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Dear Digital Inclusion Supporter,
Welcome back to the Communities Connect Network's monthly e-newsletter! Much has been accomplished since September 2010 when the EdLab Group was awarded a $4.2 million grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). This funding allows the Communities Connect Network to expand public computing center capacity throughout Washington state. This e-newsletter will keep you informed of CCN progress as we work toward digital inclusion. |
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| Spotlight On... |  Neighborhood House Technology Center at High Point
Exciting new programs are taking shape in the Neighborhood House Technology Center at High Point. Neighborhood House was awarded Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) funding as part of the EdLab Group's Communities Connect Network Project, and purchased15 laptop computers for a mobile lab at the new center. With their new equipment, the Technology Center at High Point is creating innovating programming and opportunities for High Point residents and community members.
During open lab hours, Technology Coordinator Kat McGhee says that High Point Center staff and volunteers train and encourage lab users in many different ways, including: assisting users to create or update a resume, facilitating an online job search, or helping youth complete online research for school assignments.
In addition to the new open lab hours, the Technology Center at High Point increases the capacity for Neighborhood House to partner with community organizations to provide supportive programs. For example, South Seattle Community College uses the Technology Center to host an English Language Learning class, and residents of the Providence Elizabeth House, High Point's residential senior living complex, come in on Fridays for computer assistance. Both the High Point Community men's and women's groups plan to use the lab for technology training.
An ongoing program, the Youth Access Core, currently uses the mobile lab to increase digital literacy for high school students. In this program, youth learn how to blog, photo-edit, and create videos. They incorporate social justice issues into their creations, and this year will use the computers to create a magazine and video about a topic relevant to their lives.
Kat is happy to report that the lab is open 11 hours a week for open lab use and general technology training, in addition to the time the computers are being used by specific programs like Youth Access Core and English language classes. They have plans to increase hours and programming in the future according to lab users' needs.
Neighborhood House is a nonprofit organization aiming to help diverse communities of people with limited resources attain their goals for self-sufficiency, financial independence, health, and community building. |
| What's New in the Communities Connect Network |
 Communities Connect Network Web Portal
The Communities Connect Network Web Portal is in the final stages of testing and development. As one of the grant deliverables for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) CCN Project, the portal will feature a Network Directory of computer labs, a Forum to share ideas and success stories, and a Resource Library. The Network Directory allows public computing centers to provide information about their computer labs, including computer equipment and services provided, populations served, geographic information, and contact information. The Portal is designed for users to interact, and we encourage all PCCs and other organizations working on digital inclusion to share their experiences and resources. The Portal will be the key statewide resource for organizations and individuals working for digital inclusion, serving as a sharing space for computer labs across the state even after the BTOP grant cycle has ended, and will help organizations sustain new programming and technology use on an ongoing basis. |
| Project Updates |
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Karen Kniep Blanton, Katrina Kennard, Michelle Chambers, and Chris Tugwell |
BTOP Conference: From October 5-7, 2011 four representatives of CCN attended the Mid-Course Workshop for BTOP Awardees in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference included information on grant management as well as valuable sessions on sustaining broadband adoption, forming community partnerships, and measuring success with data. The most rewarding part of the event was meeting other BTOP awardees from around the country and discussing strategies and best practices for building on broadband infrastructure through PCCs, along with the technology access, training and support they provide. CCN is one of many organizations working to bring broadband to America's communities--we are in good company.
New Equipment: In June, computer equipment began to stream out to public computing centers around the state, including new laptops and desktops, new software, special technology items such as screen readers, even new desks and cabinets. With this equipment and furnishings, PCCs have been able to continue and enhance their programming and training, and have increased their reach of community constituents.
Grant Participant Convening: In July, the EdLab Group hosted a Convening of project partners across all areas: Subrecipients, Training Partners, Advisory Board Members, and other key digital inclusion leaders. Subrecipients were treated to individual sessions led by six project training organizations, a showcase time for sharing about their own organizations, and plenty of informal networking.
