Community Based training: new models of education and training

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Community Based training new models of
education and training

• Kate Snow
• President, CTCNet
• Director, Technology Center at
• Codman Square Health Center

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CTCs are piloting and succeeding with all kinds
of models

• Locations Video access center, churches,
  community centers, libraries, community
  development organizations, housing
• Offering After-school, adult training,
  pre-school, in-school,
• Models differ often in how they are funded
• Federal government
• State government - often education
• Private and corporate foundations
• Fee for service
• Business income

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The Trend in Collaboratives

• Lowell Technology Consortium - 11? Sites in the
  City of Lowell who work together to
• Allston/Brighton Technology Collaborative - 11
  sites sharing teachers, lab space, applying for
  grants together
• RTPNet - North Carolina
• Computers In Our Future - California

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Two Examples from Boston, Massachusetts

• Codman Square CyberShop
• Technology Goes Home

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Why Codman Square? Why a Health Center?

• Boston in the 1970s
• Neighborhood group
• To save a building
• To save a neighborhood
• To bring in needed services

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Codman Square

• About 50,000 people
• 15,000 are under the age of 18
• 50 moved to US in last 5 years
• 14 unemployment (5 times the City rate)
• 20 live at or below poverty level
• 69 households are low or moderate income
• 68 Black, 22 White, 4 Latino, 2 Asian, and 4
  Other.
• 24 are immigrants
• 58 of households in Codman Square are single
  headed
• 100 of youth served by Codman Square Health
  Center (CSHC) receive subsidized lunches

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Why Technology?

• Hiring
• Neighborhood needs
• Its not infant mortality rates, its jobs, youth
  and safety.

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Codman Square CyberShop
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Codman Square CyberShop

• Began as an idea for a web-design business
• Startup grant paid 12 teens to work for one
  summer and build a business
• Initial goal was computer training for teens

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CyberShop Summer 1998

• Converting an abandoned wig shop
• Learning and applying academic skills
• Learning and applying life skills
• Creating something of their own.

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CyberShop Summer 1999

• Moving to and redesigning new space.
• Expanding marketing.

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CyberShop Summer 2000

• Planning and designing signage.
• Learning web design.

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Why a success?

• Its a real job in a real business.
• Partnerships.

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Key Partnerships

• Downtown corporation.
• City of Boston Summer Youth Employment Fund.
• Local merchants and business owners.
• Giving back to other community organizations.

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Business Mentors

• Harvard Business Schools students.
• Business owners as colleagues.
• Visible signs of success.

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Giving Back

• Robin A teaches a new computer owner how to set
  up her computer.

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How now? The 450 Working Group

• Its a building, again.
• The facts
• Mailing list
• Meetings
• Newsletter
• Its not extra.

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Process and Products

• Guide to Local Computer Resources
• Dept of Education CTC Application
• Millennium Committee
• Technology Goes Home
• Other
• partnerships.

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Outcomes

• Community members see us working together
• Neighborhood Council, TGH, Millennium
• Important in a community whose strength has been
  in part its organizations
• Funding community sees us working together
• In the long run, it makes life easier.

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Technology Goes Home

• partnership between city, corps and community
  agencies

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Using TechnologyTo Build Community

• Technology Goes Home
• in Codman Square

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Technology Goes Home - Boston
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Key Partners

• Industry HiQ Computers
• Government City of Boston, Mayor Menino
• NGO Codman Square Health Center

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Neighborhood Partners

• Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club
• Citizen Schools
• Codman Square Branch Library
• Codman Square YMCA
• Grace Church of All Nations
• MUSIC
• Prep Computer Program of Bruce Wall Ministries
• http//www.tghboston.org/neighborhoods.html

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Each Partner NGO Commits To

• Team Member and/or teacher
• Families
• Computer access, if possible
• Other donations
• CDs, articles, etc.

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Codman Square Provides

• Staff coordinator
• Computer lab and social space
• Copies, supplies, snacks, etc.

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Selection Process

• Each partner solicits four applications
• All twenty reviewed by whole Codman team
• Criteria income, goals, commitment
• Each family interviewed by at least 2 partners
• Key moment for setting expectations

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Expectations

• That families will attend all training and
  practice sessions
• One child/one adult from each family
• Same child/same adult from each
• That family demonstrates competency in order to
  receive computer
• Contract

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Curriculum

• Computer assembly, troubleshooting
• Windows, Word processing
• Installing software
• Internet searching, communicating
• A little Excel, a little graphics

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Teaching

• Each team member taught at least one session
• Consistent staff throughout
• Class on Tuesday Practice on Thursday
• Parent child learn together
• Project-based work
• Helpers City Year, other volunteers

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• What did you think about working with your
  child/parent at the computer?

• I thought it was pretty good because every
  Tuesday and Thursday I had something to do with
  my father.

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The Intranet Linking Up Villages Web Site

• Practice site for e-mail, web
• To note progress
• To bring community members together
• Ongoing technical support
• www.tghboston.org

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Assessments Are Families Ready?

• Can they assemble the pieces?
• Have them come to or made up all the sessions?
• Family Internet Policy
• Troubleshooting Tip Sheet
• Letter to the Mayor
• Presentation to the Group

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Social Capital needs Social Investment

• Fun
• Food snacks and final celebration
• Time
• Space
• That extra something

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Outcomes

• Families with access and training
• Stronger families
• A healthier, better-connected neighborhood
• Stronger relationships between the partners
• Ongoing programs

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Key Elements

• High standards all around
• Strong organizational collaboration
• Strong family-organization link
• Good and constant communication
• Focus on team

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Challenges

• Tech Support
• Transportation and child care
• Clear communication with city/corporate partners
• How to expand

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Favorite Thing?

• Meeting with the other families.
• working with all kinds of people.
• My classmates were helpful to me
• Coming together with the families, teachers and
  helpers.
• The way all 10 families bonded together.

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Im so happy about taking this program that even
if I dont receive a free computer, I feel
satisfied.
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Put it this way, Im a changed man.
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Technology Goes Home
Its about building community.
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For more information

• To learn more about the Codman Square Health
  Centers program of the Boston Technology Goes
  Home Pilot, please contact
• Kate Snow
• Codman Square Health Center
• Civic Health Institute
• 637 Washington Street
• Dorchester, MA 02124
• [phone]
• Kate.Snow_at_codman.org