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Forum to Plan 2005 Conference

Agenda, with Presentation Materials and Notes

9:00-10:00: Welcome/Introductions/Who's Doing What (3-Minute Madness)

• Welcome: RTPnet, Judy Hallman
• TechCoop
  • Triangle United Way, Shelly Bowers-Roghelia
    Notes: has an online volunteer match system
  • Teaming for Technology (T4T), Shelly Bowers-Roghelia
    Notes: Unemployed IT pros. are volunteering. Teaming for Technology, supported by IBM and Triangle United Way, collects and refurbishes computers and printers for nonprofits.
  • RTPnet, Mike Rulison
• GCF Global Learning®, Courtney Hottel
  Notes: Free computer training. Go to www.gcflearnfree.org for an array of online courses. They maintain a computer learning center on West Hargett St.
• Winston-Salem State University Community Knowledge Centers, Vera Stepp (one-page handout -- Web page or download MS Word)
  Notes: Have some computer centers in churches, as well as a day shelter for the homeless. They are now serving 25,000 citizens.
• NC Digital Bridge, Sonja Murray
  Notes: See The Beehive, especially the section on Money.
• Making the Net Work's, Terry Grunwald
  Notes: Reality checks. Community Tech card game involves stakeholders in community work. Groups discuss and plan what sort of online activities they might be interested in - before they lay hands on a keyboard.
• KidzConnect Computer Club, Carol Shay (one-page handout -- Web page or download MS Word)
  Notes: When they graduate from training, they receive a refurbished computer.
• CLICK--Creating Literacy in Computer Knowledge, ISIS Program, Duke University, Chad Custer (one-page handout -- Web page or download MS Word)
  Notes: Offers curriculum for youth free online. Aimed at helping kids pass computer competency tests.
• Community Networking, Steve Snow, Community Consulting Inc., (one-page handout -- Web page or download MS Word)
• NC Health Info, Rachel Wilfert
  Notes: Community info about diseases, help, drugs. Helps you search for local health services in your community plus linked to a national library of health info.
• ibiblio, Paul Jones
  Notes: Software sharing and software development, open source software advocates. Some interesting projects include the Degree Confluence Project and Documenting the American South.
• NC HungerNetwork, Shirley McClain
  Notes: Low-income women trained to improve their life quality.
• Adriana Labardini, from Mexico, Humphrey Fellow at UNC
• North Carolina National Engineers Week Coalition, Mark Smith, (one-page handout -- Web page or download .rtf file)
• Wade Edwards Learning Lab (WELL), Sarah Lowder
  Notes: After school program located on St Marys St with 30-40 computers.

10:00-10:15: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools: Lessons Learned
Mike Cureton, Home Loaner Project Coordinator, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Presentation -- Web page or download PowerPoint
Notes: There is a new digital divide: dialup vs. broadband. The network slows down dramatically when kids get home from school, if their access is dialup. Create value in the computer given to the student so that it is used and taken care. Families need to understand the power of home connectivity. First we need to solve language issues and secondly tech issues. If it is not properly set up, configured, and working, they quit using it. Parents must be trained to help their children. This needs patience time and creativity. Thin client system so that students can have the same desktop look at home as they do in school. The schools finance the ISP service, but they run into difficulty with homes who do not have phone service. Lessons learned: (1) Parents have to buy in to having this tool in the house. They need to see that the kids can continue to use it to learn. (2)Since they are giving the tools away, parents have no buy-in, they associate no value to it.

10:15-10:30: WinstonNet: Building a Community-Based Technology Infrastructure
Ryan Scholl, Director, Tech Initiatives, Wake Forest University
Presentation -- Web page or download PowerPoint
One-page handout -- Web page or download MS Word
Notes: Many partners. Grant funded and funded by partner organizations. Using Pentium 1 and 2 machines. Thin client computing model used -- five Citrix servers are at the Forsyth Technical Community College. Free to users. Very mobile environment -- people can move from lab to lab and have access to their files. 18 recreation centers have computer labs. Currently have about 300 computers and 1,200 accounts. Users growing exponentially. How do you get kids to use the computers at the labs? A lot came voluntarily. Some were required to spend time in the computer lab before using basketball facilities. If computer skills are low at school, a letter will be sent home requiring them to sign up for a lab. All staff are volunteers -- individuals or thru their organization. Started in homes, but because of issues moved out into CTCs

