austin community technology symposium january 2010

TheFaces of Community

Technology

David Keyes City of Seattlewww.seattle.gov/tech

How did you communicate

this morning?

Assumptions…?

When is being online a necessity?“Water is a necessity to the health and life of every individual member of a community…It must be supplied in order to preserve the public health, whether it can be done profitably or not, and must be furnished, not to a few individuals, but to every individual.”

“Electric lights are different. Electricity is not in any sense a necessity, and under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a community. ..It Is not the business of any one to see that I use electricity, or gas, or oil in my house, or even that I use any form of artificial light at all.”

Oct. 24, 1905, in the Richmond, Virginia, Times-Dispatch

Our mission is to ensure that residents and neighborhoods have the information technology capacity needed for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.

Why?Educational excellence Youth development & violence preventionWorkforce trainingEnglish literacy and immigrant servicesSmall business development & entrepreneurshipAccess and help to use

E- government services Other essential services

Civic engagement Community building and problem solvingSafety & Emergency Preparedness

www.seattle.gov/tech/indicators

A Technology Healthy Communitywhere ICT:

Enhances local economyFurthers educational opportunitiesIs applied to solving social issuesIs used to foster civic participationPromotes relationship building and community developmentSupports the sustainability of our quality of lifeAccess to tools is equitable and affordable

We serve

Business

NeighborhoodsResidents

Education

Government

Human Services

FaithCulture

What we know about adoptionIncreasing accessMore mobility & need for faster speedIncreased use of social networks and expectation of personalized infoFluency in applications varies greatlyGains, but very significant differences based on education, income, age, language and disability

Key barriers to adoption include awareness & training, cost, security, and maintenanceTrusted teachers & settings important

About 10% reported “a disability, handicap, or chronic disease that keeps [them] from participating fully in work, school, housework or other activities .”

Digital Inclusion

For residents, businesses and NGO’s (anchor institutions)

Digital Inclusion

Access to computers and the internetAvailability, cost, ease of use for connectivity to the Internet, and end-user hardware and software. Also tech support.

Literacy in using computer and internet technologiesSkills required in order to utilize the equipment and Internet effectively for essential services, education, employment, civic engagement and cultural participation.

Meaningful and useful content and services availableServices available for those in need, culturally and educationally appropriate design, marketing and placement appropriate to reach underserved communities, and enabling of content production and distribution by lower capacity residents, businesses and organizations.

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Inclusion FrameworkDigital Inclusion

The goal of equity in information technology access, literacy and meaningful content

Broadband Deployment & AdoptionDistribution of infrastructure…followed by prevalence and equity in use

Community technologyThe strategy, programs and services to help reach digital inclusion

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What is Digital Inclusion

Direct and indirect access (access to technologies: access to services (facilitated through access to technologies) (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, UK 2005; HM Government, 2008). Technology as a ‘vehicle for empowerment, rather than a force for further exclusion’ (Cook & Light, 2008). Dig Divide is a complex web of interconnected social, economic and cultural factors that cannot be fully captured by a definition that focuses solely on access or ownership (Becta 2001: p4)Focus on agility and digital decision-makingGreater fluency = greater engagement

Community Tech has a long history of content and skills development

1534 King Henry VIII Prohibits publishing without a license. Printing is a dangerous art that must be controlled. Public radioPublic tvCommunity televisionCommunity networksMedia Arts CentersCommunity Tech Centers - Diffuse production and skills training centers

What do you see when you

walk out the door in the

a.m.?

Tech support

Libraries

Culture/Faith Centers

Fabric of providers & paths

Youth

Community Centers

IT Training

Human Services Housing

Schools

SeniorsDifabled Immigrant

CONFUSEDUnemploye

d

Work Centers

Business

ConnectivityHardware/ SoftwareEnrichment Community Jobs

Content & Referral

No data, no dollarsNo dollars, no data

Measuring Impacts of Community Technology

On individualsOn FamiliesOn OrganizationsOn CommunitiesNote difference for different types of usersAlso difference on whether it’s a skills training program, content delivery, or community networking project

University of Washington Research for Communities Connect & Community Tech Opportunity Program

How Many People Served?

