houston Business Journal the story has also been picked up by numerous blogs, Slashdot, The Drudge Report, Save Muni Wireless and the Daily Wireless (see the entry for March 4).

If you are concerned about the potential ban of community wireless projects write the members of the Regulated Industries Committee and your representative in the Texas House of Representatives.

Wireless Networks don't click with some

2005-03-03T07:14:00.000-06:00

That is the title of an article in today's Houston Chronicle which can be found at
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3065992

The full text of the article is below....

"Wireless networks don't click with some
Telecom bill would ban free Internet access like that in model East End program
By ERIC BERGERCopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Will Reed envisions a mouse in every house — computers, that is — and high-speed Internet connections for all. A wired community, he says, is an empowered one.

From his nonprofit group's East End offices, Reed is turning his vision into a reality. Although Pecan Park neighborhood residents may not realize it, e-mail, pictures and commerce now zip above their tree-lined streets. This high-speed, wireless Internet access is free for the taking.
Reed's organization, Technology for All, has pioneered this program to bridge the digital divide with help from Rice University and an enthusiastic Mayor Bill White, who has asked city libraries to join the effort. This small, wired neighborhood may eventually become a model for providing everyone in the city free, or low-cost, Internet access.

Or not.

Rep. Phil King, R-Weather-ford, has filed a massive telecommunications bill in Austin this session that, in part, bans Texas cities from participating in wireless information networks.
"I'm not real pleased," Reed said. "As it currently stands, the bill eliminates competition, innovation and a huge research opportunity."

Several telecommunications companies, which provide both dial-up Internet access as well as faster broadband connections through cable and DSL lines, say they were not involved in writing the bill.

That's not to say they disagree with the wireless provision. SBC Communications, which has more DSL customers in the nation than any other provider, said cities should be allowed to offer wireless Internet access in public places, such as parks and libraries. But they should not directly compete with private enterprises by providing services to residents and businesses, said company spokesman Gene Acuña. "If they do, then we would have some real concerns," he said.

Other cities considering

Houston, which also is considering ideas such as putting Internet antennas on parking meters, is not alone in exploring wireless Internet. Philadelphia has said it will offer free, citywide access. Los Angeles and San Francisco also are studying how to do the same thing. In Texas, small towns such as Linden and Granbury have experimented with wireless networks, as have larger cities such as Austin and Corpus Christi.

The catalyst has been an explosion of innovations in technology — from antennas to modem-like devices — that allow personal computers to capture signals from the air. This has driven down costs.

Telecommunications companies have taken notice as cities, nonprofit organizations and startup companies have begun using these technologies to offer free or steeply reduced Internet access, said Bill Gurley, a Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist with Benchmark Capital who closely follows the issue.

Legislators in a dozen states, including Texas, have filed bills to remove competition for telecommunications companies, he said. Most are pending, but an Indiana effort failed, while a similar law in Pennsylvania passed, although it omitted Philadelphia because of that city's existing efforts.

"These are very disruptive, low-cost technologies, and it's not in the incumbent telecommunication companies' best interest to embrace them," Gurley said. "But these are technologies that can be very beneficial to communities."
King's chief of staff, Trey Trainor, said they are rewriting the telecommunications bill to recognize that there are legitimate uses for municipal networks, such as public safety communication, meter-reading and other city services. King's basic objection, Trainor said, stands — in a free-market system it's not acceptable to let public government compete with private businesses.

As the public-private fight heats up in Austin, Francisca de Leon and her family are, for the first time, enjoying Internet access in their East End home.
With the e-mail address for an older daughter in California taped to the monitor, de Leon uses the computer to keep in touch with family. Another daughter, Janet, a Milby High School senior, uses the computer for instant messaging and college searches. "My children use this much more than me," de Leon admitted.

Melissa Noriega, the acting state representative for the area covered by Technology for All, called the effort to ban municipal participation in wireless Internet efforts "short-sighted," and said she will work to prevent it from becoming law.

