Bringing a Nation Online: The Importance of Federal Leadership A Report by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Benton Foundation With Support from the Ford Foundation Prepared by Leslie Harris & Associates July 2002 Bringing a Nation Online: The Importance of Federal Leadership Table of Contents I. Introduction & Overview 3 II. Digital Opportunity for All Americans 5 III. The TOP and CTC Programs 13 a. Table: Federal Funding Attracts Matching Investments 18 b. Index: TOP and CTC Grant Profiles 20 c. Profiles: TOP and CTC Grants 22 IV. Acknowledgements 65 Support for this report came from the Digital Media Forum. The Digital Media Forum is a project of the Ford Foundation to encourage collaboration among its grantees in the area of media policy. This report was written by Leslie Harris & Associates under the direction of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Benton Foundation, on behalf of the Digital Media Forum, as part of the Forum's ongoing efforts to assure equitable access to new information and communications technologies. This report can also be accessed online at: http://www.civilrights.org/publications/bringinganationonline Bringing a Nation Online: The Importance of Federal Leadership Introduction and Overview The Internet and communications technology are transforming American society. The lightning pace of technological change and its rapid adoption is impacting every aspect of our lives from how we do business, access government services, communicate and exchange ideas, gain knowledge and skills, to how we define the notion of community. Technological innovation has brought with it extensive economic growth and opportunity for many Americans. Recognizing that no one should be left behind in the information age, both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, working in bipartisan fashion, have played important leadership roles in bridging the knowledge gap between the "information haves" and the "have-nots"-what some refer to as the digital divide. Federal leadership has taken many forms from public policy, from bipartisan majorities enacting community technology programs, to speeches and summits that merged the efforts of government, industry and public interest groups working to bridge the digital divide. This leadership has helped to accelerate the adoption of 21st century literacy skills among economically and geographically distressed and otherwise underserved communities. Earlier this year, the US Department of Commerce released its latest report examining Americans' use of computers and the Internet. Entitled, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, the report paints an overly optimistic picture of Americans' use of information technology. Celebrating Americans' increased access, Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans stated, "I am heartened by this report's findings that all groups of individuals are using [computer and Internet] technologies in increasingly greater numbers." While some of the data clearly show that there are increasing numbers of Americans connected to the Internet and computers, the same data also shows how specific segments of society-particularly underserved communities-continue to significantly lag behind and that the digital divide remains a persistent problem. Significant divides still exist between high and low income households, among different racial groups, between northern and southern states, and rural and urban households. For people in these communities, the enormous social, civic, educational and economic opportunities offered by rapid advances in information technology remain out of reach. At the same time that the Bush Administration released its report, they also announced plans to zero out funding for two premier grant programs that bridge the technology gap: the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP)1 and the Community Technology Centers Program (CTC)2. Notwithstanding the continuing need for federal involvement, the Administration concluded that these programs were no longer necessary and that the private sector rather than government should be responsible for supporting programs to close the digital divide.3 The pages that follow present a detailed examination of the data in A Nation Online and highlight the sharp gaps between those who are using these communications and technology tools and those who are not. This report also provides a closer look at the two federal programs targeted by the Bush Administration for elimination. Included in the report are profiles of 44 TOP and CTC grantees in communities across the country. These profiles provide "real life" examples of innovative, community-based projects that are enhancing economic opportunity and strengthening community-serving institutions. Not only are these programs expanding technology access and literacy among underserved populations, but they are also improving the quality of, and the public's access to, education, health care, public safety and other community-based services. In addition, the report provides a state-by-state analysis of how TOP and CTC grants enable partnerships and leverage additional investment in states and local communities. Through 2001, TOP awarded 530 grants representing $192.5 million in investment, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which in turn has attracted an additional $268 million in public and private support.4 The CTC program to date has awarded 227 grants based on $107.5 million in allocations from Congress5, and attracted an additional $92.5 million in financial support from public and private funding sources.6 While competition policies will continue to drive down the cost of new technologies, the market alone will not assure digital opportunity. Government must take steps to create policies and programs that provide people in underserved communities with the opportunity to gain access to technology. Now is the time to expand these effective programs and open this door of opportunity for more Americans-not slam it shut to those most in need. The federal government must continue playing a leadership role in assuring that all Americans have the access and skills needed to participate fully in the Digital Age. While we have made some progress, we cannot ignore the communities still at risk. To do so jeopardizes the opportunity to truly be a nation online. Bringing A Nation Online: Digital Opportunity for All Americans We are quickly becoming a digital nation. Rapid advances in information technology have provided enormous social, civic, educational and economic opportunities. And yet, we are only at the beginning of a major transformation brought about by digital technology. The role that technology will play ten years from now in our daily lives is almost impossible to predict. However, it is clear that without a long-term government commitment the inequalities in access that we see today could limit equal opportunity tomorrow. A Nation Online: How Americans are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, the recently released report from the United States Department of Commerce (DOC), shows rapidly growing use of the new information technologies across numerous demographic groups and geographic regions. The report demonstrates that federal leadership to close the digital divide and create digital opportunity is beginning to pay-off. For example, almost 90% of school age children now use computers and rates of use between children of different backgrounds are narrowing. These gains can be attributed to federal programs like the E-rate, which has made Internet service affordable for 95% of public libraries and 98% of public schools, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, by attracting additional public and private sector investment.7 Similarly, programs like the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the Community Technology Centers Program (CTC) have played a major role in seeding innovative efforts to bring the benefits of digital network technologies to underserved communities throughout the United States. The gains cited in the DOC report are to be applauded. But at the same time, the data in the report demonstrates that not everyone is adopting these tools at the same speed and identifies the groups that are progressing at a slower rate. Significant divides still exist between high and low-income households, among different racial groups, for people with disabilities, as well as between northern and southern states and rural and urban areas. For this reason, the report ought not be used to end federal leadership. Instead it should inform and shape future federal polices and programs to close gaps in computer and Internet adoption, and to help individuals and communities develop the skills needed to succeed in the information age. What the data in A Nation Online makes clear is that federal leadership matters. The task now is to direct that leadership and resources to where it is most needed. Federal Leadership is Helping Schools and Libraries Close the Gap Research data included in A Nation Online provides strong evidence that schools and libraries are playing an important role in providing children in underserved communities access to computers and the Internet. Increasingly, children who lack access to computers and the Internet in their homes are relying on schools and libraries to use technology and to delve into the resources of the Internet. The importance of school and library access, particularly for underserved youth, is undisputed. During the last decade, federal programs like the E-Rate and the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, served as a catalyst leveraging substantial additional funding from state, local and private funding sources. By September 2001, nearly 90% of all school-aged children (between the ages of 5-17) use computers and 58.5% use the Internet, mainly to complete school assignments.8 Just over 80% of children (ages 10-17) in the lowest income category were using computers at school, little different from the 88.7% of children at the highest income level. In the lowest income category, however, only 33.1% of children use computers at home, in contrast to 91.7% of children in the highest income category. The gap in computer use narrows, however, from almost 60 points between the highest and lowest income children's use at home to a 12-point gap in computer use when home and school are combined. Computer Use Among 10 to 17 Year-Olds By Race/Hispanic Origin and location, 20019 Schools Are Closing the Gap for Minorities Without Computer Access at Home Hispanic and Black children-who have lower computer use rates at home-approach computer use rates of Whites and Asian American/Pacific Islanders largely due to their computer