10:30-11:00: Break

11:00-11:30: Learning Technologies
Jeff Cobb, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Isoph
Celisa Steele, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Isoph
Presentation -- Web page or download PowerPoint
Notes: Elearning company for non-profits. online learning to: (1) Train staff, volunteers, clients (2) Extend range of services (3) Cultivate and retain donors (4) Boost public education and advocacy initiatives. Case Studies: (1) Planned Parenthood: joined national with affiliates; anywhere access to training modules (2) Leader to Leader Institute: extended service; live online sessions and discussion boards (3) National Wildlife Federation: public education, wildlife university, and self-paced modules. Good resources include: www.goodwilltraining.org, http://tutorials.findtutorials.com, www.brandonhall.com, www.elearningguild.com, www.isophinstitute.com/sophist.aspx. Free demonstration courses and online learning sessions and free trial versions of authoring tools (see Isoph Institute ). E-learning is more effective than traditional learning in some areas. Takes less time than face to face, schedule flexibility, better results, and lower dropout rate because it is more convenient to students needs and times.

11:30-11:45: Future for NC Information Infrastructure Networks
Jane Smith Patterson, Executive Director, e-NC
Presentation -- Web page or download PowerPoint
Notes: e-NC is focused on last mile access, believing that connectivity tracks economics. Good statistics in the presentation. e-NC.org will help people find the data they need. Jane mentioned the Grid Computing Initiative -- go to www.e-nc.org and search for 'grid', and she referred to the New Brunswick Canada sustainability model -- www.gnb.ca

11:45-12:00: Meeting Needs for Recycling
Shelly Bowers-Roghelia, Teaming for Technology, Triangle United Way
Notes: T4T takes used computers from donors and cleans them up, then gives them back to non-profits. Need to be a 501(c)(3) to get computers, but individuals can obtain computers _through_ a 501(c)(3). T4T receives a yearly donation from IBM (including a variety of hardware devices) that they in turn give out to their clients -- check website for information. Recycling Web site at www.rtpnet.org/recycle/ includes link to items T4T accepts for donation and those they do not accept. Placed 817 computers in 2003, about 100 computers each month so far in 2004. T4T is a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (in order to be a licensed Microsoft refurbisher you must refurbish at least 50 computers per year). Microsoft has an annual refurbishers conference – MAR. Shelly wants to start a State refurbisher association. If interested, contact her.

Roger Deora, SIMPUTER (USA), Charlotte
Notes: Your Trash is our Treasure. Started in 2002. Focusing on fixing up computers for school children. Wants to give kids computers at home, not at libraries. Needs computers -- Pentium II on up. 8-week certificate training program. Fix just the box, then assemble all and you get a certificate. We empowered them and they helped us. We don’t have $ we have people working for us.

12:00-12:30: Tech LinkUp
Tech LinkUp is a service that links together technology needs and resources to support nonprofit organizations.
Dan Brussee, Software Engineer, Better Way Computing
Jackie Helvey, Artist/Web Site Designer, UniqueOrn Enterprises
Judy Hallman, Tech LinkUp Project Coordinator, RTPnet
Notes: Good search site for volunteers, projects, organizations, and sponsors. Who would use it: volunteers with time, businesses with equipment, organizations with needs, and sponsors with money.

12:30-1:30 Lunch: Topic Tables

• CLICK--Creating Literacy in Computer Knowledge
• Community Networking
• Online Learning
• Disabilities

1:30-2:00: The TOP Grant Round
Amy Borgstrom, Program Officer, Technology Opportunities Program, U.S. Department of Commerce
Presentation -- Web page or download PowerPoint
Notes: Deadline is April 27th. Theme for this year is "Foster innovation through competition." Project innovation counts for 30% of score. FY04 Program Priorities: (1) Job creation (2) Economic development (3) New ways of doing business (4) Wireless technologies (5) Workforce retraining (6) Microbusiness

2:00-2:30: What Role for Wireless?
Jim Gogan, Director Networking and Communications, UNC-Chapel Hill
Presentation
Notes: Metal is top obstacle. If neighbors using same channel, lots of interference.