Noriega said families that cannot speak fluent English can be transformed by learning to use a computer and crossing the digital divide — they learn how to spell-check, can find translation services online, e-mail family in their home countries, and much more.
"This may be the single biggest step we can take to close the gap between the haves and have-nots," she said.

Signal beamed to library

Technology for All's plan works by transmitting its fiber-optic Internet connection from a large antenna on its offices. The organization beams the signal directly to Melcher Library, about two-thirds of a mile away. Residents within a few hundred yards of either spot can pick up signals now.

Within a month or two, Reed says, several residents, as well as a YMCA and other organizations, have agreed to install antennas to spread access across the entire neighborhood.
Residents can sign up at the library for in-home access. Technology for All provides free computers to high school students who take a computer course, but is looking for a sponsor to help provide $125 modems that plug into computers and capture the wireless signal.

The fledgling network offers Rice engineers and students a real-life environment to test the optimal placement of antennas, and how to maximize access speed while minimizing needed equipment. This research is funded with a five-year, $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant to develop the next generation of technology, with the eventual goal of beaming Internet connections 250 times the speed of DSL or cable into 100 million homes.

"This is a step toward that goal," said Ed Knightly, a Rice engineer leading the research project. "In this case, we're pushing as much bandwidth as we can achieve per square mile for the lowest cost. It's inspiring to see our research get directly into the community."eric.berger@chron.com "

For more information about House Bill 789 and its impact on community wireless projects go to www.savemuniwireless.org

Progress Made on HB 789

2005-02-26T07:08:00.000-06:00

We've made great progress on House Bill 789!

But we need to keep the heat on.

Let's continue to support elimination of the language in the bill that outlaws community wireless projects.

Municipal Wireless Networks and those that are public/private collaborations bring other benefits to the public that should be supported.
In my opinion, these include:

Open research and innovation opportunities

Community safety and security uses

Encouragement of competition that supports faster and more ubiquitous deployment in all communities (including rural and low-income communities)

Other municipal uses and services to citizens (parking meters, bill paying etc.)

Economic Development

These are but a few. Write your representatives in Austin.

Will Reed
Technology For All
http://www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html

2005-02-24T13:12:00.000-06:00

TFA-Wireless Featured in the Media

Below is a link to articles about our TFA-Wireless initiative in the Houston Chronicle and on KUHF Public Radio. We appreciate the coverage that helps us achieve our mission to empower low-income and under resourced communities through the tools of technology. Thanks to all who have assisted TFA over the years. We are grateful! This unique project is a collaboration between Rice University, The Houston Public Library, SimHouston, and Technology For All. For more information go to www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html .

Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/thisweek

KUHF-88.7
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuhf/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=740703

2005-02-24T08:54:00.000-06:00

Ask Sylvester Turner and Joe Crabb to Support Public Wireless

This week, the Texas legislature is holding committee hearings for the anti-wireless bill. The committee members will determine whether the provisions to outlaw municipal networks will be stricken or preserved.

Representatives Joe Crabb and Sylvestor Turner from Houston sit on that comittee. We need our two Houston area Representatives to understand why the anti-wireless provisions are bad for Houston, bad for business and bad for innovation. We support competition and innovation.

Here in Houston, TFA-Wireless is a collaborative project of Rice University (www.rice.edu) and its Rice Networks Group (http://www.ece.rice.edu/networks/ ), TFA (www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html ) and the Houston Public Library ( http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/hpl/hplhome.html ). It is unique collaborative project that is threatened by the proposed legislation in Austin. The blessing of the City is vital to the project and HB789 will cause significant harm.

The City has been a strong partner with these organizations all along the way. A large part of the credibility and success of TFA-Wireless comes from its working together with the City by way of the Houston Public library. This relationship doesn't harm the incumbent communication providers—the force behind HB 789. This partnership brings them more business.

The anti-wireless provisions of HB 789 jeopardize TFA-Wireless, and will jeopardize other wireless efforts underway across Houston and across the state.

If Sylvester Turner or Joe Crabb is your state representative, it is critical that you let him know that you support public wireless. Ask your representative to strike the anti-wireless provisions from HB 789.

