• Email Listserv. The CTCNet listserv allows members to ask questions of the entire CTC community. Topics include software, hardware, programming, and much more.
• Startup Manual. The CTCNet Startup Manual addresses how to start and run a CTC. This valuable manual is available for free from the CTCNet web site (www.ctcnet.org).
• Newsletter.
• Annual Conference. The annual CTCNet conference is a fantastic networking opportunity, with a wide range of wonderful, pertinent workshops.

Stan also noted that Steve Ronan, the network manager of CTCNet, is one of the great people behind the technology. Steve is the listserv manager, and he does an excellent job of keeping the discussion together, and keeping folks informed.

On a final note, Stan reminded participants that the packet everyone picked up at registration contains a CTCNet membership form. Stan encouraged everyone to consider becoming a member of this great community.

Jeannette spoke about the lessons she learned as interim director of MACC, during the first six months of service.

Jeannette stressed that the community you are serving drives the CTC. Her community of Mt. Airy is known for diversity, both racially and socio-economically. It was important for MACCC to cater to these diverse needs, and to help strengthen and preserve this diversity.

MACCC developed from the collaboration of many partners in Mt. Airy. These partners provided resources and helped MACCC to know its population. The Schools Committee helped with youth issues, while the Business Association sponsored a computer refurbishing project. A local organization, Mt. Airy Learning Tree, worked with MACCC to obtain funding for a lab.

Once challenge MACCC has faced is keeping its technology up to date. Right now the lab is using dial-up Internet access with a web ramp. This works, but DSL would improve connectivity greatly. This option is not yet affordable to MACCC.

MACCC's board is very important to the organization. The board members each have a stake in the organization, a connection to the community, and the board is racially diverse as a reflection of the community. The board has a hands-on committee structure.

MACCC realizes that identifying the real needs of the community is very important, but is struggling with how to reach the population. The board has been helpful to this end. Jeannette also spoke about a survey which has gone out to the community, and has been helpful in measuring needs. The survey has also been important in collecting data for fundraising purposes.

Turning the Tide (TIDE stands for Technology and Information Delivered for Empowerment) is operated at a church located in West Philadelphia at 61^st and Osage Avenue. Turning the Tide renovated the second floor of the church with a technology center, and May 2001 was the grand opening of the center.

Jonathan Ford spoke of the training classes offered to the community in MSOffice, with a Saturday focus on Senior Citizen students. Turning the Tide also explores financial management issues in classes for small non-profits and businesses.

Turning the Tide is fully funded by the church at this point, although Rev. Ford is interested in exploring other funding possibilities.

Rev. Ford stressed that with a CTC you must be committed to what you are doing. He also described his firm commitment to partnerships.

Turning the Tide has received a small grant from the University of Pennsylvania to collaborate with Catholic Social Services and another church located nearby at 63^rd and Cedar. Rev. Ford spoke of collaboration as providing the greatest benefit to the target population.

Third Panelist: Darin Kenley, Kids Computer Workshop, Washington D.C.

Darin began his presentation by noting that he was recruited to present at this meeting via the CTCNet listerv, just one example of the usefulness of this networking and community building resource.

Darin spoke about how his organization has shifted from closing the "digital divide" to focusing on the academic divide. Reading and analytical skills are important to have in order to use the computer and the Internet. It is necessary that we address the need for these skills with today's students.

Darin stressed that choosing smart partnerships is key. Poor partnerships can lead to the downfall of your program. But, making mistakes helps you to learn how to do things the next time. Money as a motivation for partnerships should not be the most important thing. The people you serve should be your focus.

Marketing is also very important for CTCs. It is key to figure out what your community wants, and to provide guidance to help them decide what they want. Darin suggested having community folks involved in the CTC's planning process.

Another challenge Darin mentioned was lack of planning. He emphasized that it is critical to set aside planning time, even if it means closing the doors to your CTC for a couple of crucial days.

Darin shared with the audience his experiences in the first operational months of Kids Computer Workshop, in which he did not realize how many other CTC's were in close proximity. The lesson learned is that community mapping is critical. Darin is now working to create larger neighborhood networks, and collaborating with the offerings of other CTCs.

Darin emphasized that the CTCNet Start-up Manual is a great resource, and warned folks not to stick in on a shelf, but to use it! Another good CTCNet resource is the CTC Leadership Development Institutes—which provide a retreat-type atmosphere to help folks plan. He urged audience members to take advantage of this underutilized resource.

Another suggestion from Darin—don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to curriculum. There is a lot out there, take a look and see what you can adapt for what you’re doing. Also, take advantage of in-kind donations from corporations, such as software. Your center can receive a software application, and in turn the corporation gets a user-tested product.

Some web resources Darin provided for the audience:

• www.ncrel.org Free/low cost educational and after school resources
• www.innonet.org Professional development series for non-profits, with online templates and tools
• www.cyberlearning.org Online courses and distance learning resources.