2:30-3:00: Online Fundraising Strategies
Matthew Latterell, Executive Director NetCorps
The presentation was based on a presentation by John Kenyon, Groundspring.org, at the N-TEN 2004 NC Conference. See www.nten.org/conferences-2004-nc-money, starting with slide 27.
Notes: Integrate online and offline strategy. Maintain an effective Web site. Proactive email messaging. Technology and vendor options. Evaluation and metrics. Is constituency likely to respond online positively? Goal: Grow visibility. Avoid being a spammer. Get permission to use e-mail address. Describe what you do. Free online book on fundraising at www.groundspring.org/techniques. E-newsletters are important. Data is vital.

3:00-3:30: Break

3:30-4:00: The pros and cons of becoming a CTCNet Regional Partner
General discussion, lead by: Kavita Singh, Executive Director, CTCNet
Notes: The pros of becoming a CTCNet member: (1) National and regional email lists (2) online discussion panels (3) ACC partnerships (4) Youth Vision Support network (5) Provides resources (6) Advocacy – national voice for CTCs (7) Peer exchange (8) Professional development. CTCNet is grassroots not-for-profit, more than 1,000 community-based technology centers and support organizations. Started in New England. List serve creates a true network. National and Regional email lists. Work with The Alliance for Technology Access. 1400 members. Policy committee. Education tour for congressmen. Addresses: adult education, basic technology skills, housing, job training, multimedia training, youth training, and sustainability -- how to survive with no money. Access is not a goal, but a tool. IT is about people.

4:00-4:30: Answering Your Questions
Discussion lead by Erroll Reese, President, Board of Directors, CTCNet
Notes: More help needed with the conference and need more RTPnet members. Expand RTPnet beyond Triangle area? Part of a larger movement. Sustainability issue. Why no state funds for CTCs?

4:30-5:00: Drawing for Door Prizes:
Kavita Singh, Executive Director, CTCNet
Erroll Reese, President, Board of Directors, CTCNet

• Longsleeved T shirt, Melva Florance (Greensboro) -- private donor
• Grey T shirt, Mark Pumphrey (Columbus) -- private donor
• Registration for CTC conference in Seattle, Vera Stepp (Winston-Salem) -- donated by CTCNet
• Vivitar digital camera, Robert Sams (Wendell) -- donated by the Shoemaker Group
• Cybiko Xtreme PDA, Timothy Miles (Chapel Hill) -- donated by Phillips Amateur Radio & Computing (PARC)
• CTCNet membership, Judy Hallman (Chapel Hill) -- donated by CTCNet
• Lexmark Z53 Color Jetprinter, Bill Meyers (RTP) -- donated by e-NC
• Lexmark Z53 Color Jetprinter, Galvin Crisp (Winston-Salem) -- donated by e-NC
• Dantz Retrospect Express 5.6 Backup System, Ben Pratt (Durham) -- donated by Phillips Amateur Radio & Computing (PARC)
• Certificate for online course at the Isoph Core Course Library, Glen Taylor (Sharpsburg) -- donated by Isoph
• Certificate for online course at the Isoph Core Course Library, Granville Errol Casey, Jr. ( Fayetteville) -- donated by Isoph
• Certificate for online course at the Isoph Core Course Library, Aaron Means (Charlotte) -- donated by Isoph
• IBM ThinkPad laptop, Model 2656-20U, Carol Shay (Cary) -- donated by IBM

5:00-6:00: Reception and community technology awards (Atrium)
Jane Smith Patterson, Executive Director, e-NC
Kavita Singh, Executive Director, CTCNet
Erroll Reese, President, Board of Directors, CTCNet
See the nominees and winners at www.rtpnet.org/awards/nominees.html. For more information, see www.rtpnet.org/awards.

Contact: The contact person is Judy Hallman <hallman@rtpnet.org>, 919-933-3931, Executive Director of RTPnet.

References:

• Summaries of Previous Conferences:
  • 4th RTPnet Conference May 30, 2003
  • 3rd RTPnet Conference May 21, 2002
  • Regional Conference on Community Technology Centers (CTCs) September 20, 2001, at NC Central University
  • 2nd RTPnet Conference March 24, 2001
  • 1st RTPnet Conference, April 15, 2000
• Triangle Area Centers for Technology (TACT) is a product of the April 15, 2000 conference.
• Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCnet)
• Association For Community Networking (AFCN)
• The Digital Divide Network
• Policy & Philanthropy: Keys to Closing the Digital Divide, address by Mario Morino

Prepared By: Judy Hallman <hallman@rtpnet.org>