2005-02-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

Texas House Bill 789 Threatens TFA-Wireless and Other Community Networks

I am sitting in Austin in the hearing room of the Regulatory Industries sub-committee. It's been a long day with many issues presented by speakers from all sides. The issue for TFA-Wireless is found in section 54.202. The legislation as it is now proposed eliminates the possibility of a city or municipality engaging in the direct or indirect provision of Internet networking services. TFA-Wireless has a unique collaborative relationship with RICE University and the City of Houston Public Library that is threatened by the current language. Please write your State Representative in Austin to suggest alternative language in the bill that will allow for innovation and competition. For a list of committee members go to http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/425.htm .

Thanks for your support of TFA-Wireless and other community wireless projects.

Will Reed

2005-02-18T05:19:00.000-06:00

Wireless Broadband Discussion Heating Up.........

There are many issues in the wireless broadband discussion that is heating up.

Should Mucipalities be allowed to create wireless broadband networks?

Should collaborative organizations (municipalities and others) be allowed to create wireless broadband networks?

Do restrictions on the creation of wireless broadband networks stifle innovation and competition?

There are many more questions being discussed. But, in my opinion, the bottom line is this.

Wireless broadband is good.

Restrictions on Wireless Broadband do stifle competition and innovation.

In order to serve lower income and under-resourced neighborhoods, communities and rural areas, we will have to work together to deliver creative solutions for broadband Internet access.

Nonprofts, educational institutions, commercial entities and cities and towns can work together to create wireless broadband solutions that both serve the customer and are built upon sustainable business models.

We ought to be working together to encourage legislation that supports innovation and competition rather than restrictions that eliminate all players but major corporations.

For more information click on some of the URLs below. I welcome your comments. To make a comment, click on the # at the bottom of this entry.

TFA-Wireless
http://www.techforall.org/tfa_wireless.html

Proposed MuniWireless Bill in Texas Restricts Projects like TFA-Wireless
http://www.muniwireless.com/archives/000580.html

Texas House Committee on Regulated Industries
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/committees/cmtembrs.d2w/report?LEG=79&SESS=R&CMTECODE=C425&CHAMBER=H&CTYPE=House

EFF-Austin
http://www.effaustin.org/

Save Texas MuniWireless
http://savemuniwireless.org/

Support Wireless Broadband
http://www.freepress.net/action/petition_big.php?n=muniletter

FCC Report on Wireless Broadband
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-256693A1.pdf

2005-02-16T05:34:00.000-06:00

To post a Comment......

Click on # at the end of each post.

2005-02-16T05:25:00.000-06:00

TFA develops Social Enterprise Strategy

http://www.techforall.org/social_enterprises.html

Technology For All (TFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on empowering low-income and under-resourced communities through social enterprises using the tools of technology. This new strategy is designed to help TFA achieve its missional objectives through a sustainable business model that is socially responsible. TFA's social enterprises include TFA-Wireless, TFA-JobTech and TFA-STARRS.

2005-02-16T05:18:00.000-06:00

FREE OR DISCOUNTED HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS
TO BE AVAILABLE TO HOUSTON'S EAST END
City of Houston, Houston Public Library, Technology For All and Rice University To Unveil Wireless Service During News Conference at 10 a.m. Thursday

HOUSTON - (Feb. 15, 2005) -- Houston Mayor Bill White and leaders from Rice University, the Houston Public Library and nonprofit Technology For All (TFA) will announce the rollout of TFA-Wireless, a social enterprise project of TFA that will provide free or discounted high-speed wireless Internet access to individuals, businesses and community organizations in Houston's Pecan Park neighborhood in the East End during a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday at the library's Melcher Branch, 7200 Keller St. The conference will include a demonstration of the wireless service at the library and also at a neighborhood resident's home nearby. In addition to Mayor White, speakers will include City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado, Houston Public Library Interim Director Toni Lambert, Rice University President David Leebron and Technology For All President and CEO Will Reed.
# # #
--
B.J. Almond,Associate Director of News and Media Relations
Rice University
402-C Lovett Hall, MS 300
6100 Main St.
Houston, TX 77005
Office: 713-348-6770
Cell: 713-419-9980
Fax: 713-348-6380
balmond@rice.edu