Access to Justice: In August, CCN officially welcomed its second courthouse subrecipient, the Kalispel Tribal Court, which joins the Chelan County Court as the first public law and justice computing centers in the state. In fact, these centers are a model for courthouse-based public computing centers nationwide.
Outreach Support: Amy Hirotaka serves as the Outreach Coordinator for CCNP. Previously, she worked on digital inclusion issues in the Community Technology Program at the City of Seattle. She is meeting with subrecipients and sharing effective outreach tools and methods, as well as collecting stories and resources for the Web Portal. You can contact her at ahirotaka@edlabgroup.org or 425-977-4749. |
| Resources | The National Broadband Map: The National Broadband Map is a tool to search, analyze and map broadband availability across the United States.
Washington State Broadband Office: This website shares up-to-date information on bringing affordable broadband service to all Washington citizens through a cooperative effort between the federal government, state government, broadband service providers, citizens, and local community institutions.
Digitalliteracy.gov: Full of valuable articles and resources, NTIA's Digital Literacy website is a place for collaboration and learning.
Brainstorm e-Zine: This monthly e-Zine includes valuable information about organizations doing great digital inclusion work, as well as tips on topics such as internet safety and technology hardware purchasing.
Idealware Blog: Idealware helps nonprofits make smart technology decisions, and the Idealware blog is a great place to learn about using Facebook for fundraising, tips for successful software trainings, and whether or not cloud computing is right for your organization.
National Disability Awareness Month: Congress designated October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out during the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed. |
CCN Trainings
| As part of the BTOP-funded capacity building training, the EdLab Group is pleased to announce the first set of trainings began in October 2011.
Our partners at NPower Northwest have a created a Live Webinar Series on Social Media designed for staff and volunteers of our PCC organizations. Webinars will be recorded and available for future viewing on the CCN Web Portal. Please register using the links below.
Social Media 101: What It Is And Why Is It Important? Webinar
New to social media or considering jumping in? Lack of familiarity with these tools can make social media seem overwhelming. Let us help you overcome these obstacles with our Social Media 101 webinar. In this interactive webinar, you'll get an overview of the most common social media tools and discover how they can help you tell your organization's stories to connect with a broader audience. We'll also share some applications that can make your social media efforts manageable and measurable. Most importantly, you'll learn how social media fits into your overall communications strategy.
Social Media 201: Getting Started Webinar
Whether you're ready to get started with social media, or looking to improve upon your initial efforts, our Social Media 201 webinar will provide valuable information to get the most bang for your buck out of these tools. Learn how to set up accounts on Facebook and Twitter, discover best practices for building online relationships, and determine what tools are available to help plan and coordinate your social media efforts.
Social Media 301: Keeping Momentum WebinarHaving a consistent presence on social media platforms is essential to building long-lasting online relationships. How do you keep up momentum without spending all of your staff resources managing these profiles? Join our Social Media 301 webinar where we'll share tips and tricks to manage time and guarantee the sustainability of your efforts. You'll learn how to measure effectiveness, ensuring that you're meeting your social media goals and contributing to your organization's overall communications plan.
In the upcoming year, capacity-building training will also be provided by the following CCN Partners
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About CCN
| Mission: Communities Connect Network (CCN) works to ensure digital inclusion and technology opportunities for all residents of Washington State.
For more information about Communities Connect Network (CCN), please contact Katrina Kennard, Project Manager a t kkennard@edlabgroup.org or 425.977.4753. |
| About the EdLab Group | 
The EdLab Group is a private, non-profit organization with funding from federal and state governments, private foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our mission is to leverage the power of technology and diversity to transform teaching and learning. We respect your privacy and do not sell, share or allow our list to be viewed by other individuals or companies. For more information about the EdLab Group, visit our website at www.edlabgroup.org. |
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