OE Report - October 2008
Contact:
Carol Gregory, Director of Communications
(202) 393-4577
Carol Gregory, Director of Communications
(202) 393-4577
OE Report - October 2008
In This Issue:
Four California Neighborhoods Named 2008 ‘21st Century Communities’
At The Hive, Bertie County Families to Learn Technical and Life Skills
Adriel Luis Wins If I Were President Video Contest
More from One Economy:
Four California Neighborhoods Named 2008 ‘21st Century Communities’
Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF),
AT&T, and One Economy gathered in Los Angeles earlier this month to
announce the Bring IT Home California campaign's first four "21st
Century Communities": South Los Angeles, Cutler-Orosi, East Oakland,
and San Francisco’s Mission District. In collaboration with local
organizations, One Economy will build digital inclusion programs that
include broadband access, community training programs, self-help and
educational online content, and, where needed, programs that help
residents purchase low-cost computers.
A recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that, across the state, low-income people are significantly less likely than higher-income people to use a computer, the Internet, or broadband. Bring IT Home California, funded by a $2.5 million investment from CETF, is connecting underserved people with the technology and information they need to make their communities better places to live, work and learn. Over the next three years, the program will build ten 21st Century Communities.
“The 21st Century Communities program being launched by the California Emerging Technology Fund and One Economy Corporation is part of a comprehensive approach to close the digital divide in California that provides low-income families residing in affordable housing with the tools they need to access local resources, education, and training to improve their lives,” said Sunne McPeak, president and chief executive officer of the California Emerging Technology Fund.
Bring IT Home California's efforts include a "smart housing" strategy that creates technology ecosystems within affordable housing developments, giving families the tools they need to access local resources, education, and training. At the event, One Economy and the National Equity Fund also announced an additional $75 million investment in green, affordable housing for California that will include digital inclusion programs for residents.
"Bring IT Home California will provide thousands of families with the information and resources they need to improve their lives. Across California, these partnerships are transforming communities into better places to live, work, and learn," said Rey Ramsey, chief executive officer of One Economy.
At The Hive, Bertie County Families to Learn Technical and Life Skills
On Friday, October 25, the Bertie County Family Resource Center and One Economy celebrated the grand opening of The Hive's community technology hub and after school program—a new safe place for students to acquire and learn technical and life skills. The Hive's new programs include technology training, academic tutoring, and recreational activities. The Hive's after school program and computer lab will be open to the public Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Hive's services, including use of computers and Internet access, are free of charge.
Earlier this fall, the Hive launched its one-of-a-kind recovery classroom where students who had not been successful in the ninth grade are using technology to learn math, reading, technical, and leadership skills. The program also includes guest speakers, college visits, and other professional development, with the goal of returning students to Bertie High School ready to graduate.
Read more about the program in the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald.
If
newscasts awash in phrases like "credit default swap" and "federal
funds rate" leave you more confused than curious, the Public Internet
Channel has a solution. PIC Current (http://current.pic.tv/)
analyzes and explains national trends and news, helping ordinary
Americans understand how the news of the day is impacting their
families and communities.
PIC Current covers news and trends in the areas of money, housing, health care, education, employment, and living green.
What
differentiates PIC Current is its focus on topics and issues of concern
to low-income populations, with advice and resources for people to take
action on their own behalf. All of PIC Current's content is created to
be accessible and easy to understand for a low-literacy audience and
people who are new to the Internet.
Adriel Luis Wins If I Were President Video Contest
This summer, we announced 247Townhall's If I Were President video contest. If I Were President brought together artists, entertainers, and thought leaders with young people around the country to lay out their platforms for the next four years. Watch our winner, Adriel Luis, begin his campaign:
• Chief Marketing Officer
• Program Director:Atlanta
• Americorps*VISTA leader, Americorps*VISTA volunteer
• Interns: Public Policy/Business Development, Junior Web Editor, Communications