2005-01-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

New Phone Number --- 713.454.6400

2005-01-05T05:22:00.000-06:00

The Tsunami as a Wake-Up Call to Bridging the Digital Divide --- Andy Carvin, Program Director for the EDC Center for Media and Community, recently created an excellent piece on the importance of the work we do in community technology. Andy posted the piece as both a podcast and as an article on the Digital Divide Network (http://www.digitaldivide.net ). You can find the podcast here:
http://www.andycarvin.com/podcasts/tsunami-divide.mp3
It's just over six minutes long and takes up seven megabytes. Meanwhile, you can still read the text version here:
http://www.digitaldivide.net/articles/view.php?ArticleID=84

Community technology and ICT practitioners all over the world should thank Andy Carvin for his continuing insight and vision for what we do. For more about Andy, you can contact him at
-----------------------------------
Andy Carvin
Program Director
EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com

2005-01-04T05:10:00.000-06:00

Upcoming Conferences........

Nonprofit Technology Conference
Date: 3/23/05 – 3/25/05
Location: Chicago, IL
It's the premier annual event for anyone interested in helping nonprofits make more effective use of technology to achieve their missions. This Conference will be your best opportunity to meet peers and build relationships, share resources and ideas, and learn more about how nonprofits are putting technology to work for them.
Link: http://www.nten.org/ntc

14th Annual Community Technology Conference
Date: 6/17/05 - 6/19/05
Location: Cleveland, OH
CTCNet will host its 14th Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio June 17-19.
Featuring over fifty workshops including a Pre-Conference day of training on June 16th, the Community Technology Conference is an important professional development & networking opportunity for anyone engaged in or interested in community technology.
Link: http://www.ctcnet.org/conf/2005/

2005-01-04T05:07:00.000-06:00

To Add a Comment Click on the "#" at the bottom of each post.......

2005-01-04T04:47:00.000-06:00

CTC Brown Bag - Wednesday, January 26 - 12 noon - Join Houston area CTCs for the January Brown Bag. SimDesk Technologies will provide lunch and training for CTCs wishing to assist their clients in establishing SimHouston accounts. For more information contact Pam.Gardner@techforall.org or call Pam at 713.961.0012.

2005-01-04T04:38:00.000-06:00

New Digital Divide Network Website --- The Digital Divide Network has just launched its new website: http://www.digitaldivide.net . Five years ago,the first Digital Divide Network website and email discussion group was created. Since then, DDN has grown into a network of over 3,000 people in more than 75 countries. The Digital Divide Network invites you to visit the site and try out all the new features created for you and other DDN members. Create your own user name and password and join the DDN. As a DDN member, you will have access to a variety of powerful tools that will allow you to: create your own blog; host your own online community workspace featuring document sharing, online publishing and bulletin board discussions; access DDN content through RSS feeds; publish your own news headlines, event announcements and articles; and participate in live webcasts hosted by DDN staff.

2005-01-04T04:35:00.000-06:00

Reminder! --TFA Consolidates Offices --- In order to be more available to our clients, partner organizations and donors, TFA and TFA-Houston have consolidated all offices at the Mission Milby Community Development Corporation location in Houston's East End. TFA staff members are being assigned direct phone numbers, but all TFA staff can be reached at the main number - 713.961.0012. The consolidated office is located at:

2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas, 77012.

Mission Milby CDC is a project of the Milby United Methodist Church. The Misión Milby mission is to bring the tools of community development and community technology together in a collaborative effort of neighborhood improvement with stakeholders and other community partners to serve Pecan Park and Houston's East End neighborhoods.

