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Dear Digital Inclusion Supporter,
April has been an eventful month for the Communities Connect Network, as we reconvened the Washington State Council on Digital Inclusion (CoDI) to share strategies about increasing broadband access and adoption. Across the country, other collaborative efforts are underway (see "Resources-Broadband Adoption," below) reaching similar conclusions: a combination of access, adoption, and digital literacy is necessary to make meaningful progress towards digital inclusion. To that end, we are proud that CCN works to facilitate successful partnerships between local governments, non-profits, and providers, with the goal of narrowing the digital divide. |
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Spotlight On...
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New Futures Youth Program in the Heights at Burien
At New Futures, a CCNP BTOP recipient, families are supported through integrated services aimed at supporting both parents and children. New Future's largest family center (linking four apartment units and turning them into programming space, offices, and computer labs) is in the Heights at Burien apartment complex, which encompasses 543 units. At the family center, residents can find comprehensive services in their native languages within walking distance. Services include English Language Learner (ELL) classes, translation, and family advocacy services to help recent immigrant families navigate unfamiliar education and governmental systems.
Each staff member at the Heights speaks at least two languages. Currently, the resident population is largely Latino and there are a number of residents from Iraq, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burma, Bhutan, and Nepal, among others. There is also a large group of indigenous Mexican immigrants, known as Purépecha, who speak a language dating back to the time of the Aztecs.
Roslyn Kagy, the Youth Program Coordinator at the Heights, runs an afterschool program for 40 middle and high school students (the waitlist for the program continues to grow). Every weekday at 3 PM, the kids head up the stairs to the 2-bedroom apartment that has been converted into a gathering space, computer lab, and office. Roslyn greets them with a smile and a nutritious meal, as some kids in the program have trouble finding enough to eat at home.
After a short social game to help ease the transition from school, Roslyn helps them get started on their homework. A large group of kids head straight for the computer lab, using the computers and Internet to complete math exercises or research for papers. Roslyn explains that teachers assume the students have computers at home, but this is untrue for the majority of participants in the youth program. The youth program gives them not only access to the computers, but also help and encouragement from Roslyn and an adult volunteer.
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Roslyn helps youth program participants complete their assignments in the computer lab
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Before and after the youth program, Roslyn and the family advocates help adults use the computers. As Roslyn points out, many everyday tasks require access to the Internet, like paying bills online, managing benefits, and checking in with family members via e-mail. Residents also use the computers to create resumes and apply for jobs online. They are appreciative of the help and one-on-one support of Roslyn and other staff members. Last week, Roslyn coached a resident through the multi-step process of creating a resume in Microsoft Word, creating an e-mail account, and applying for a job by e-mailing the resume.
For more information about New Futures, visit their website and find New Futures the Heights at Burien in our Network Directory.
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| What's New in the Communities Connect Network |
Washington State Council on Digital Inclusion (CoDI) Meeting
On Friday, April 13, CoDI participants from non-profit service providers, telecoms, and local government met to discuss opportunities to collaborate for collaboration on digital inclusion issues. Topics included:
- Successful programs and strategies from the Metrocenter YMCA
- Update from the Washington State Broadband Office
- FCC Proposed Rule for Lifeline and LinkUp Reform
CoDI participants decided to submit comments to the FCC regarding the Lifeline and LinkUp Reform. David Keyes, Community Technology Program Manager at the City of Seattle, has organized the effort.
CoDI meets quarterly in different locations around the state. If you would like to participate in CoDI, please send an e-mail to Amy Hirotaka at ahirotaka@edlabgroup.org.
Partnership with the Microsoft Store
CCN is excited to announce a partnership with the Microsoft Store in Bellevue, WA. The partnership will be kicked-off in mid-May with a networking session in the store's learning center for our CCNP BTOP partners. Later this year, the learning center space will be dedicated to showcasing CCN's programs and successes, with a focus on digital literacy training programs.
UW iSchool Needs Assessment
As we enter the last year of the BTOP grant program, the CCNP is committed to support the sustainability of partner community technology providers and the BTOP investments that have super-charged digital inclusion in Washington state. To help with developing a sustainable future for this important work, the CCNP is partnering with the University of Washington to better understand the most pressing threats to sustainability facing BTOP subrecipient public computing centers and to deliver capacity-building consulting and support to help these providers thrive in a post-BTOP environment. The University of Washington team, headed by Mike Crandall and Samantha Becker, will conduct an initial needs assessment beginning in April with capacity-building activities kicking off this summer.
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| Resources | |
Digital Literacy and Non-Profit Technology
Access to Justice Portals: Chelan, Kalispel, Statewide
These portals provide vital information at Public Law and Justice Computing Centers at Chelan County Superior Court and the Kalispel Tribal Court, and are funded through CCNP BTOP. A statewide portal makes law and justice resources available to all in the court.
Google for Non-Profits
Provides a free or discounted version of Google Apps, free Adwords, and free YouTube branding.
A List Apart
Articles and actionable tips on web content strategy.
Broadband Adoption
Convened researchers to explore broadband adoption as a continuum instead of "haves and have-nots."
BTOP Daily
Online paper gathering social media posts tagged with "BTOP."
Community Broadband Networks
News, information, research, and connections to the national movement of building broadband networks and directly accountable to the communities they serve.
Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband Coalition
Hosting a national conference for anchor institutions, BTOP and BIP awardees, and anyone else (including non-awardees) to explore sustainability strategies for next-generation broadband networks and examine how community anchor institutions can benefit from and leverage these broadband investments to serve their communities. |
| Capacity Building Opportunities | Northwest Justice Project Legal Videos
The Northwest Justice Project (NJP) is creating several compelling, instructive videos on specific legal topics for WashingtonLawHelp.org , the free legal information and interactive-form web service that helps low-income people in Washington find solutions to their civil legal problems. NJP will post English and Spanish versions of all the videos and each will cover the basics of an important legal issue that low-income Washingtonians frequently encounter. There are already videos available in the "Foreclosure Prevention" series: - Foreclosure Mediation Basics
- Foreclosure Mediation: Good Faith (and Not-So-Good)
NJP will be rolling out more videos in the next few months, including: - Fair Hearings Basics
- What is E.P.S.D.T? A Little-Known Benefit (and a Big Help for Kids' Health)
- Tenants, Landlords and the Law
- Tenant Screening: What Tenants Should Know
NJP is also collaborating with partner organizations, TeamChild and the Unemployment Law Project, to produce videos on unemployment benefits and removing legal barriers to full employment: - The Unemployment Law Project: Who We Are & What We Do
- Juvenile Record Sealing Basics
These videos will be hosted on the Northwest Justice Project's YouTube channel, so they will be broadly available and easily found online. Many of the videos also make use of YouTube's "annotations" feature which allows viewers to click in-screen buttons to choose other videos most relevant to them. The videos supplement the detailed printed information resources and interactive legal forms on WashingtonLawHelp.org and will direct potentially eligible people to our free legal services at the Northwest Justice Project. Adding videos to NJP's legal educational outreach toolkit will be a great way for more people to learn about their legal rights, responsibilities and options and will help more Washingtonians find solutions to their civil legal problems. |
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 Leslie Rae Schmitz, Senior Project Director for Digital Inclusion a t lschmitz@edlabgroup.org or 425.477.4741 x 4778.    |
| 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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