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TMF Awards what's hotctcnet confabCTCNet hosts its Fifteenth Annual Conference from July 27-29, in Washington, D.C. The conference will bring together 500 community technology practitioners and supporters from across the nation and deliver 40+ program sessions, half-day training workshops, feature panel discussions, networking and resource-sharing events, local CTC site visits, and more! Go here for more info.  Photoshop personal art by Rectech Teen Lawrence Law
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Greg Nickels, Mayor Department of Information Technology BILL SCHRIER chief technology officer RONA ZEVIN director, office of electronic communications DAVID KEYES manager, community technology program staff  D.H. CASS MAGNUSKI editor |
2006 tmf grants announced
 2006 TMF recipients gather with Council Members Della, Godden, & Licata at City Hall. |
Mayor Greg Nickels announced $104,000 in Technology Matching Fund awards for 13 community projects aimed at helping further digital inclusion. The Bill Wright Technology Matching Fund (TMF) projects will provide education, employment training, survival assistance, civic lessons and leadership training through non-profit organizations across Seattle. These projects will provide education and new opportunities for a wide range of technologically-underserved residents, including youth, seniors, disabled residents, immigrants and refugees.
“Technology can be a powerful tool for building strong communities and creating opportunities for people and neighborhoods to thrive,” Nickels said. “These grants will help some of our neediest residents get the skills and resources they need to reach their goals.”
The projects will explore community issues and provide hands-on opportunities with a variety of digital technologies, including audio, video and robotics. Certain projects will also use web surveying, handheld devices, and streaming video to engage others in the community. These projects will enable disabled children to attend computer camp, neighborhood groups to map their community, and youth to create public service videos for community agencies. These community driven projects will also enable middle schools students to build their academic skills, low-income adults to build business skills, and senior citizens to get active online.
The Matching Fund projects are funded through reinvested revenue the City receives from franchise fees paid by cable operators. These projects further the City’s commitment to education, inclusion and race and social justice.
Here is the list of recipients for 2006. More info in the Mayor's press release.
ArtWorks: $8,560 Artworks Computer Learning Center. Through a graphic design employment program, youth will learn basic computer skills, graphic design skills and basic job search skills.
Delridge Neighborhood Development Association: $6,000
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Youth will learn how to operate a recording studio and to manipulate digital media through classes and open lab time in the new Youngstown arts-oriented media lab.
Hilltop House: $6,500
Enhancing Support. Seniors will have improved access to technology and an opportunity to enhance their computer skills at the Hilltop House Computer Learning Center. This access will help increase their self-sufficiency and reduce isolation.
Municipal League Foundation: $6,990
Seattle Civic Engagment Project. Residents will have the opportunity to learn about civic issues and participate through web surveys, discussion forums, and streaming video. The Municipal League will analyze and report the results to participants, policy makers and the media.
Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA): $8,500
Greenwood Senior Center Digital Literacy Program. PNA will implement a digital media literacy program to help seniors find, critically evaluate, and effectively apply information from digital media sources, as well as produce their own media content.
Provail: $9,500
Computer Camp for Children with Disabilities. Underserved children with disabilities will be able to attend a weeklong camp where they will learn to use computers, adaptive equipment and specialized hardware and software. Parents will have an opportunity to understand the equipment and skills learned, and learn how to obtain appropriate technology.
Reel Grrls: $9,500
Media That Matters Summer Program. Teenage girls will increase their media production and project management skills. Participants will produce videos for selected community nonprofits.
Seattle MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement): $9,500
Seattle MESA Robotics Academy. Students will learn computer programming through a fun, hands-on, collaborative robotics project and competition.
Sustainable Seattle: $9,500
Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods Initiative. Youth will be trained to serve as field assistants for community street-level surveys in 10 Seattle neighborhoods. They will help volunteers use handheld computers, digital cameras, and other technologies to collect data and communicate community priorities.
Technology Access Foundation (TAF): $5,000
TechStart Expansion Project. TAF will expand their TechStart after-school programming to middle school students of color at the Rainier Beach Community Technology Center. This program introduces technology through engaging lessons that strengthen students’ math and reading skills and instill a love of learning.
Tigrean Community Association: $6,500
Integrating Technology into Daily Life. Ethiopian immigrants and refugees will learn basic computer skills in an atmosphere where technology is used as a dynamic learning environment linking schools, government resources and instant communication to distant families.
Washington Asian Pacific Islander Families Against Substance Abuse (WAPIFASA): $9,500
API Youth Voices. Young Asian and Pacific Islanders will learn media literacy skills and how to use audio and video technology to engage their peers in conversations about social justice and community development issues, such as gang culture and the immigrant and refugee experience.
Washington CASH (Community Alliance for Self-Help): $8,450
Computer Resource Center Usage Expansion. Low-income entrepreneurs will increase their potential for business success through computer workshops that teach focused content and experiential learning techniques, as well as new one-on-one technical assistance in the computer lab.