2005-01-04T04:30:00.000-06:00

TFA-JobTech begins Business Development Phase --- For the past year, TFA has been writing the business plan, developing the IT infrastructure and through STREET U, training potential employees for TFA-JobTech. With initial funding and capitalization by the U. S. Department of Commerce, TFA-JobTech is a social enterprise focused on providing high quality document conversion and knowledge management services to its customers at a competitive rate using neighborhood labor trained and employed at participating community technology centers. TFA-JobTech is developing business relationships directly with corporations, businesses. governmental agencies and other organizations needing this service as well as serving as a second tier outsourcing opportunity for document conversion and knowledge management companies. TFA-JobTech can convert your files from paper to digital files and "code" or add to them the intelligence you need to manage the knowledge of your organization. To discuss the document conversion or knowledge management needs of your business or organization, please contact Jim Forrest, Business Development Officer at 713.961.0012, x107 or by email at Jim.Forrest@techforall.org .

2004-12-06T13:40:00.000-06:00

Community Technology Centers - Texas

Test message

2004-12-06T13:33:00.000-06:00

Technology For All Occasional Update - November 2004
http://www.techforall.org
"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.
To support our work, go to www.techforall.org.
_______________
News and Updates

Macedonia Outreach Named 2004 CTC of the Year --- TFA-Houston recently recognized Macedonia Outreach and Career Center as the 2004 Community Technology Center of the Year. Serving Northeast Houston, Macedonia Outreach is lead by Katherine West and has been serving the community since 1999. Their website is located at www.macedoniaocc.com . Also recognized with Honorable Mention awards were the NAACP Family Technology Center and the M. D. Anderson YMCA in Houston and A+ Educational Research and Development in Clute, Texas More information about the honorees will soon be on the TFA website.
TFA Consolidates Offices --- In order to be more available to our clients, partner organizations and donors, TFA and TFA-Houston are consolidating all offices at TFA's Mission Milby CDC location in Houston's East End. The move is taking place over the next six weeks and will be finalized by mid-January. All TFA staff members can be reached through the main phone # at that office - 713.961.0012. The consolidated office is located at: 2220 Broadway Houston, Texas, 77012.

TFA Formalizes Social Enterprise Focus --- Since its inception in 1997 TFA-Houston and TFA have focused their efforts on the utilization of technology as a tool to empower low-income and under-resourced communities. In order to maintain and enhance that effort, TFA recently formalized its social enterprise focus. A social enterprise is an earned-income business or strategy undertaken by a nonprofit to generate revenue in support of its charitable mission. "Earned income" consists of payments received in direct exchange for a product, service or privilege. TFA's initial social enterprises include TFA-JobTech and TFA-STARRS, which is an acronym for Secure Technology Asset Recycling and Redeployment Services. With Compucycle as a new alliance partner TFA-STARRS can now offer corporations replacing technology assets unique advantages. By donating technology assets being replaced to TFA-STARRS, Corporations receive the following benefits: substantially lower cost of total ownership; Comprehensive inventory management and flexible reporting; Secure data removal (above DOD standards); Environmental protection through zero-landfill policy; national and international footprint; and community goodwill. Through our strategic alliances, TFA can customize our services to fit every customer's needs relating to inventory, collection, testing, auditing, recycling, end of lease, surplus and obsolete equipment, and redeployment of these assets to low-income and under-resourced communities. For more information about TFA-STARRS or TFA's other social enterprises, contact Douglas Caldwell (Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org) or Jim Forrest (Jim.Forrest@techforall.org) at 713.961.0012.

Recent Donations to TFA --- TFA expresses thanks to its recent donors including the U. S. Department of Commerce, Jim and Nancy Gibbons, Continental Airlines, Rick Jenkins, Mike Lyon, Paula Martin, Mike Wittman, Rev. and Mrs. J. Michael Wheller, Linda Collins, United Space Alliance, James D. Fuchs Sr, Hertz Corporation, Latonia Carter, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, ENI Petroleum, GEMSA Loan Services and Cornerstone Recovery.To make a computer or other donation to Technology For All contact Douglas.Caldwell@techforall.org or call 713.961.0012.
_______________
Important Info for CTCs and CBOs
New Report "A Nation Online" --- The NTIA has just released the latest national digital divide report, A Nation Online To view the report go to http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm Here is the executive summary: A nation online: Entering The broadband age As the Internet increasingly affects the daily lives of Americans and the U.S. economy, one of the greatest changes in recent years has been the rapid uptake of broadband technologies. Between the Census Bureau's Current Population Surveys conducted in September 2001 and October 2003, the number of households with Internet connections grew by 12.6 percent. The data reveals that a transition is underway from dial-up to high-speed Internet connections. The use of high-speed Internet connections grew significantly between 2001 and 2003 and more than offset the decline in dial-up users. For this reason, this report focuses on what Americans are doing with their high-speed connections. All the data for the study can be found at http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/computer/computer.htm .