use in school. A far higher percentage of Hispanic (38.9%) and Black (44.7%) children rely solely on schools to use computers than do Asian/Pacific Islanders (11.1%) and White children (15.1%). The availability of school computers makes overall computer use rates among children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds comparable: 84.2% for Hispanic children, 88.8% for Black children, 94% for Asian/Pacific Islander children, and 95.4% for White children. Use of the Internet from a location other than home or school varies by whether the student has Internet access at home. For example, 16.6% of Internet users in the 10-17 age bracket use the Internet at a public library. (Note: Over one-half of the population that uses the Internet at a public library is under age 25.) This percentage, however, rises to 29.3% among kids who use the Internet at school, but not at home. Although there are large differences in public library use among the various segments of this group, overall public library use remains high for students who use the Internet at school, but not at home. Libraries Play Critical Role in Internet Access for Low Income Families Ten percent of Internet users access the Internet at a public library. This proportion remained almost constant between August 2000 and September 2001. Reliance on Internet access at public libraries is more common among those with lower incomes than those with higher incomes. Just over 20% of Internet users with household family incomes of less than $15,000/year use public libraries. As household income rises, not only does the proportion of public library Internet users decline, but also the percentage of Internet users without alternative access points also declines. Among racial and ethnic groups, 12.7% of Whites, 19.4% of Blacks, and 16.0% of Hispanics using the Internet at libraries do not also access the Internet from home, work or school. Only 6.6% of Asian American/Pacific Islanders who use the Internet at a public library do not have access to the Internet from some other location. In sum, the data in the report makes clear that schools and libraries are helping to equalize the disparities that would otherwise exist in computer and Internet use among various household income categories and racial groups. The success in expanding access in schools and libraries has not however, solved the problem of home access that is addressed in detail in the following section of the report. The increase in access at schools and libraries is largely attributable to federal programs like the E-rate, the Technology Innovation Challenge Fund, and state, and local investments. A number of reports have touted the success of these programs. In 2000, the US Department of Education released a study, E-rate and the Digital Divide which reported, "the E-rate is having the intended effect of supporting the development of Internet and telecommunications services, especially in poor areas...the programs' objectives are being met as application rates, and overall total funding, are higher for higher-poverty districts, schools and libraries." Identifying the Gaps: Income, Race, Geography & Disability The DOC report celebrates the rapidly growing use of the new information technologies across all demographic groups and geographic regions. It is equally important to note that the data in the report also identifies a number of continuing gaps in access to and adoption of information tools. The Income Gap: Rates of Adoption Rise More Slowly For Low-Income Users Although computer and Internet use is rising for all Americans across income, large gaps remain between low-income and high-income consumers. For many, cost remains the most important reason not to acquire Internet access at home. Not surprisingly, as income levels drop, the importance of cost rises. Percent of US Households with Internet Access by Income10 Percent of US Households with Internet Access by Income Family Income 1997 1998 2000 2001 Less than $15,000 9.2 13.7 18.9 25 $15,000 - $24,999 11.6 18.4 25.5 33.4 $25,000 - $34,999 17.1 25.3 35.7 44.1 $35,000 - $49,999 22.8 34.7 46.5 57.1 $50,000 - $74,999 32.3 45.5 57.7 67.3 $75,000 & above 44.5 58.9 70.1 78.9 Seventy-five percent of people who live in households where income is less than $15,000 and 66% with incomes between $15,000 and $35,000 are not yet using the Internet. In contrast, 67.3% of Americans making $50,000-$75,000/year and 78.9% of people making over $75,000/year use the Internet. Households with incomes below $15,000 report cost as the barrier to home Internet subscriptions 34.7% of the time. Among households in that income category, the share of the population with home Internet subscriptions increased by only 6% between August 2000 and September 2001. At the other end of the spectrum, only 9.6% of households with incomes of at least $75,000 said that they were deterred by cost. That income level saw a 34% increase in the share of households with home Internet between August 2000 and September 2001. Children in Low-Income Households Have Significantly Less Access to the Internet While computers in schools have been critical to narrowing the technology gap for low-income children, they remain significantly behind in Internet access. Nearly four times as many children (ages 10-17) go online only at school when they live in a household in the lowest income category (20.8%) than at the highest income level (5%). However, overall, school use still varies widely: 34.3% for children in the lowest income category, compared to 62.7% for children who live in the highest income households. Additionally, home Internet use is much higher for those who live in high-income households: 82.5% for children in families earning $75,000 and higher, compared to 21.4% for children in families earning $15,000 and below. For these reasons, overall Internet use among children has a wider differential by income than by computer use. Children in families at the lowest income level have an overall Internet use rate about half that of children at the highest income level: 45.7%, compared to 87.5%. The Racial Gap: Blacks and Hispanics Trail Far Behind In September 2001, computer use rates were highest for Asian American/Pacific Islanders (71.2%) and Whites (70%). Among Blacks, 55.7% were computer users. Less than half of Hispanics (48.8%) were computer users. During the same year, Internet use among Whites and Asian American/Pacific Islanders hovered around 68%, while Internet use rates for Blacks (30%) and Hispanics (32%) trailed behind. There are also significant differences in online use among children of different races and ethnicities. School-only and home use rates are relatively lower for Hispanic and Black children, resulting in overall use rates of 47.8% and 52.3%, respectively. Asian American and Pacific Islander and White children, by contrast, are far more likely to use the Internet either at home only, or at home and school, resulting in higher overall Internet use levels of 79.4% and 79.7%, respectively. The Gap is Even Greater for Spanish-Speaking Households Internet use among Hispanics differs considerably depending on whether Spanish is the only language spoken in the household, which is the case for about one in nine of Hispanic households. In September 2001, only 14.1% of Hispanics who lived in households where Spanish was the only language spoken used the Internet. In contrast, 37.6% of Hispanics who lived in households where Spanish was not the only language spoken used the Internet. Percent of US Households with Internet Access by Race, 200111 Location White Black Asian American/ Pacific Islander Hispanic US 55.4 30.8 68.1 32.0 Rural 51.0 24.4 68.2 29.9 Urban 57.2 31.6 68.1 32.2 Central Cities12 54.8 27.4 63.1 29.8 Native Americans Have Little Access to Even Basic Communications Technology Although A Nation Online does not report on computer and Internet adoption by Native Americans, an earlier report13 funded by the Department of Commerce indicates how isolated these communities are. Only 39% of rural households in Native communities have telephones compared to 94% for non-Native rural communities. Approximately 26% of tribes report that they do not have 911 services. Forty four percent of tribes have no local radio stations, and for those tribes with radio stations, these stations are rarely tribally owned. Of rural Native households, only 22% have cable television, 9% have personal computers, and of those, only 8% have Internet access. Differences in minority adoption of communications technology have been apparent since the Department of Commerce started tracking this data. At the very least, the findings indicate a clear need to continue monitoring adoption of information and communications technology. In addition, the disparities between adoption rates in different racial groups call for further research and investment in order to gain a better understanding as to why these differences persist. The Disability Gap: People with Disabilities Are Online 50% Less than Population Average People with disabilities tend to use computers and the Internet at rates far below that of the average population. On average, only 25.4% of the population ages 3 and above with at least one disability uses the Internet.14 It is important to note that although Internet use is lower overall among those with disabilities, those with vision or hearing impairments who access the Internet from outside the home do so at rates comparable to the general population. Of senior citizens (over age 60), 30% report having a disability-making them the most represented age group within the population reporting a disability and the least likely to have access to a computer at home or out of the home.15 The Regional and Rural Gaps: Southern and Southwestern States Trail Behind in Internet Access Nationwide, 53.9 % of Americans use the Internet, but there are substantial regional gaps. While in 35 states, more than 50% of people use the Internet, there are 15 states where use is either at 50% or below. Twelve of the 15 states are located in the South and Southwest and are also states that are high percentage minority and rural populations. Percent of US Households with Internet Access by State13 States with the Lowest Internet Access Rates State Percent with Internet 90% Confidence Interval South Carolina 45.0 3.06 North Carolina 44.5 2.11 Kentucky 44.2 2.85 Oklahoma 43.8 2.74 New Mexico 43.1 2.88 Washington, DC 41.4 3.03 West Virginia 40.7 2.61 Alabama 37.6 2.85 Arkansas 36.9 2.73 Mississippi 36.1 2.83 Broadband Adoption is Slower in Rural Areas High-speed Internet access is rapidly increasing in urban areas. In central city (22%) and urban (21.2%) Internet households, high-speed access increased 10% from 2000-2001. However, in rural areas access increased