Partner Organizations

On This Page Phila Area LibertyNet Neighbors-Online National and Global Community Tech Centers Tech Resource Consort'm Corp for National Service PIAT NTR Support Network How to Contact Us

Philadelphia area organizations Our base of support is a growing cluster of community organizations in the Philadelphia area which work with us to bring the benefits of technology to those most in need. Many of those who are online are on LibertyNet. LibertyNet Some of our past projects are joint projects involving LibertyNet and NTR. For example, in collaboration with the Bridge Project, NTR trainers prepared lesson plans and provided Internet guidance to public school teachers, literacy tutors, and job developers who serve the Empowerment Zones. Another collaboration involving NTR and LibertyNet is the Bread and Roses Project. The project is intended to to ' ... assist workers in the following three areas of interest: (1) Urban community economic development; (2) Social issues relating to the rights of racial, ethnic, and gender minorities; and (3) The needs of poor families raising children. Neighbors-Online One very active discussion forum where many of NTR's projects have been born and raised is neighbors-online List host Ed Schwartz says, 'If you want to keep in touch with neighborhood activists from all parts of Philadelphia, you can subscribe to neighbors-online -- an email list that brings us all together. Send a one-line message -- subscribe neighbors-online -- to majordomo@libertynet.org.' Another regional discussion forum is penn-neighbor mailing list, "... aimed at creating a dialogue among people working to improve urban and suburban neighborhoods throughout the Commonwealth of Pennnsylvania ...' managed by Ed Schwartz, founder and President of the Institute for the Study of Civic Values in Philadelphia. Ed is author of the runaway best-selling book, NetActivism: How Citizens Use the Internet. `This is a handbook for citizens who want to use the Internet as a tool for political empowerment. It also sets forth the philosophy of civic participation and neighborhood revitalization that has guided the Institute for more than 20 years.' To join this mailing list, send mail with body subscribe penn-neighbor to Majordomo@world.std.com. Nationwide and Global Organizations NTR advocates for the Greater Philadelphia region in national and global forums, and plays a prominent role in national technology organizations. Community Technology Centers' Network NTR is a regional affiliate of Community Technology Centers' Network. `CTCNet shares with Playing To Win, its founding organization, a recognition that, in an increasingly technologically dominated society, people who are socially and/or economically disadvantaged will become further disadvantaged if they lack access to computers and computer-related technologies.' CTCNet President Peter Miller in June of 1996 describes Playing to Win as `... a 16 year-old nonprofit originating in Harlem, New York, and nationally recognized as a pioneer and leading advocate of equitable access to computer-based technologies ... built upon the principles that technology is a tool to help participants achieve their own goals ...' [full text] Technology Resource Consortium NTR is a regional affiliate of the Technology Resource Consortium, `... an association of nonprofit Technology assistance organizations that provide education about and access to information technology to private and public nonprofit organizations.' Corporation for National Service John Zelson, of the Corporation for National Service, posted a message to neighbors-online in July in which he describes his efforts to refurbish donated computers to support community organizations through the VISTA volunteers whom he serves. And he describes `The Dream: ...a system where businesses and regulars folks know that when they upgrade they just take the old computer to our recycling warehouse. A group volunteers, tech students, and national service participants repair equipment with the help of instructors. We could supply nonprofits, literacy sites, etc, with equipment and, ultimately, a connection to Internet. Any ideas?' John's vision has energized NTR's hardware refurbishing team, and brought in many eager learners to propel a new project, the Philadelphia Reuse Collaborative fixing donated computers and distributing them to community organizations. Also see History of the Philadelphia Reuse Collaborative for full text of the above-quoted message and other messages about the start of this project. Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) NTR's Director was recently invited to present a talk at a conference on recycled technology for the disabled. This state-wide resource is located here in Philadelphia. Visit PIAT. NTR Support Network NTR owes thanks for its success to legions of past and present supporters -- individuals who have volunteered time or supplied key links to other collaborators. We are especially grateful for the time and energy contributed by our Americorps*VISTA Members. To Contact Nonprofit Technology Resources 1508 Brandywine Street Philadelphia PA 19130 Write to our Director, Stan Pokras. pokras@libertynet.org Or phone the office: 215-564-6686. If Stan's not available, ask for Leora Oliver, NTR's Program Coordinator. Return to NTR's Home Page