Darin concluded by reminding audience members to make sure to look into your community for resources that are already available, instead of reinventing the wheel.

Michele has been overseeing the development six CTC sites. Prior to this, she had no knowledge of CTCs, and didn’t even know what the term "digital divide" meant. But, thanks to having the CTCNet manual on hand, she was able to gain an understanding of community technology and had the resources to get started on developing centers.

Delaware Tech was developed to serve low-income residents in Delaware’s Enterprise Zone. It took one year just to get the basics—working labs with computers, printers and Internet access.

Attendance was a problem at the beginning. Delaware Tech was faced with the question: "Who are we going to train?" Michele’s challenge is to support each center in becoming sustainable. These issues are being dealt with by working with community resources and community members.

Michele mentioned an additional CTCNet resource which has helped her in her work: the CTCNet conference, which has provided invaluable resources and connections.

Stan began his introduction of Stephanie by noting that although both do CTC work in Philadelphia, they met only while attending a CTCNet conference across the country in San Diego. This fact stressed both that the CTCNet conferences are invaluable networking opportunities, and that a regional CTCNet meeting was long over due in Philadelphia!

Reboot began with one grant of $25,000, $15,000 if which went towards software. Reboot opened with two centers, and found a niche by focusing on getting folks employed (modeled after Byte Back in Washington D.C.). Reboot got started by partnering with organizations in the community that are already providing an employment development service.

Stephanie reiterated with other panelists have stressed: choose your partners wisely. One partner of Reboot had proven to be more of a challenge than an asset.

Reboot offers 20 classes per week, during the evenings. All teachers are volunteers, and students give back to Reboot by volunteering their time at the center in some capacity.

500 students utilized Reboot the first year. This number was so high because Reboot was partnering with Welfare to Work agencies who were referring students. 260 students took more than one class, a percentage that is normal for CTCs.

At first, all Reboot classes were offered for free. However, only half of the folks who signed up for classes would actually show up for the first class. Reboot decided to charge a one time $20 registration free for classes; now, 80% of folks who sign up for classes actually attend the classes.

Stephanie urged the audience to know what your strengths are, and don’t go to broad beyond these strengths. Reboot, in addition to an employment focus, tried to reach out to senior citizens and children. But, they just didn’t have the resources to meet these additional community needs.

Stephanie also stressed that getting neighborhood feedback is essential. Reboot does this with their community advisory committee.

Stephanie ended with some grant making suggestions, which is her background. In your fundraising budget, 50% should come from individuals, 25% from government, and 25% from foundations. Although these percentages are hard to meet, this is what your organization should be striving for.

Q: Can we get contact information, including phone numbers, of the presenters?

A: This will be provided with additional follow up information to be mailed out.

Q: How do you deal with the issue of technical support for low-income folks at home?

A: -MACCC is working to create a helpdesk in the community. Still trying to figure out the logistics to make this happen. Some folks have brought their computers into the center for help, but this process has not been formalized.

-Michele noted that DelTech college in Wilmington offers A++ certification. She suggested the possibility of tapping into these students as a resource.

-Darin mentioned a program in D.C. which pays students to go through training as a tech team. The students would eventually go into homes, offering tech support and in-home training. He noted that schools often have these programs, as Service Learning is a requirement for schools in D.C. (as it is in Philadelphia).

-One audience member warned of liability issues involved with going into the homes.

Q: How do you handle the disposal of unusable computer equipment?

A: –Stephanie: Reboot won’t take unusable computer equipment. It’s important to know what you can use and what you can’t.

Q: If you have equipment that gets damaged, what do you do?

A: -Darin: Partner with an organization that takes this kind of stuff (like Elemental or Nonprofit Technology Resources in Philadelphia).

Q: Does anyone offer classes for parents and Children together?

A: -Turning the Tide offers classes for adults and teens together.

Q: There are not a lot of resources in Southern New Jersey. Does anyone know of similar programs in New Jersey?

A: -Stan: take a look at the CTCNet member list, a handout at the registration desk. Also, CTCNet members can use the CTCNet listserv to reach out to local programs.

Q: What problems have you had with partnerships? What are you looking for in partnerships?

A: Darin: be clear up front! Have an "out"! The challenge is partners who do not provide what they are supposed to be bringing to the partnership. It is important to communicate roles upfront, and put it on paper.

-Stephanie: Have a trial period for partnerships, of 3 months or so. Allow time to assess the partnership. Check out your potential partner with other community groups.

Darold spoke to the audience about what the city of Philadelphia is doing to address the digital divide.

Currently, the city has 2500 public access computers. The Free Library of Philadelphia hosts 720 of these computers. CTCs should look at how they can partner with the library and their computer labs.

In the School District of Philadelphia, all schools are connected to the Internet. There are 19 Community Technology Education Centers (C-Techs). The city and the school district are working to get these labs open after school hours, so that the community can take advantage of the resources.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Community Service provide technology training for the community. PHA has a van equipped with online computers which travels to housing facilities throughout Philadelphia.