less than 5% from 7.3% in 2000 12.2 % in 2001. Not only do the rural regions remain behind, growth of high-speed access is not keeping pace with urban areas. Workforce and Adoption of Technology: Building the Skills to Advance in the 21st Century Information and communication technologies are raising the bar on the competencies needed to succeed in the 21st century. While the data demonstrates that the white-collar workplace is increasingly technology rich, many currently employed in low-skill jobs will find it much harder to advance in the 21st century. To maintain our country's place in an increasingly competitive global economy, the federal government has an important role to play in ensuring that the US workforce is well trained and able to support the needs of employers in the 21st century. As new and veteran members of the workforce attempt to keep up with an ever-evolving economy, they face two overlapping challenges. The first is to acquire the skills necessary to enter an increasingly digital job market, and the second is to continually improve these skills, and learn new ones, so they can enhance their opportunities throughout their working lifetime. There is a growing consensus that all workers should be able to 1) master appropriate tools to gather information, 2) understand the context of that information, 3) actively shape and distribute information in ways that make it understandable and useful and 4) exchange ideas, opinions, questions and experiences. Knowledge workers-people whose jobs require formal and advanced schooling-currently fill one in every three jobs and are likely to account for as much as 40% of the total workforce of developed countries by 2020.16 Blue Collar and Unskilled Workers Have Little Access and Few Opportunities to Develop Technology Skills In 2001, 73.2% of employed people (age 16 and older) were computer users and 65.4% were Internet users.17 And although nearly 57% of adults use a computer at work (and ~74% of these use the Internet), computer use is concentrated in white-collar jobs. The proportion of people using a computer at work was 80.5% for people in managerial and professional specialty occupations and was 70.5% for people in technical, sales, and administrative support occupations. Employees in these fields are generally more educated, with a college degree or at least some college. At the other end of the spectrum, only about one in five persons used a computer at work in the occupation categories for operators, fabricators, and laborers as well as for farming, forestry, and fishing. In these professions, employees generally have just a high school diploma or GED. Conclusion Digital technologies provide many new and better ways to teach and learn, communicate and work. Gaps exist in Internet adoption in identifiable communities. Technology adoption is lagging in 15 states and the District of Columbia. In rural areas, Black and Hispanics, especially Spanish-speaking Hispanics, are lagging behind Asian Americans and Whites. Workers in low-skill jobs are not online because they don't use the tools at work and can't afford them at home. This is not the time to scale back federal investment. Continued federal leadership is plainly needed to promote public and private collaborations to bring information age tools and training to the communities that can most benefit from them. The federal government can play an important role in supporting innovative strategies to achieve sustainability for technology programs that serve the public sector. To reach educational goals for our children, we must preserve and improve the E-Rate program. To train and retrain the 21st century workforce, we need programs that bring technology literacy to low-wage and unemployed workers. To ensure that today and tomorrow's information tools are deployed and used in rural areas, we need programs that provide the venture capital for demonstration programs, new applications and innovative public-private partnerships. Perhaps most of all, we need to continue to monitor the adoption of information and communication tools across income and education levels, in rural, urban and central city areas, and in various minority and age groups, so we can identify where gaps exist-and start closing them. Bringing a Nation Online: The TOP and CTC programs The expanded use of communications and Internet technology is strengthening our economy and civic sector. It is connecting citizens to government information, and creating new opportunities and new solutions to longstanding concerns. Unfortunately, for many of the individuals and institutions most in need of economic opportunity and community services-low-income and unemployed workers, seniors, people with disabilities, and minority and rural communities-the promise of the Information Age remains just out of reach. Two critical federal programs, the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the Community Technology Centers Program (CTC), have played a central role in creating opportunity and narrowing the digital divide. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration's FY 2003 budget proposes the elimination of these programs. Through the TOP and CTC programs the federal government is playing an important role by providing communities with seed money which in turn is matched by additional public and private investment. In Texas for example, TOP and CTC funding provides over $13 million in federal support for digital opportunity, which has attracted an additional $16.5 million in investment, for a total of $30 million in funding18. Similarly in Mississippi, nearly $3.4 million in funding for TOP and CTC was able to attract an additional $4.8 million for a total of $8.2 million. The following provides an overview of the TOP and CTC programs. This analysis is followed by a chart providing a state-by-state analysis of federal and matching support generated through the TOP and CTC programs, and a set of profiles of over 40 TOP and CTC projects from all across the country. Together these examples demonstrate the effectiveness of these two programs and the impact that federal leadership is having in local communities all over the country. Technology Opportunities Program In 1994, the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) initiated the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program, now known as the Technology Opportunities Program. TOP provides matching grants to a wide range of nonprofit organizations-schools, libraries, hospitals, public safety entities, and state and local governments-to make use of innovative telecommunications and information technologies and promote the widespread availability and use of digital network technologies in the public and non-profit sectors. A primary purpose of the program is to bring these technologies and their benefits to inner city and rural underserved areas, and to others that have difficulty accessing the information infrastructure. To date, TOP has awarded 530 grants, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands, totaling $192.5 million and leveraging $268 million in local matching funds. TOP is a highly competitive, merit-based grant program that promotes public-private partnerships and technological innovation in an effort to strengthen civic organizations and support undeserved communities. TOP grants have played an important role in realizing the vision of an information society by demonstrating practical applications of new telecommunications and information technologies to serve the public good. Grantees have demonstrated innovative uses of network technologies for lifelong learning; public safety; public healthcare; and communications, resource-sharing, and economic development in rural and urban communities. A number of TOP grantees have received national and international awards19 for their creative and productive approaches to using the tools of information technology to address critical community problems. Sustainability and community involvement are proving to be important TOP program outcomes. According to a study by Johnson & Johnson Associates Inc. (JJA),20 88% of grantees surveyed reported sustainability. Factors sited for project growth and expansion included additional funding and private sector support, as well as staff and partner commitment and collaboration. TOP grants also encourage community partnerships; grantees surveyed report partnering with an average of 18 other organizations to achieve project goals. Support provided by partners includes financial support, loans, donations and discounts. TOP grants are making major contributions in a number of areas: Rural Healthcare: Expanding the availability of home health services lowers cost and increases access. The Regional Medical Center at Lubec (RMCL) with TOP funding was able to install the Northeast Maine Telemedicine Network (NMTN) that allows nurses to make electronic home visits with patients who would otherwise need to be hospitalized. Joyce Frost of Calais, Maine, who suffers from both diabetes and first stage Alzheimer's disease is able to live on her own utilizing NMTN's videoconferencing unit connected to her regular phone line. The unit provides daily meetings with a nurse who checks in to see how Ms. Frost is doing, whether she has taken her medication and simply to provide her with reassurance. Telemedicine provides underserved and remote populations with access to specialty services. The University of Virginia's Telemedicine Program has been able to provide more than 4,500 patients with access to specialized medical care, clinical services and health-related educational programming. To date, the University's telemedicine center has been able to provide professional consultation in 24 different specialties to underserved populations in remote regions throughout the state. Community Development: Information technology is helping to build community by creating virtual connections. The Yukon Flats is an economically depressed and isolated region located deep within the interior of Alaska. Its 2500 residents are scattered across 11 villages in a 55,000 square mile area. To address the need for communication, the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) established a Wide Area Network with support from the TOP program to provide voice and data communication to each of the villages via satellite. The network connects local administrators and residents to CATG's partner agencies including the State of Alaska, Mental Health Services, and the University of Alaska to enable distance learning and training for better tribal management. Funding for access to high-speed Internet connections is serving as a catalyst for economic development. In the two decades preceding the creation of Dakota Interconnect, northeast South