Based on information from about half (104) of the known community technology providers in the state– we know that these agencies serve:

99,467 unique users per year

Weekly counts show that on average, a user visits 14 times during the year

Resulting in an estimated total of 1,392,538 visits per year

Individual BenefitsEmployment/Economic Benefits

Developed job skillsEmpowered to obtain additional technical skillsHelped gain employment

Academic Skills and LiteracyProviding references and/or resumes for college or jobsAcademic improvement like raising math scoresPreparing users to obtain a GED or go to college

Social Inclusion and Personal GrowthRelationship building/friendshipStaying out of troubleDeveloping or expanding interestsTangible skill development (e.g. leadership, public speaking)Providing connections to community leaders Building confidence and elevating expectations

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Family BenefitsEmployment/Economic Benefits

Helping users to get a better paying job

Academic Skills and LiteracyConnecting families to technology Ability to help school aged children

Social Inclusion and Personal GrowthImproving family relationshipsKeeping kids safe by checking their online activities

Community BenefitsEmployment/Economic Benefits

More skilled work force Better educated population

Social Inclusion and Personal GrowthDevelop future leadersMotivate users to take action in their communitiesCommunity building

Organizational Capacity BuildingStaff skills gainedVolunteer opportunities

Skills metricsCan I use this better?Am I more comfortable using it?Am I now able to teach myself more?Am I able to help others use it?Am I able to redesign it?

The more you learn, the more you know what you don’t know…leading to curves in metrics

Employment Education, Social inclusion & self-sufficiency

Basic IT survival, For school or job, For civic and cultural engagement, For an IT career, To be a leader or inventor

Basic computer skills training and workforce development in Washington State: The role of NGOs

14 NGOs, 5 WorkSource Centers, and 2 Community Colleges in 5 cities. 5340 surveys

54% of the survey respondents found a job after completing the training (of which, 42% found a higher-paying job and only 11.5% found a job after the training but are currently unemployed) On average, 85% of survey respondents think that basic computer skills training is very important for improving their employment opportunities followed by further educational opportunities and on-the-job training. 97% highly value the training and employment-related services received at the organizations and perceive this as one of the most important factors for finding a job

NGOs play a very important role in re-skilling and up-skilling unemployed people to improve their opportunities in the labor market

Source: Maria Garrido www.cis.washington.edu

Impact Resources

Gates Foundation CAT/MGSmgs-s.com/OurClients/CaseStudies.htm#GatesFoundation

Lisa ServonMike Crandall/ Karen Fisher’s book Ming-Chun Lee studyseattle.gov/tech/reports

More Faces of Community Technology

Program responses

Barriers facing programsIntegration into mission

Ongoing program relevancy

Adaptation to changing technology & maintenance

Funding & staff turnover

Organizational capacity (manage, develop & partner)

Community & decisionmaker awareness

Facilities

Program responses

What networks can doPolicyPeer supportIdentify excellenceGrants and collaborationContent distribution networksHiring/internships/volunteersStrategic distribution of services

Policy & Action Strategies• Develop/recognize experts• CT Mapping• Online & on-the ground community networking• Be at others’ table • Invite others to yours• Indicators• Dialogue w/funders• Tech $ for tech programs•Legislation & programs• Research

Communities Connect Network•Council on Digital Inclusion•State grant program•CT defined in state law•State directory of CT•Member of broadband task forces•Advised state economic dev strategy•Capacity building for CT’s

www.communitiesconnect.org

Engage with the feds…

You are the experts!

David Keyes City of Seattlewww.seattle.gov/tech

LinksZerodivide.orgcctpg.org/www.communitiesconnect.orgSeattle.gov/techctcnet.org/what/resources/startup_manual.htmctnbayarea.org/Broadband.gov, http://broadband.ideascale.com/UW Technology & Social Change Grouphttp://cis.washington.edu/http://www.techforall.org/TFA_061231_CTCStandardsExcellenceV3.3.pdf