The Police Athletic League has 13 locations and is working with Comcast to get cable-connected.

Many of the city’s recreation programs are eligible to receive computer labs through the city. The city is planning on getting hardware and software for these labs, and to have the centers open 8 hours a day to the community. Another goal is to bring Oracle and Cisco Academies to the centers.

The city is also working to establish an office of community technology. This office would provide resources such as becoming an ISP of last resort for the community, and providing technology training for the community.

Darold ended with some fundraising suggestions. City money is in children and after school programs. State money is in workforce development. Focusing on these issues in your grant writing will help to ensure funding streams for your program.

Pat stressed that we all need to work together to pool resources. A model to empower residents is important-- ownership is key. Our bottom line is the people we are serving.

Pat reiterated that it is important to use what we have, and not re-invent the wheel. We should be using our established centers, not building new ones. There should be more partnerships and sharing of resources. We need to find a way to maximize the use of the facilities which are already in place.

Some challenges to CTCs include lack of training materials and relevant content, scarce resources, language/literacy barriers, and funding.

Beth offered her important perspective on funding to the audience.

The Department of Education is focusing on four things, in terms of providing funding:

• Need for accountability
• Parental involvement and advice
• Research-based practices
• Access and connectivity for every child

The Department of Ed web site provides a wide range of resources to help folks focus their funding proposals.

CTC grant announcements will be coming out in the next few weeks. This may be the last year for CTC funding as it now stands. The money will most likely move from the federal government to the states, leaving it up to the states to direct the funds to programs. Thus it is important to start building connections with educational technology folks at the state level now.

Beth stressed that programs should not go after money just for the money—don’t compromise your goals for the funding.

Beth left the audience with a variety of print resources, as well as a suggestions to check out the department of education web site for funding opportunity listings and additional resources.

Janice opened by noting that one in every five people has a disability. She posed the following questions to the audience:

• Is your building accessible?
• Are you aware of software accessibility and adaptive equipment?
• Is your web site accessible?

People with disabilities can really benefit from computers. Homebound folks using computers for email, shopping, and web browsing are not as socially isolated as they would be without the technology. Additionally, computers make disabled folks more competitive in the marketplace.

Unfortunately, people with disabilities access computers and the Internet half as much as the rest of the population. Little is known in community programs about accessibility issues. Additionally, providing accessible technology can be expensive.

The Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology is a state-wide program; Philadelphia is the central office, housed in the Institute for Disabilities at Temple University. The Initiative provides information and referral services to the community. Phone number 1.800.204.PIAT (7428).

The initiative includes a library through which programs and individuals can borrow assistive technology devices for a six week period, free of charge. The equipment is delivered and picked up by UPS.

There is a similar lending program in every state. To find out more, call 703.524.6686 or go to www.resna.org and click on Technology Assistance Project.

The United Way is looking at how they provide technical service to the community through the United Way Teaming for Technology program.

Stephen urged folks to look at an important local volunteer site: www.volunteerway.org. This site is being promoted in the corporate community, helping to ensure that high tech volunteers will be available on the site to assist local CTCs.

Teaming for Technology is providing training and staff development to programs at nominal or no charge. See David Wendt or Stephen Rockwell to be added to the program’s mailing list, to find out more about the program.

Teaming for Technology is also working on a technical service directory database. This database is being beta-tested in the resource room. Stephen requested that folks who have time after the meeting take a look a the database.

Stephen also mentioned Gifts in Kind, a program regionally run by the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, as an important resource. Members can receive software and hardware at very low cost.

Teaming for Technology is also in the process of building a network for computer recycling, along with Stan Pokras of NTR, Edison Freire from the School District of Philadelphia, and Amy Brezin at the EPA.

Stephen spoke of the United Way corporate campaign as a means to get excess hardware equipment through the United Way.

The City of Philadelphia, United Way, and School District of Philadelphia have applied for a CTC grant to bring technology resources to the Philadelphia community. This partnership is open to others—look for more information soon!

Neighbors Online is a six year old local community resource (www.phillyneighborhoods.org), which includes census data, grants, community sites, and more. Neighbors Online is an information portal for the Philadelphia Community.

In addition to web resources, Ed noted how important email has become. Before the technology, there was no way to discourse collectively when everyone was not in the same place. Now there are listservs, and Neighbors Online hosts several local listservs.

• FAN—Family Advocacy Network.
• Neighbors Online
• Philly School
• Youth Support Network
• NOL-Philadelphia

To find out more about these listservs, and to join the discussion, visit www.phillyneighborhoods.org.

Ed spoke about how these lists are very important in providing content to the community. The Internet helps make government more accessible to folks, and helps meet community development goals.

This meeting, with the wide variety of wonderful panelists and resources, did not allow time for a discussion of next steps. However, Stan suggested to keep in mind January for the next regional meeting. He will establish a listserv comprised of all of today’s participants, to communicate about next steps. Stan will also send out the contact information for the speakers on this listserv.