Dakota was experiencing a significant decline in its population largely related to the decrease in farm income and agricultural mechanization. With support from a TOP grant, the Dakota Interconnect project has transformed northeast South Dakota from an unconnected, rural and sparsely populated area into a technologically advanced region. The Dakota Interconnect project tied three previously separate networks together, creating an infrastructure of linked networks, all of which are compatible with audio, video and data connections. Dakota Interconnect created a reason for companies to establish in the northeastern part of the state, which in turn created more jobs for its residents. Education: TOP funding is providing people with disabilities access to technology and vocational training. The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) at Minot State University in 1998 established the Internet Access for Persons with Mental Retardation Project (IAPMR). IAPMR created and continues to maintain a local area network (LAN) that provides people with mental retardation access to the Internet. Not only are they able to use the Internet for recreational and social activities, program participants with moderate to severe mental retardation use IAPMR-generated software to earn up to $15.00/hr at Internet-based jobs. NDCPD continues to make this software available at-cost to businesses and agencies hiring workers with mental retardation. One replication site operated by the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) employs about 15 people with moderate and severe mental retardation. This project has made it possible for people with mental retardation who have never worked and never had money of their own to achieve the goals of employment and earned income. Database and Information Management: By automating information, public agencies are able for the first time to pool information and operate at greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness. Baltimore currently ranks among the top two cities nationally for incidences of chlamydia, primary and secondary syphilis and gonorrhea and the Baltimore City Health Department clinics handle 30,000 patients annually. With support from TOP, the Multidisciplinary Information Sharing Network (MISN) will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to track and map STD, HIV/AIDS and TB incidences in the city of Baltimore. The MISN will consolidate data from law enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections and the City health department in order to eliminate duplicative testing and to enable data sharing between agencies. Once the existing antiquated databases are replaced, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health will overlay information on crime and housing over disease patterns to give agencies the ability to look at possible correlations. This analysis will also help public health officials in other cities nationwide combat the spread of infectious diseases. Through a variety of information technology strategies, the TOP program is making a difference by building the technology capacity of community serving institutions, providing new strategies for service delivery and data management and expanding the reach of programs to new populations. In turn, these institutions are employing technology to enhance educational and employment opportunities, increase community development, provide better access to healthcare services and ensure public safety. Community Technology Centers Program In 1999, the Department of Education established the Community Technology Centers (CTC) program to promote the development of model programs that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology in urban and rural areas and economically distressed communities. One-year CTC grants of $75,000-$300,000 with additional matching funds help state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public organizations provide access to computers and other forms of information technology as well as related learning services to children and adults in an educational setting. In general, people who visit CTCs do not own computers, and many do not have access at work or school. CTCs offer a range of opportunities to use computers and other technologies in classes as well as in self-directed activities. Many individuals acquire or improve English language skills, get tutoring and homework help, or participate in GED and other adult education programs. CTC visitors also use computers to get information from the Internet, send and receive e-mail, set up Web pages, and carry out their own self-directed projects. CTCs are also a valuable resource for obtaining job skills and learning about employment opportunities. Examples of the impact of CTC-supported projects include: Job Training and Placement: With the support of a 2001 CTC grant, the AdEdge Community Technology Center in El Paso, Texas will work to improve the quality of life for its residents. Located within El Paso's Empowerment Zone Area, the population AdEdge serves is predominantly Hispanic, and has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the nation. Only 35% of its population has a high school diploma. AdEdge provides opportunities for residents to receive a GED, learn to speak English, discover computer technology, and/or obtain computer technology certification with AdEdge's partner, Cisco Networking Academy. Community Based Partnerships: Mott Community College, in partnership with the Great Lakes Baptist District Center, Disability Network, and Hispanic Community Center, operates three CTCs in Michigan that expose the local community to technology via channels they trust-grassroots community organizations. Using assistive technologies as such as a hands-free input system, adaptive keyboards and screen reading software, the Disability Network's CTC prepares people with disabilities to live independently and be competitive in the workforce. Integrating Technology into Community Service Organizations: Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, Arizona, has integrated technology into basic literacy and ESL classes. Hugo Carrazco, a 38-year old construction worker, decided to take an ESL class at LVMC when his 11-year old daughter brought home a LVMC flyer from school. Seven weeks into the class, Mr. Carrazco, says, "It's a good class because I'm learning computers and English at the same time." The center's success is highlighted by Mr. Carrazco's use of his home computer to help his children with their schoolwork. Providing 21st Century Literacy Skills: Beatbox, a program sponsored by Fairfield Youth Advocacy in Fairfield, Iowa, provides classes in basic web design and digital film production. Additionally, young people are given the opportunity to participate in the Cisco Certified Network Professional Program and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSC) certifications. Prior to receiving support from the CTC program, Beatbox was a youth recreational center. Its new technology program, the "Btech," paid for by a CTC grant and in-kind contributions from the community, now provides a space where youth between the ages 9 and 23 can socialize, engage in creative activities, and enhance their education through technology. Community technology programs play an important role in enhancing the work of community serving organizations and are helping to bring the tools of the information age to underserved populations. Conclusion TOP and CTC are important engines of digital opportunity. They are emblematic of the importance of federal leadership in the effort to bridge the digital divide. Federal leadership brings the power of information to underserved communities. A federal retreat from that leadership role would undermine innovative efforts to bring digital opportunity to underserved communities and jeopardize many successful community programs. Rather than walking away from the investment, the federal government should build upon the success of these programs to bring digital opportunity to the entire nation. Federal Funding Attracts Matching Investments21 State TOP Federal Support TOP Non-Federal Support CTC Federal Support CTC Non-Federal Support Total Federal Support Total Non-Federal Support Alaska $3,102,358.00 $3,930,605.00 $2,413,735.00 $2,805,197.00 $5,516,093.00 $ 6,735,802.00 Alabama $918,230.00 $1,309,951.00 $1,752,138.00 $1,993,822.00 $2,670,368.00 $ 3,303,773.00 Arkansas $1,055,853.00 $1,391,649.00 $248,000.00 $152,865.00 $1,303,853.00 $ 1,544,514.00 Arizona $3,375,957.00 $3,595,411.00 $2,753,430.00 $1,945,815.00 $6,129,387.00 $ 5,541,226.00 California $16,340,645.00 $25,026,007.00 $13,497,210.00 $11,708,055.00 $29,837,855.00 $36,734,062.00 Colorado $3,544,724.00 $4,901,263.00 $1,530,920.00 $1,515,568.00 $5,075,644.00 $ 6,416,831.00 Connecticut $2,690,295.00 $3,879,399.00 $2,592,598.00 $2,747,872.00 $5,282,893.00 $ 6,627,271.00 District of Columbia $7,020,055.00 $8,612,393.00 $3,272,130.00 $2,830,279.00 $10,292,185.00 $11,442,672.00 Delaware $223,183.00 $224,000.00 $1,552,048.00 $1,022,412.00 $1,775,231.00 $ 1,246,412.00 Florida $2,437,106.00 $3,126,383.00 $1,623,954.00 $1,110,419.00 $4,061,060.00 $ 4,236,802.00 Georgia $3,382,345.00 $4,531,543.00 $1,969,363.00 $1,881,969.00 $5,351,708.00 $ 6,413,512.00 Hawaii $2,597,138.00 $3,839,977.00 $598,950.00 $513,062.00 $3,196,088.00 $ 4,353,039.00 Iowa $1,068,621.00 $1,139,231.00 $1,050,696.00 $797,128.00 $2,119,317.00 $ 1,936,359.00 Idaho $2,544,708.00 $6,002,083.00 $1,393,993.00 $820,333.00 $3,938,701.00 $ 6,822,416.00 Illinois $6,869,958.00 $7,835,895.00 $7,257,344.00 $4,378,656.00 $14,127,302.00 $12,214,551.00 Indiana $2,346,983.00 $2,617,574.00 $2,346,983.00 $ 2,617,574.00 Kansas $2,477,842.00 $2,823,832.00 $1,873,850.00 $1,062,921.00 $4,351,692.00 $ 3,886,753.00 Kentucky $4,114,655.00 $4,958,138.00 $461,560.00 $183,467.00 $4,576,215.00 $ 5,141,605.00 Louisiana $3,810,768.00 $5,320,598.00 $783,611.00 $646,499.00 $4,594,379.00 $ 5,967,097.00 Massachusetts $6,325,989.00 $7,689,957.00 $3,092,483.00 $2,822,745.00 $9,418,472.00 $10,512,702.00 Maryland $2,779,872.00 $3,044,094.00 $2,942,639.00 $1,959,942.00 $5,722,511.00 $ 5,004,036.00 Maine $3,600,580.00 $3,682,025.00 $3,600,580.00 $ 3,682,025.00 Michigan $5,016,775.00 $6,230,742.00 $2,826,821.00 $2,052,903.00 $7,843,596.00 $ 8,283,645.00 Minnesota $5,361,066.00 $6,349,547.00 $2,671,275.00 $3,856,140.00 $8,032,341.00 $10,205,687.00 Missouri $3,271,484.00 $9,030,352.00 $2,402,839.00 $2,771,407.00 $5,674,323.00 $11,801,759.00 Mississippi $3,023,748.00 $4,511,785.00 $402,826.00 $280,310.00 $3,426,574.00 $ 4,792,095.00 Montana $3,842,503.00 $4,588,740.00 $578,399.00 $432,831.00 $4,420,902.00 $ 5,021,571.00 North Carolina $6,112,089.00 $10,417,989.00 $200,000.00 $0.00 $6,312,089.00 $10,417,989.00 