TOP Program eliminated-TFA's TOP Grant Unaffected --- The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) did not receive an appropriation in the just completed FY 2005 Consolidated (Omnibus) Appropriations bill. With over a quarter-billion dollars invested since 1994, the TOP program has successfully served as a catalyst for innovative nonprofit organizations and public institutions to tackle pressing social challenges using advanced information and communications technologies. The Program has leveraged over $313 million in non-Federal resources. During its operation, the Program made 610 grants. TFA's JobTech project, a TOP grantee, is unaffected by the elimination of future TOP funding.

Spam and the Nonprofit Community --- Check out this free online event from Tech Soup: The Impact of Spam on the Nonprofit Community www.techsoup.org/spamevent . Join one of the leading internet strategists for the nonprofit community Dr. Bill Pease, Chief Technology Officer of GetActive Software <www.getactive.com>, as he investigates the problems spam poses to nonprofits, and discusses best practices to ensure email communications reach supporters. Bill, along with event co-host Will Rodina, of the TechSoup Computer Security Forum,will help translate the fast-changing landscape of email deliverability and spam prevention into practical terms. These thought leaders will share stories and resources, as well as explore the latest trends in spam controls and effective communications. You will come away from this event with practical tips, tools, and resources for improving the deliverability of your email messaging and for defending your organization from the dangers of spam.
______________
Websites of Interest to CTCs
Natural Science for Kids --- http://www.acnatsci.org/kids/index.html
Health Headquarters --- http://www.accessexcellence.org/HHQ/
TexasLawHELP.org --- http://www.texaslawhelp.org/TX/index.cfm
101 Tools for Tolerance --- http://www.tolerance.org/101_tools/index.html
Bank Street's Guide to Literacy --- http://www.bankstreet.edu/literacyguide/main.html
UNESCO World Heritage Centre --- http://whc.unesco.org/

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, go to http://www.techforall.org/program_partners.html

2004-09-19T19:50:00.000-05:00

You are invited to participate in
“Building Connected Communities”
Houston's
3rd Annual Community Technology Conference
&
Awards Reception
Thursday, November 4, 2004

Since November 2002, Technology For All (TFA) has hosted an annual event for community technology practitioners across southeast Texas. TFA works with over 180 Houston-area organizations operating community technology centers in service to their communities. This year the event will feature outstanding local and national leaders in community technology. Key speakers include: Kavita Singh, Executive Director of the Community Technology Center’s Network; Amy Borgstrom, Program Officer for the Department of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program; and Carlos Solís, Ph.D., Rice Professor and Co-Principal Investigator with the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, and the University of Illinois, Chicago, on a project investigating Latino access to technology and education.
This conference is organized by Technology For All and Technology For All-Houston, for community technology center leaders, nonprofit boards, staff & volunteers, foundations and others interested in community development and community technology. In addition to the presentations, grant proposal consultation will be provided by appointment by the Texas A&M University Center for Community Support Team. The 2004 Community Technology Center (CTC) of the Year will be recognized at the Conference.
“Navigating the Government Grants Maze,” a post conference workshop, will be held on November 5, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. – 12 Noon, featuring Amy Borgstrom, Grant Officer, Technology Opportunities Program, U.S. Department of Commerce. This workshop is free for registered conference attendees.
Go to www.techforall.org for a complete schedule and registration information.
Non-profits can bring their organization’s brochures to the conference to be placed on the handouts table. For profit organizations interested in vendor booths should contact will.reed@techforall.org no later than October 15, 2004.

