The Cleveland Digital Community Project Update

1
The Cleveland Digital CommunityProject Update

• Prepared for the Mayors Cabinet Meeting
• by the Digital Community Advisory Group
• Bill Callahan, Digital Vision
• Kay Soltysiak, IBM

2
Discussion Topics

• Introductions
• Background - Where we started
• Our Journey
• Our Current Situation
• Call to Action

3
Over the last year the City has convened a core
group to meet the challenge of developing a
unified, high-impact strategy to close
Clevelands Digital Divide

• A core Advisory Group was formed to define a more
  strategic work effort
• Dr. Melody Mayberry-Stewart, City of Cleveland
• Bill Callahan, Digital Vision
• Nan McIntyre, ShoreBank
• Tiffany Barnes and Michael Landini, Tri-C
• Cindy Andrews and Kay Soltysiak, IBM
• The to-be state with guiding principles was
  sketched
• Build a smarter more skilled citizenry as it
  relates to computer proficiency
• Every Clevelander should have the access to
  technology and be able to develop those skills
  to Enrich lives, advance their careers, become
  life long learners, and participate in civic
  engagement
• Every citizen should have access to and be able
  use local, state, national and international
  digital information and to use that information
  to better their lives and enhance their community
• Citywide access in the core City of Cleveland and
  begin to close the digital divide
• Broader community support and feedback was
  solicited in a meeting with over 40 community
  representatives in December, 2003 and again
  September, 2004

4
The primary objective is to provide the
fundamental skills and credentials which will
allow all Clevelanders especially lower income
adults - to be part of the global online
information society

• 3 Core Goals
• All Clevelanders will have an opportunity to
  acquire the skills needed for basic computer
  proficiency, network communication, and
  information gathering
• Develop linkages with existing resources to
  enable Clevelanders to use these resources to
  pursue better jobs and educational attainment
• Every Cleveland household, regardless of income,
  that wants a personal computer and Internet
  access will have them
• This will be accomplished by
• Establishing a recognized certification of
  computer literacy and proficiency (e.g. the
  International Computing Driving License (ICDL) or
  Internet and Computing core Certification Program
  (IC3))
• Leveraging our Cleveland-based nationally-recogniz
  ed resources (e.g. Tri-Cs Technology and
  Information Literacy Initiative, Cleveland
  Housing Network, Community Technology Centers,
  OneCleveland) and building on existing capacity
  and capabilities
• Designing a program that is bold and orchestrated
  and scalable - this is not another initiative
  that comes and goes
• Organizing all efforts to fit within the big
  picture/framework (support the vision and goal)

5
We scanned existing programs, service providers
and curricula to identify the delivery system,
partnerships and collaboration necessary to scale
the Digital Community
Level II Beyond IC3 (or ICDL) ?
Our program focuses here
Level I IC3 (or ICDL) standard and credential
Ratchet Up the curricula to teach IC3
Baseline programs today
Inventory curricula capabilities
Individual training programsexisting today
Objective criteria will be established for
participating training centers
6
We have sketched a Model Program that will
provide training, recognized IC3 certification
and technology access for Clevelanders citywide

• Design a high quality training programto earn
  recognized certification
• Train a significant number of under-educated
  adult Clevelanders each year - 30,000 over 5
  years
• Align the model program with provenand
  established learning programs
• GED
• College courses
• Financial literacy
• Family and after school programs
• Workforce Programs
• Entrepreneurship Programs
• Leverage existing and proven capacity within the
  city, where possible, and expand capabilities
• Program graduates can get affordable home
  computers

Entrepreneur- ship Programs
Financial Literacy
GED
Workforce Programs
Digital Community Model Program
Family After School Programs
College Courses
7
The collaboration necessary for the successful
Digital Community includes leadership, program
expertise, and neighborhood partners
Program Expertise
Neighborhood Partners
Leadership

• City Govt
• Schools
• Business
• Champions

• Existing Community Technology Centers
• CDC
• Settlement Houses
• Ward Councilman / woman
• Churches

• Tri-C TILI
• Cleveland Housing Network
• DigitalVision

8
We have drafted a concept paper and begun to
explore federal grant funding to launch the
Digital Community
Impact Poverty Target Audience Non-college
adult lower income Cleveland residents

• The 5-year DigitalCommunity will need funding
  for
• Program Management
• Marketing
• External Program Evaluation
• Instruction
• Center operations facility, technology
• Affordable financing forcomputers for graduates
• Estimates for full citywide Operation are approx.
  4M / year
• Earmark and available funding will dictate the
  launch for digital community

• 120,000 Cleveland households below 35,000 /year
• The Digital Community Program will be over 5
  years
• 30,000 trained/certified over the 5 years
• Impact poverty through the Digital Community

Success Cleveland isTHE Digital Community

• 25 of lower income households will benefit from
  the IC3 certification in 5 years
• Clevelanders are learning and earning in the
  Digital era on a scale never before imagined

9
The Digital Community Advisory Group requests
active participation and support for the Digital
Community from the Mayors Cabinet

• Provide input and feedback to ensure success
• Tell the story
• Keep your eyes and ears tuned to bring other
  resources to the collaboration