North Dakota $3,055,934.00 $4,508,577.00 $3,055,934.00 $ 4,508,577.00 Nebraska $3,513,081.00 $4,529,577.00 $1,333,478.00 $1,126,961.00 $4,846,559.00 $ 5,656,538.00 New Hampshire $1,925,378.00 $2,153,613.00 $1,925,378.00 $ 2,153,613.00 New Jersey $3,296,691.00 $5,908,326.00 $2,918,759.00 $2,274,986.00 $6,215,450.00 $ 8,183,312.00 New Mexico $731,170.00 $741,152.00 $1,771,110.00 $3,844,026.00 $2,502,280.00 $ 4,585,178.00 Nevada $1,030,657.00 $867,545.00 $642,179.00 $637,983.00 $1,672,836.00 $ 1,505,528.00 New York $12,859,800.00 $18,100,970.00 $13,479,756.00 $13,519,828.00 $26,339,556.00 $31,620,798.00 Ohio $3,279,699.00 $3,788,831.00 $1,355,320.00 $853,917.00 $4,635,019.00 $ 4,642,748.00 Oklahoma $3,021,787.00 $9,887,812.00 $2,101,952.00 $969,088.00 $5,123,739.00 $10,856,900.00 Oregon $6,778,421.00 $9,138,047.00 $1,279,506.00 $657,543.00 $8,057,927.00 $ 9,795,590.00 State TOP Federal Support TOP Non-Federal Support CTC Federal Support CTC Non-Federal Support Total Federal Support Total Non-Federal Support Oregon $6,778,421.00 $9,138,047.00 $1,279,506.00 $657,543.00 $8,057,927.00 $ 9,795,590.00 Pennsylvania $6,186,121.00 $7,096,046.00 $974,493.00 $713,887.00 $7,160,614.00 $ 7,809,933.00 Puerto Rico $358,094.00 $403,895.00 $235,787.00 $110,550.00 $593,881.00 $ 514,445.00 Rhode Island $690,000.00 $961,604.00 $690,000.00 $ 961,604.00 South Carolina $2,952,448.00 $4,549,913.00 $1,031,557.00 $764,025.00 $3,984,005.00 $ 5,313,938.00 South Dakota $4,271,918.00 $5,197,475.00 $1,034,486.00 $426,271.00 $5,306,404.00 $ 5,623,746.00 Tennessee $3,747,833.00 $3,874,860.00 $1,742,216.00 $949,936.00 $5,490,049.00 $ 4,824,796.00 Texas $8,360,518.00 $11,130,300.00 $5,357,349.00 $5,413,988.00 $13,717,867.00 $16,544,288.00 Utah $1,783,074.00 $2,774,659.00 $293,548.00 $92,583.00 $2,076,622.00 $ 2,867,242.00 Vermont $1,244,852.00 $1,415,489.00 $454,407.00 $533,705.00 $1,699,259.00 $ 1,949,194.00 Virgin Islands $488,309.00 $986,421.00 $488,309.00 $ 986,421.00 Virginia $2,454,704.00 $3,916,264.00 $2,683,356.00 $3,169,978.00 $5,138,060.00 $ 7,086,242.00 Washington $3,132,145.00 $3,480,301.00 $3,158,417.00 $2,605,533.00 $6,290,562.00 $ 6,085,834.00 Wisconsin $998,743.00 $1,381,970.00 $362,227.00 $176,694.00 $1,360,970.00 $ 1,558,664.00 West Virginia $2,525,546.00 $3,531,531.00 $2,525,546.00 $ 3,531,531.00 Wyoming $452,836.00 $478,974.00 $253,810.00 $357,350.00 $706,646.00 $ 836,324.00 Profiles of TOP and CTC Grants Index By State Alaska Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (TOP) 22 Nine StarT-UP (CTC) 23 Arizona Southwest Navajo Nation Virtual Alliance (TOP) 24 Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County (CTC) 25 Colorado Parker Fire Protection District (TOP) 26 University of Denver Bridge Project (CTC) 27 Iowa Senior Citizens Internet Project (TOP) 28 Beatbox (CTC) 29 Illinois America's Second Harvest (TOP) 30 DePaul Learning by Association Community Technology Center (CTC) 31 Louisiana Louisiana Rural Internet Connection (TOP) 32 INCITE (Involved Community through Integrated Technology Education) (CTC) 33 Maryland Multidisciplinary Information Sharing Network (TOP) 34 Baltimore Urban League Technology Center (CTC) 35 Maine Northeast Maine Telemedicine Network (TOP) 36 Michigan Mott Community College Technology Centers (CTC) 37 Mississippi North Mississippi Health Services (TOP) 38 Oktibbeha County (CTC) 39 Montana Montana Indian Technology and Cultural Heritage (TeCH) Learning Centers (TOP) 40 Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Flathead Indian Reservation (CTC) 41 Nevada Nevada Rural Hospital Project (TOP) 42 Community College of Southern Nevada Neighborhood Education Center (CTC) 43 New Hampshire SupportNet at Crotched Mountain (TOP) 44 New Mexico Northern New Mexico Rural Telemedicine Project (TOP) 45 NO Walls Community Technology Center (CTC) 46 North Dakota Internet Access for Persons with Mental Retardation (TOP) 47 Ohio NetWellness (TOP) 48 Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) (CTC) 49 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University Telehealth (TOP) 50 Career Cybercafe (CTC) 51 South Carolina Midlands Technical College Health Science & Distance Learning (TOP) 52 United Way of Midlands " Fast Forward" (CTC) 53 South Dakota Dakota Interconnect (TOP) 54 Tennessee Computers for Homebound and Isolated Persons (TOP) 55 Texas University of Texas at Austin, Charles A. Dana Center, Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (TOP) 56 AdEdge, LLC (CTC) 57 Vermont Improving Rural Trauma Care, Education and Prevention Through Telemedicine (TOP) 58 Virginia University of Virginia Office of Telemedicine Health Services Center (TOP) 59 Wesley Housing Development Corporation/ National Capital Area Neighborhood Networks Consortium (NCANN) (CTC) 60 Washington City of Seattle, Department of Housing and Human Services (TOP) 61 University of Washington/Tribes Community Technology Center Partnership (CTC) 63 Wisconsin Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (CTC) 64 Alaska Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $449,944 Non-Federal Support: $188,009 Date of Grant: October 1997-September 2000 Project Partners: University of Alaska-Fairbanks, AT&T Alascom, the Yukon Flats School District, and the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments Contact: Patricia J. Stanley Phone: (907) 662-2587 Email: pstanley@catg.org The Yukon Flats is an economically depressed and isolated region located deep within the interior of Alaska. Its 2500 residents are scattered across 10 villages in a 55,000 square mile area. To address the need for communication, the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) established a Wide Area Network with support from the TOP program to provide voice and data communication to each of the villages via satellite. The network makes Internet access available to tribal leaders, students, and health providers at clinics (often just a small 600 square foot log cabin) and tribal facilities in each village. Health aides, who serve as the only full-time primary care providers in the smaller villages, use the Internet to access health care data and training information, and will soon be able to transmit and receive patient records, data and images via computer and video conferencing to consult with healthcare providers. The network also enabled the CATG regional health center to set up a remote patient records server at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium located in Anchorage instead of maintaining and replacing expensive equipment on site. Local administrators and residents now connect directly to CATG's partner agencies, including the University of Alaska Interior-Aleutian Campus and the Yukon Flats Center, to enable distance learning and training under the Tribal Management Program. The network has accelerated the rate of community development in the villages of the Yukon Flats through participation with and access to the outside world. "Being more in contact with people from the outside has raised the level of expectations," says project director Patricia Stanley. Apart from the qualitative benefits of increased exposure to the outside world, the network has improved health care and education while simultaneously reducing travel costs. Alaska Nine StarT-UP Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $147,999 Non-Federal Support: $44,399 Date of Grant: 2001-2002 Project Partners: Mountain View YMCA; Mountain View Clark Middle School; Mountain View Elementary School; Russian Jack schools served by 21st Century Community Learning Center grant; Mountain View Boys and Girls Club; Russian Jack Anchorage Literacy Project; Russian Jack/ Mountain View Digital Divide Project. Contact: Barbara Brannum Phone: (907) 297-5464, (907) 297-5422 Email: barbarab@ninestar.com Nine Star, a private nonprofit education-training center, established the Nine StarT-Up project in 2001 with support from the CTC program to make technology services accessible to kids in some of the most economically depressed neighborhoods of Anchorage, Alaska. Nine Star's CTCs benefit an average 1500 children and adults every year. The centers hold basic computer literacy, software and hardware classes for the community at large as well as programs that are targeted toward specific populations such as migrant workers, pregnant or parenting high school students, non-English speakers and welfare recipients. The Mt. View site's computer repair club trains students to repair and reassemble used computers. At the conclusion of the class, students may take the rehabilitated computer home. The youngest member of the first "Build to Own" class was a twelve year-old who came to the center while his mother was undergoing substance abuse treatment. He decided to enroll in the class and after quickly mastering course material, he assisted others and eventually received a refurbished computer. Arizona Southwest Navajo Nation Virtual Alliance Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $475,000 Non-Federal Support: $500,000 Date of Grant: October 1997-September 2000 Project Partners: Learning Technology Center, University of Texas at Austin, Northern Arizona University, the Navajo Nation Governmental Divisions, and the Indian Health Service. Contact name: Dr. Kyril Calsoyas Phone: (928) 714-9422 Email: kyril.caloyas@earthlink.com In 1999, Seba Dalkai Boarding School in Flagstaff, Arizona, received a $475,000 TOP grant to build the Southwest Navajo Virtual Alliance (SNVA), a satellite network linking 110 chapters across 25,000 square miles of the sprawling Navajo nation. Satellite provider Starband Communications, in conjunction with the TOP grant, provides connectivity as an in kind contribution for the entire network. In the area served by the SNVA, unemployment is chronic; 56% of the people live below the poverty level and 30% of adults have a less than a ninth grade education. Cable television and local radio stations are nonexistent and the residential phone ratio is 49 to 1. Apart from a dirt road, and very unstable cellular phone connection, the Internet in many cases is the only link to the outside world. Residents use the Internet for a wide range of reasons, from distance learning to buying truck parts. Chapter officials, like Besse Carmajo of Coppermine Chapter (population: 500), use the Internet to learn about grant programs that can help support Indian country. For example, Ms. Carmajo applied for federal grants (that she learned about online) for the rehabilitation of abandoned mines. If approved, her proposal will bring electricity to 94% of the homes in Coppermine that are currently lit with kerosene lamps. Chapter officials also use the Internet for distance learning on governance issues such as land use, accounting and taxes. As the number of projects on the