Community Technology Brown Bag

2004-07-28T06:13:00.000-05:00

Community Technology Brown Bag
Today: Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Time:   12 noon
Where:   Mission Milby CDC, 2220 Broadway
Program:   Johnny Bright, Houston Works
For more information contact Pam or Hilda at 713.961.0012.

2004-07-28T05:19:00.000-05:00

Faith-Based and Community Initiatives - The Department of Housing and Urban Development is holding a two-day free Intensive Grant Writing workshop specifically focused on applying for federal grants.

CFBCI Grant Workshop - Houston, TX
Event Date: August 9, 2004 - August 10, 2004
Event Time: All Day Event
Location: San Jacinto College, Central Campus, 8060 Spencer Highway, Houston, TX
For more information call (713) 718-3106

2004-07-28T05:02:00.000-05:00

ChevronTexaco Makes Donation to Technology For All
Computer Monitors to be Re-deployed into low-income Communities

Houston, Texas (July 22, 2004) – It was announced today that ChevronTexaco is making a donation of several thousand computer monitors to Technology For All (TFA) for re-deployment into low-income communities served by TFA and its community partners.

Beginning later this year, over 4000 ChevronTexaco employees from Houston and other parts of the United States will begin moving into the newly purchased office building at 1500 Louisiana in downtown Houston. “A move of this size presents enormous planning and logistical challenges. But in this case, the consolidation of office space has produced a great opportunity for our company to support the community through the donation of surplus information technology equipment.” says David Feldman, Community Affairs Representative with ChevronTexaco. “We're very pleased to offer thousands of computer monitors that will be put to productive use in underserved communities throughout our area and appreciate the role that Technology for All plays in receiving the equipment and re-distributing it to non-profit organizations with the greatest need. Our partnership with TFA has proven extremely valuable to both the community and our company and we hope to continue our collaborations in the future.”

TFA will utilize the monitors to support its work as an intermediary for community technology centers (CTCs). CTCs are public spaces that provide public access to computers and the Internet. Technology For All works with over 180 organizations in Houston that operate CTCs. These CTCs provide workforce training, after-school programs, basic computer skills classes and other classes. Many offer “Learn and Earn” programs through which students can learn and earn a computer for use in their homes. TFA has recently instituted a program with Project GRAD that will reward low-income students that successfully complete advanced placement classes. These students will earn a computer for use at home or at college.

“In receiving this donation on behalf of TFA, we look forward to extending the goodwill of ChevronTexaco throughout Houston as together we help this city develop a more diverse and better educated workforce” said Dr. Will Reed, TFA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to utilizing this as an opportunity to encourage other corporations to support Houston’s low-income communities through computer donations to TFA that it can develop and support community technology centers serving those communities.”

TFA welcomes the ChevronTexaco donation. As a 501(C)(3) nonprofit and a “Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher” TFA can assist corporations replacing technology assets by re-deploying those computers and other hardware into community-based organizations serving the underserved. TFA can wipe corporate data, certify its destruction and install a new licensed Microsoft operating system. Like the ChevronTexaco relationship, it is relatively easy for TFA to work with corporations to save money, identify tax benefits and create goodwill in local communities.

2004-06-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

The summer issue of the "Community Technology Review" is now available online
(http://www.comtechreview.org) and in hard copy. The new issue highlights assistive technology with sections designed to complement the tracks and workshop sessions being offered at the annual CTCNet conference in Seattle, beginning with the preconference sessions starting this Thursday.

Sections include profiles of presenters and special coverage of issues
involving:
* Community Development
* Organizational Capacity and Leadership
* Research & Evaluation
* Policy, Advocacy, and Organizing
* Program Design and Content
* Technology

2004-05-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

Brian Driggers presented tools for nonprofits at the monthly CTC Brown Bag.

see

2004-05-26T11:55:00.000-05:00

CTC Brown Bag
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
12 noon

2004-04-20T20:38:00.000-05:00

TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL & MISSION MILBY CDC

Invite you to join them for the monthly CTC BROWN BAG LUNCH and a
CONVERSATION AMONG COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY FRIENDS

Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
at
Mission Milby CDC
2220 Broadway
Houston, Texas 77012