Rona Zevin, director of the Office of Electronic Communications, is retiring from the City of Seattle after 30 years of service. Rona has been responsible for overseeing the development of seattle.gov from a bulletin board service to an international award-winning web site. In Seattle and internationally, she has been a strong champion for cities' work to close the digital divide, ensuring that web services are available to all, and that electronic tools be applied to increase residents' opportunity to participate in government. Rona helped establish the City's Community Technology Program and the Technology Matching Fund. She also led the evolution of the City television channel from a limited meeting coverage channel to a diversely programmed democracy portal, now known as the SeattleChannel. She has been in the frontlines, advocating for consumer and public interests during cable franchise negotiations. Prior to working for the Department of Information Technology and its numerous predecessor departments, she oversaw the community development block grant program and helped the City create its low-income housing levy. Her legacy will continue to live on in low-income families' access to apartments and computers, in organizations that offer Internet, in customers that get cable bill help, in the eyes of the SeattleChannel's audience and in those fantastic Seattle.gov web visitor stats. See it online or on cable. For streaming video or the cable schedule go to seattlechannel.org and search for Community Stories. Evolving Identities: Kathie and Kaitlin are two lesbians from diverse backgrounds. Kathie has been active in the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender and people of color communities for over twenty years and has witnessed the changes from the pre-Civil Rights era through today while Kaitlin, a regular participant at Lambert House, a drop-in center for LGBT and questioning youth, is active in Seattle's LGBT youth community at the age of 19. While Kathie and Kaitlin represent the "then and now" of the lesbian activist community, their stories of coming out and volunteering are much the same. Hilda Magaña: Hilda Magaña left her rural Mexican home at 19, in search of a better life. With her small son Alex in tow, she endured a harrowing journey across the border, and arrived in Seattle feeling lost and homesick. Through El Centro de la Raza, the 33-year-old locus for Seattle's Latino community, Hilda was able integrate her identity as an immigrant and is currently the director of the nationally recognized bilingual José Martí Child Development Center. Hilda now feels pride and love for both of the cultures in her life: Mexican and American.
A new book about new technologies, social inclusion and adult education has just been released. Digital Nations in the Making provides a comparative study of the USA, Canada and the UK, exploring how governments, educational institutions, and voluntary and community bodies are deploying digital and web-based technologies to promote post-school education and community development. The book examines how adult participation in learning can be widened effectively with learning provided in dispersed and multi-centre teaching environments so that learners can progress through flexible learning programs which are responsive to their needs, build confidence and offer opportunities for progression, achievement and skills acquisition. Written by Ian Harford of the Community Grid for Learning in Manchester, England, the book includes the work of community technology centers in Seattle, the City of Seattle Community Technology Program and the Seattle Public Library, and Seattle Public Schools' work at New Holly. For details, go here. Ian has published additional information and resources on a companion blog. US-CERT continues to receive reports of phishing scams that target online users. Recently, the phishing scam targeted the customers of Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC) insured institutions. Customers of FDIC institutions received a spoofed email message, which claims that their account is in violation of the Patriot Act, and that FDIC insurance has been removed from their account until their identity can be verified. The message provides a link to a malicious web site which prompts users to enter their customer account and identification information. If you were affected by the FDIC phishing scam, please refer to the FDIC Consumer Alert for assistance. US-CERT confirms that the federal agencies including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mentioned in the fraudulent email have not sent out an email that requests customer account or identification information. US-CERT encourages non-federal agencies and other users to report phishing incidents to report phishing incidents to OnGuard Online, a consortium of Federal Agencies. Additionally, users are encouraged to take the following measures to prevent phishing attacks from occurring: Post these tips in your center and pass them along. City of Seattle Youth Arts Program Kobe Foundation Social Justice Fund Cultural Grant Google In-Kind Ad Grants Hub finder for accessible technology products and services:
The Alliance for Technology Access has a wide range of information and best practices for connecting children and adults with disabilities to technology tools. Their new Hub finder allows you to easily locate tools and services. Accessible design: How to design your web pages to increase readability and reach a greater audience. Arts and Learning Difficulties:
A profile of an arts project for adults with learning difficulties. Skills for the Information Age (SFIA):
The Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) provides a common reference model for the identification of the skills needed to make use of and work in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. It was developed to to encourage appropriate skills development of staff in the United Kingdom IT industry. Free video clips:
Archive.org offers a wealth of footage, royalty-free and open for everyone to use. Safari browser issues: Newer versions of Safari used with Mac computers experience problems logging on to some WiFi access points. Try using another browser, such as Firefox, to log on. Once connected, users will be able to browse normally with Safari. Windows wireless and security: The Microsoft Windows wireless network connection software is designed to automate your connection to WiFi, but it also creates an automatic connection that can pose a security risk by connecting you without your permission. The first time you connect to a WiFi access point, the wireless network connection software creates a new profile and assumes you want to automatically connect whenever that access point is in range. To delete these profiles or change the setting on how you connect to that access point, right click on the wireless network icon in your tray (lower right screen). Select "view available network," then "Change Advanced Settings." In the "Wireless Connection Network Properties" box, choose the top tab for "wireless networks." You can then manage your connections in the "Preferred Networks" section. You can delete unwanted access points, or pick one of the WiFi connections listed there and then choose "Properties." In the tab marked "connection," there is a check box entitled "Connect when this network is in range." Deselect this box; unfortunately Microsoft has it programmed to be checked as a default. Firewall: Lastly, remember to have a firewall turned on when you use WiFi. More on this another time. For more info, go here.
rona zevin to retire;
leaves digital legacy
community stories: evolving identities & hilda magaña
digital nations in the making
s.e.c.u.r.i.t.y
more on phishing scams
d.o.l.l.a.r.s
Deadline: July 31
Provides funds for out-of-school arts training for middle school and high school youth in Seattle.
Deadline: September 14
Provides funds for specific, hands-on projects such as youth building programs in underprivileged areas, business field trip tours, and outdoor programs to clean up area parks or opportunities to develop artistic skills.
Deadline: September 25
Provides funds for social change groups partnering with artists to build capacity to incorporate the arts and cultural expression into ongoing program work. Also funds groups using the arts or cultural expression to promote progressive ideas and to empower communities facing institutional discrimination, exploitation or oppression.
Deadline: Ongoing
Provides an in-kind advertising opportunity through its Google Grants by driving web traffic to the sites of featured nonprofits. Consider applying if your agency focuses on science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, or the arts.l.i.n.k.a.g.e
t.e.c.h.t.i.p
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