satellite network increase, its value to the region has progressively grown. Dr. Kyril Calsoyas, project director at the Seba Dalkai Boarding School, says that the arrival of connectivity is a major turning point for the residents and community leaders of the Navajo Nation. Arizona Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $180,000 Non-Federal Support: $180,000 Date of Grant: May 2000-2003. Project Partners: Pulliam Foundation, City of Phoenix Neighborhood Block Grant, City of Phoenix Community Development Block Grant, Neighborhood Services Department City of Phoenix, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Microsoft and Novell. Contact: Lynn Reed Phone: (602) 274-3430 Email: lreed@firstinter.net Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County (LVMC) provides basic literacy and "English as a Second Language" instruction as well as computer skills training to residents of Maricopa County with the support of a CTC grant and matching funds from the Pulliam Foundation. LVMC fills an important socio-economic gap in a low-income border community in central Phoenix, where almost 30% of the residents do not have a high school diploma and 35% are considered "Limited English Proficient." The curriculum at LVMC is designed in modules that can be easily adapted to many different educational sites. Basic literacy and ESL classes are taught with the aid of software programs so that students learn more advanced computer skills as they engage in increasingly difficult lessons. Since the program's inception, LVMC has provided 30,007 hours of instruction in adult education, far exceeding their goal of 10,000 hours per year. Lynn Reed, the center's director, believes that the integration of technology in instruction has made adult instruction more economical, efficient, and has provided students with workforce as well as basic literacy skills. Hugo Carrazco, a 38-year-old construction worker, decided to take an ESL class at LVMC when his 11-year-old daughter brought home an LVMC flyer from school. Seven weeks into the class, Mr. Carrazco, in halting English, says, "it's a good class because I'm learning computers and English at the same time." Although he has a computer at home for his son, Hugo had never used one prior to the class. "The center is testing a curriculum to teach two skills [basic literacy and computer skills] at the same time," says Ms. Reed in reference to LVMC's vision. One measure of the center's success is that Mr. Carrazco can now help his children with their schoolwork on his home computer. Colorado Parker Fire Protection District Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $500,000 Non-Federal Support: $612,212 Date of Grant: October 1997-June 2001 Project Partners: Castle Rock Fire and Police Departments, the Castlewood Fire Protection District, the Town of Parker and the Parker Police and Fire Departments, the Douglas County Sheriff, and the Douglas County Administration. Additionally, other partners include the Phillip S. Miller Library of Castle Rock, the Parker Library, the Highlands Ranch Library, and the Oakes Mill Library of Littleton, Colorado. Contact: Chief Daniel Qualman Phone: (303) 841-2608 Email: dqualman@parkerfire.org Built with support from TOP, the Douglas County Virtual Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provides a high-speed network linking multiple agencies within the Parker Fire District to the Town of Parker Council Seat (located 15 miles away) and the Southwest Metro Fire and Rescue Service. The network enables communication between hundreds of units including the county seat, the sheriff's office, fire fighters, the police force, and the public works department. Lt. Michael Coleman of the Sheriffs Office believes that the network helps keep decision makers on top of what is going on in the field. At the recent fire in Pine Junction, fire representatives were able to use the network to visualize the extent of the fire and coordinate the movement of equipment from the county to the site. The network is also used to conduct remote training for fire fighters ensuring that trainers do not have to leave their response areas for long periods of time. Using the same high-speed network, the community library has installed public computer kiosks that provide news and information to county residents. The county continuously finds more uses for the high-speed network. In a recent test, amateur radio operators and a television camera crew beamed signals to the network so that people at the EOC could actually see what was happening at a disaster site. The network has succeeded in improving coordination between Douglas County's emergency response units and meets a critical need throughout the nation for more homeland security. Colorado University of Denver Bridge Project Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $491,675 Non-Federal Support: $370,329 Date of Grant: September 2000-October 2003 Project Partners: Denver Housing Authority Contact: Jeanne Orrben Phone: (303) 765-4408 Email: jorrben@du.edu In 1991, the University of Denver and the Denver Public Housing Department joined together to establish the Bridge Project, a community based program in public housing developments. Nine years later, in 2000, a CTC grant enabled the Bridge Project to provide technology training for its participants in three of its centers. The Columbine CTC, located in a Southwest Denver public housing development, logged 160 visits and 285 hours of training in a single month earlier this year. In one class, six-year-olds are given monthly projects that require the use of software and the Internet. In a project on the environment, children created a web site that included digital photographs of neighborhood cleanup activities. Other courses offered provide basic computer training for adults; while more advanced classes can teach Excel, Access, Word. For families who live on federally funded welfare programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Bridge Project provides workforce skills and credentials that lead to financial independence. Mary, a resident at Columbine's public housing development who had never used a computer or completed high school, signed up for GED preparation classes at the Columbine CTC and enrolled her two sons in computer classes. Once she completed her GED, Mary went on to learn Word, Excel and Access, and is now working as an administrative assistant for the Bridge Project. She is no longer dependent on TANF support. Iowa Senior Citizens Internet Project Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $499,651 Non-Federal Support: $520,590 Date of Grant: October 2001-September 2004 Project Partners: Legal Services Corporation of Iowa and the Iowa Association of Centers will work with the Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Iowa's thirteen area agencies on aging and 100 senior centers. Contact: Charles Leist Phone: (800) 532-1275 Email: cleist@iowalaw.org With funding from TOP, the Legal Services Corporation's Senior Citizens Internet Project will place computer kiosks in 85 senior centers in Iowa. A self-help portal will provide training in basic computing, email and Internet search skills. Each computer has a desktop icon linking the senior centers to the Corporation's legal aid web site, the Department of Human Services and local area agencies on aging. This is the only project of its kind in the region that brings the benefits of the Internet to senior citizens who live independently. The project helps residents in senior centers, in underserved rural and urban areas, resolves problems involving healthcare, housing, pension and other public benefits as well as end-of-life planning issues. The legal aid web site will give senior citizens the resources to deal effectively with government agencies, nursing facilities, landlords, and guardians. Iowa has the largest percentage of people over 85 of any state. With worker migration from rural to urban areas, the elderly population in rural areas is left without access to public services that are typically concentrated in urban areas. Project Coordinator Charles Leist estimates that the total number of people reached during the course of the project could exceed 20,000. The project time line calls for the opening of the first 10 locations in August 2002, with the remaining 75 sites opening in January of 2003. Iowa Beatbox Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $300,000 Total Non-Federal Support: $195,000 Date of Grant: 2001-2002 Contact: Julie Babbs Phone: (641) 472-9784 Email: thebeatbox@zxmail.com Beatbox, a program sponsored by Fairfield Youth Advocacy in Fairfield, Iowa, provides classes in basic web design and digital film production. Additionally, young people are given the opportunity to participate in the Cisco Certified Network Professional Program and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSC) certifications. Prior to receiving support from the CTC program, Beatbox was a youth recreational center. It's new technology program, the "Btech," paid for by a CTC grant and in-kind contributions from the community, now provides a space where youth between ages 9 and 23 can socialize, engage in creative activities, and enhance their education through technology. Beatbox provides a comprehensive group of classes to equip underserved young people to succeed. Twenty-one-year-old Roland Wells is a volunteer who mentors and trains students at the center. Danny Peterson, a 22-year-old GED graduate used to be a construction worker, but after a MCSC class, is now applying for a job at a digital photography studio-an option that will more than double his income. The Beatbox program has been very successful, attracting an average of 100 teens per day who take classes, play games or surf the Internet at ten open access workstations that are fully occupied from 11 am until 1 am. According to Beatbox program director Julie Babbs, this would not have been possible without seed money provided through a CTC grant. "Local grants are absent because they simply cannot afford it. Five years from now, however, they will see the value in investing in community technology centers." Illinois America's Second Harvest Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $400,000 Non-Federal Support: $638,036 Date of Grant: October 1999-September 2002 Project Partners: Microsoft, Cisco, Lotus, SCT, i2 Technologies Contact: David Prendergast Phone: (312) 263-2303 Ext. 165 Email: dprendergast@secondharvest.org With initial funding from TOP, America's Second Harvest launched a million dollar program to equip 130 food banks with high-speed Internet access and established an online ordering system linking food banks with local shelters and soup kitchens. America's Second Harvest is a national network of food banks that provide food via 50,000 local agencies to 26 million Americans annually. With financial assistance from TOP along with corporate sponsors like Microsoft, Cisco, and i2 Technologies, America's Second Harvest has brought the efficiencies of "business to business" e-commerce applications to the doorstep of nonprofits. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma City, for example, provides food to 500 organizations in the western and central parts of the state and is one of two food banks that participate in a pilot project to test the online ordering system. Once shelters and soup kitchens are able to go online to view available food items and place orders, turnaround time is expected to decrease dramatically from three weeks to three days. Steve Moran, Assistant Director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma City, says organizations selected to be part of the pilot program are thrilled with the new online ordering system. He says, "It is critical to get products in and out quickly so that agencies can plan balanced diets and have access to a wider variety of fresher food like green peas or roast beef." Without the TOP money, this would have probably taken an additional two years to accomplish because, as David Prendergast, VP Technology at America's Harvest, puts it, the amount required for a project such as this is so large, private backing alone would not have been sufficient to cover all the costs. Illinois DePaul Learning by Association Community Technology Center Type of Project: CTC Amount of Grant: $739,635 Non-Federal Support: $560,024 Start-end date: September 1999-October 2002 Project Partners: DePaul University, Learning by Association, The Vincentian Endowment Fund of DePaul University, the Illinois Reading Council Literacy Support Fund, Columbia College Contact name: Dr. Roxanne Owens Phone: (773) 325-4329 Email: rowens@depaul.edu The technology centers in Chicago's Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods reopened in May 2000 after an infusion of funds from a CTC grant. The reopening was marked by the installation of 15 new state of the art computers and high-speed Internet connections. The centers provided training to low-income residents in basic computer use, web browsing, word processing and email. During the school year, children are taught to use computers to do research projects, an exercise that helps improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. Summer offerings for children include the "Los Montros del High Tech" program in hardware and software training. Fourteen-year-old Christian Bustos signed up for the Los Montros del High Tech program and used his newly acquired web design skills to help civics teachers at the local school create an online quiz to test students on the Constitution. Later, while surfing the web at the CTC, he discovered Flash, a program to create interactive multimedia web content. After learning the software from a volunteer teacher, he created a web site for himself using Flash. He eventually wants to work as a videogame designer. Dr. Roxanne Owens, Assistant Professor of Education at DePaul University, says that the partnership between the University and Association House, a community service organization, would not have been possible without the CTC grant. Louisiana Louisiana Rural Internet Connection Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $649,998 Non-Federal Support: $651,106 Date of Grant: October 2001-September 2002 Project Partners: Grambling State University will work with black churches in six rural parishes: Claiborne, Jackson, Morehouse, Union, West Carroll and Winn. Contact: Margaret Lowery Phone: (318) 274-2436 Email: lowerym@alpha0.gram.edu In a unique partnership between Grambling State University (GSU) and five predominantly black counties, faith based organizations will soon be conduits for Internet connectivity in rural Louisiana. The state of Louisiana ranks 47th in the nation for adults with Internet access. With funding support from TOP, matched with in-kind contributions from five local churches, GSU has built computer labs and installed high-speed satellite networks in each county. Ten families from each county will be given a computer with free Internet access. GSU's CareerNet Center will train volunteers to teach the community basic computer skills and how to use the Internet as a resource for education, health, and workforce development. Students and professors at GSU have already made a number of inquiries to use the data (collected from home computers) to correlate Internet usage with the home environment as well as to explore the potential for e-commerce in the area. There are no local ISPs in any of the five counties that were selected. "No company is going to bother building services because maintaining it just doesn't make sense as there isn't enough of a user base," says Margaret Lowery, Project Manager at GSU's CareerNet Center. Louisiana INCITE (Involved Community through Integrated Technology Education) Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $300,000 Non-Federal Support: $430,430 Date of Grant: 2001-2002 Project Partners: Calcasieu Parish School System, Calcasieu Parish Career Center, Imperial Calcasieu School to Work, and Simon Properties and Youth Foundation Contact: Sheryl Abshire Phone: (337) 437-6150 Email: Sheryl.abshire@cpsb.org With initial funding from a CTC grant, Calcasieu Parish School System partnered with the local public library and career center to establish two CTCs aptly named INCITE (Involved Community through Integrated Technology Education)-the North INCITE center is designed for senior citizens and the South INCITE center is for youth and family counseling. Students who have left high school because of truancy, drugs, or crime attend the "Credit Recovery" program at South INCITE where they use educational software to make up lost credits. The center also provides Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certifications and trains job seekers on how to conduct online job searches and type and format business letters. After taking the class, job seekers realize that "it is not enough to just stand in line at the unemployment office," says Sheryl Abshire, the Administrative Coordinator for Technology. In summer 2002, the center moves to its new location in the neighborhood mall where it will offer a series of web design and software classes for small businesses. The INCITE North Center helps senior citizens like 70 year-old Frank Meadows and his wife, both of whom started out with a fear of computers. Mr. Meadows used to volunteer at Meals on Wheels and the local YMCA, but is now physically unable to do so. He says, "The computer gives me something to do apart from lying on the couch," adding that he would have done this a decade ago if he had access to a CTC. Ms. Abshire's goal is to empower senior citizens through technology so that they will be more involved in the community, be more adept at accessing the public health system, and serve as role models for their family and friends. Maryland Multidisciplinary Information Sharing Network Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $480,000 Non-Federal Support: $502,464 Date of Grant: October 2000-September 2003 Project Partners: Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), the Maryland State Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the Volunteer Citizen Health Advocates of the Baltimore City Empowerment Zone and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Criminal Services Contact: Ruth Vogel Phone: (410) 396-4438 Email: ruth.vogel@baltimorecity.gov The Multidisciplinary Information Sharing Network (MISN) is a joint program of the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD), the Department of Public Safety, the Baltimore City Jail Inmate Health Services, and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (JHSPH) that uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to track and map STD, HIV/AIDS and TB incidences in the city of Baltimore. Funded in part by TOP, the MISN will consolidate data from law enforcement agencies, the Department of Corrections and the City Health Department in order to eliminate duplicative testing, ensure appropriate treatment and follow up, and enable data sharing between agencies. At the time the project was initiated, Baltimore ranked among the top two cities nationally for incidences of chlamydia, primary and secondary syphilis, and gonorrhea. Testing for at-risk populations consumes a fair share of municipality resources: the BCHD operates two STD clinics and handle about 30,000 patients. In addition, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services annually processes more than 90,000 people, 80% of whom are at-risk for STDs, HIV/AIDS or TB. Once the existing antiquated databases are replaced, JHSPH will overlay information on crime and housing over disease patterns to give agencies the ability to look at possible correlations. This analysis will also help public health officials in other cities nationwide combat the spread of infectious diseases. Maryland Baltimore Urban League Technology Center Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $675,000 Non-Federal Support: $404,000 Date of Grant: 2000-2003 Project Partners: HUD, Lockheed Martin, Baltimore City Detention Center, Bell Atlantic, Communities On-Line, Chesapeake Foundation, Coppin State College, Enoch Pratt Library, IBM, Orchard Mews Management Assoc., University of Maryland, UPS, Park Heights Employment and Literacy Institute. Contact: Michael Smith Phone: (410) 523-8150 Ext. 257 Email: msmith@bul.org The Baltimore Urban League's (BUL) Technology Center, with the support of a CTC grant, offers a wide range of technology classes for children and adults. Children's activities include daily after school programs and summer camps that, among other things, cover robotics, multimedia, math and science. Classes geared toward adults include technology-based adult literacy, basic computer literacy, and job retraining. BUL's location between a public housing development and an assisted living community plays a strategic role in its community development efforts. Apart from recruiting volunteer teachers from adjoining communities, BUL supplements its $675,000 CTC grant by entering into strategic partnerships. For example, BUL was able to provide computer programming training and certification to young low-income non-custodial fathers via partnerships with the Charles County Department of Social Services and the Responsible Fatherhood Demonstration Project. Retired schoolteacher and Baltimore resident Shirley Barret has attended five classes at the center and takes every opportunity to encourage friends and family to take part. One friend acquired basic