The Program
“Online Tools for Community Technology”
Hands On Demonstrations and Instruction in the Use of
TechAtlas (CTC Technology Assessment and Asset Management)
TECH LINKUP (CTC Volunteer Recruitment)
SKILLSOFT (4000 eLearning Courses)
plus
SIMHouston

Seating is limited so reserve space (and if you choose lunch for $4) now by contacting Hilda Puente at Technology For All-Houston at 713-961-0012 or Hilda.Puente@techforall.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AGENDA
12:00 Lunch and Networking
12:20 Welcome and Introductions
12:30 Presentations and Discussion
1:30 Adjournment

2004-03-26T08:14:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting Report from the The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation regarding its initial evaluation of its Community Access to Technology Program grants.
Since 1999, the Community Access to Technology (CAT) program has made grants to a wide variety of Washington State nonprofits for the purpose of engaging their clients in hands-on use of technology, and providing training so that these clients can work on improving their lives and meeting their personal goals. Grants have supported organizations working with diverse populations, including: Youth, Homeless Persons, Persons with Disabilities, Native Americans, Immigrants, and Rural Communities. To evaluate the accomplishments, effectiveness, and lessons learned from the CAT program to date, MGS Consulting studied a large sample of CAT grantees. Highlights from the initial evaluation show:
* The grantee's clients are primarily working on educational and employment goals. Other often-cited goals include personal growth & social inclusion, information-seeking, and independence (particular to persons with disabilities).
* Grantees have been able to sustain new staff positions. Ninety-three percent of grantees continue to operate their projects successfully and have maintained new CAT project staff positions. However, grantees reported that staff and executive turnover and finding qualified staff as the biggest challenge to successful implementation and operation of projects.
* Goals have been met or exceeded. 79% of grantees met or exceeded their own program delivery goals, and over half report serving as many or more persons than anticipated.
This is the first year of a multi-year study. Subsequent years will attempt to measure whether clients are achieving meaningful outcomes (better jobs; improved grades, etc) through their participation in these community technology programs.
The full report can be found at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/PacificNorthwest/CommunityAccessTechnology/CAT_Evaluation.htm

The CAT Program makes grants in Washington State only. Other than our work with Public Libraries, the Gates Foundation has no other grant programs that fund community technology projects, nationally or internationally. More information on the Gates Foundation and its programs can be found at www.gatesfoundation.org .

Ken Thompson
Program Officer, Community Access to Technology
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Box 23350 : Seattle, WA 98102
cat@gatesfoundation.org
www.gatesfoundation.org/cat

2004-03-25T05:33:00.000-06:00

Save the Date!
"Bridging the Divides: Human, Digital and Community"
and
Third Annual Community Technology Awards Reception
Thursday, November 4, 2004 - Houston, Texas
Join us for outstanding speakers (Kavita Singh, Executive Director, CTCNet; Amy Borgstrom, U.S. Department of Commerce; and others), workshops, networking, CTC awards, and much more.
To insure your inclusion on the invitation list send an email to Conference2004@techforall.org with
"Invitation list" in the subject line.

2004-03-24T14:51:00.000-06:00

TOP Ten Web Sites for Community Technology Centers (CTCs)March 2004

Community Technology Centers Network – www.ctcnet.org

NASA Mars Rover Site - http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html

TechSoup Stock - www.techsoup.org

CommunityNetworking.org – www.communitynetworking.org

Cool Tools for Change – www.cooltoolsforchange.org

Foundation Center – www.fdncenter.org

America Connects Consortium – www.americaconnects.net

Community Technology Review, Spring 2004 – www.comtechreview.org

Association for Community Networking – www.afcn.org

RTPNet CTC Curriculum Resources Page– http://www.rtpnet.org/comp/
-------------------------------------------------
Technology For All – www.techforall.org
Technology For All-Houston – www.houston.techforall.org
BLOG for CTCS in Houston area – http://texasctcs.blogspot.com
Find a CTC in the City of Houston
http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/planning/planning_dev_web/suprnbhds/abt_sn.htm