computer skills at the center and made a complete career change, moving into estate planning and insurance. Ms. Barret recently bought a computer from the center and is now using it for everything from managing pension funds to printing travel directions for family visits. Maine Northeast Maine Telemedicine Network Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $600,000 Non-Federal Support: $600,000 Date of Grant: October 1998-May 2002 Project Partners: Regional Medical Center at Lubec, Sunrise County HomeHealth Care, Visiting Nurses of Aroostook, The Aroostook Medical Center, Houlton Regional Hospital, Northern, Maine Medical Center, Aroostook Mental Health Center, Aroostook Valley Health Center, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Health Center, Aroostook Band of Micmacs Health Center, Cary Medical Center, East Grand Health Center Contact name: Carol Carew Phone: (207) 733-5541 Email: ccarew@rmcl.org The Regional Medical Center at Lubec (RMCL), with the support of a TOP grant, was able to install Northeast Maine Telemedicine Network (NMTN), a telemedicine system allowing nurses in northeast Maine to make electronic home visits with patients who would otherwise need to be hospitalized. Some of the sophisticated units are able to conduct remote testing of blood sugar and blood pressure levels. RMCL also provides teleconferencing equipment to link specialists in urban areas with patients and medical professionals in smaller regional medical facilities. Joyce Frost of Calais, Maine suffers from both diabetes and first stage Alzheimer's disease and was told by the Eastern Area Office on Aging that she couldn't manage on her own anymore. A year later she is still in her own home, but she now has an added lifeline-NMTN's videoconferencing unit connected to her regular phone line. The unit provides daily meetings with a nurse who checks in to see how Ms. Frost is doing, to see if she has taken her medication and simply to provide her with reassurance. This supplements home visits, which are done through Sunrise County HomeCare Services, a division of RMCL. The NMTN is rapidly growing into a statewide network, bringing together medical care facilities as well as other institutions like mental hospitals and law enforcement agencies. Its success is reflected in the fact that a growing number of organizations, both public and private, are seeking help developing their own telemedicine systems. Michigan Mott Community College Technology Centers Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $631,047 Non-Federal Support: $538,297 Date of Award: 1999-2002 Project Partners: Great Lakes Baptist District Center, Disability Network, Hispanic Community Center. Contact: Robert Matthews Phone: (810) 785-3300 Email: rmatthew@mcc.edu With initial support from a CTC grant, Mott Community College (MCC) was able to establish three community technology centers in partnership with the Great Lakes Baptist District Center, Disability Network, and Hispanic Community Center. The goal of these centers is to expose the local community to technology via channels they trust-grassroots community organizations. Using assistive technologies such as a hands-free input system, adaptive keyboards and screen reading software, the Disability Network's CTC prepares people with disabilities to live independently and to be competitive in the workforce. The center also evaluates and identifies assistive technology needs for those who cannot afford to pay the $300 that such an evaluation would typically cost. The center serves individuals from as far away as the Upper Peninsula but primarily focuses on serving Flint, Michigan. Douglas, a man from Flint, has cerebral palsy that limits his mobility and ability to communicate. Adamant about living independently, Douglas decided to invest $7,000 in software that would help him communicate and use a computer. The Disability Network made his investment worthwhile by providing 80 hours of free software training and customizing the software and hardware accessories to his needs. Douglas now volunteers and teaches at the center and takes 15 seconds to say something that would ordinarily have taken 15 minutes to communicate by pointing out letters on an alphabet chart. Mississippi North Mississippi Health Services Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $148,748 Non-Federal Support: $198,601 Date of Grant: October 1999-September 2002 Project Partners: Home Health Agency, Clinical Outcomes Department, Internal Medicine Associates, and Heart Institute Biomedical Services. Contact: Cathy Smith Phone: (662) 377-2499 The North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS), with support from TOP, utilizes telemedicine services including cameras, monitors, speakerphones, and several remote-sensing devices to monitor patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in 17 counties in rural Mississippi. The equipment collects readings and transmits it to the telehome care nurse on each televisit. In addition, a computer program alerts nurses when a patient's vital signs stray outside of preset clinical parameters. In rural Mississippi, patients with CHF are often geographically isolated and receive inadequate medical attention because the region has 50% fewer physicians than the national average. As a result, telemedicine plays a major role in ensuring care is delivered in remote and underserved areas. A $1500 unit placed in Ms. Blackwell's home, which is 15 miles from the closest medical facility, has a green and a red button that may be used to transmit vital signs and to initiate a virtual meeting with a nurse at the central station. Ms. Blackwell uses the telemedicine unit's videoconferencing facility to schedule regular meetings with Cathy Smith, a nurse and the coordinator of the telemedicine program at NMHS. Cathy Smith checks Ms. Blackwell's blood pressure, blood oxygen and blood sugar levels. Hospitalizations and visits to NMHS have decreased by 50 percent among the 23 patients who currently use the telemedicine units. The intangible benefits, like those afforded to Ms. Blackwell, are more difficult to quantify, but could be indispensable to the 40,000 Americans who are diagnosed with CHF each year. The station nurse monitors medical information fed from patients' homes to a central facility at NMHS on a 24-hour basis. Mississippi Oktibbeha County CTC Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $215,704 Total Non-Federal Support: $100,785 Date of Grant: October 2001-September 2002 Project Partners: National Bank of Commerce; Oktibbeha County Families First Resource Center; Mississippi State University; Kiwanis Club; Oktibbeha County Head Start; Even Start; Adult Basic Education; Oktibbeha County Health Department; Oktibbeha County Human Resources; Ministerial Association; Oktibbeha County Professional Development Center; Americorp Vista Contact: Dr. Joan Butler Phone: (662) 615-0033, (662) 324-4063 Email: jbutler@starkville.k12.ms.us The Emerson Family School is a nontraditional school with a day care center, a place for monthly gatherings of the community, and classes for the entire family. After receiving a CTC grant, the Starkville School District established the Oktibbeha County CTC at Emerson. After school classes for children as well as classes for parents are aimed at developing computer literacy skills to improve schoolwork and homework. One class for both parents and children teaches parents how the Internet can help children with schoolwork. Classes for adults also include software training. Felicia Rutlidge, a 23-year-old single mother of two, drives 30 miles every day to use the computer resources at Emerson Family School. She typically spends about 25 hours a week learning applications like Excel, Word and Access. Between drafting cover letters, submitting job applications online and looking for nutritious recipes, her time at the CTC goes quickly. "There is nothing like it in the state," says project director Dr. Joan Butler. "Its location in a public family school makes it open to everyone, irrespective of income, ethnicity or religious background." Montana Montana Indian Technology and Cultural Heritage (TeCH) Learning Centers Type of Grant: TOP Year(s) of Grant: 1996-1999 and 2001-2004 Amount of Grant: 1st Grant--$300,000; 2nd Grant--$809,365 Non-Federal Support: 1st Grant $347,715, 2nd Grant--$811,431 Project Partners: Burns Telecom Center, Chief Dull Knife College, Pretty Eagle School, Fort Belknap College, Stone Child College Contact: Terry Driscoll Phone: (406) 994-6490 Email: driscoll@montana.edu The Montana Indian Technology and Cultural Heritage (TeCH) Learning Centers, with support from TOP, seek to demonstrate how information technology can be used to support and preserve Native cultures. Building on the foundation of the original TOP grant in 1996 to the Montana State University's Burns Telecommunications Center, which trained fellows from Montana's Indian Reservations in creating, maintaining and using computer networks, the TeCH project will pass this knowledge on to tribal elders and young people, teaching both to use multi-media technology to preserve the culture of their tribe. The TeCH program will use technology to make preservation of Native language and tradition easier. The project will establish a community based learning center at each of four reservation school sites, a satellite computer center in the community senior center, and a kiosk in each of the Cultural Centers of Learning Lodges. High-end equipment is being installed at each site, including multimedia capable computers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, digital video cameras and multimedia development software. After spending 60 years studying and collecting the history of his people, James Turning Bear was introduced to a new method of preservation-web pages and CD-Rom. In 1999, with a professor from Fort Peck community college and one of her students, he traveled to the Burns Telecommunications Center to insure that future generations would know what traditional language sounded like as well as to record the history of his people by using technology. Montana Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Flathead Indian Reservation Type of Grant: CTC Year of Grant: 2001-2002 Grant Amount: $281,532 Non-Federal Funding: $122,831 Project Partners: Salish Kootenai College - SK Housing Authority - CSKT DHRD Department, Tribal Administration and the Ronan - Pablo School district #30 Contact Name: Teresa Wall-McDonald Phone: (406) 675-2700 Email: teresawm@cskt.org Through a CTC grant to the Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) of the Confederated Tribes, a mobile computer lab-the COOL (Computer Operations at Outreach Locations) Bus-is serving rural Indian housing sites. It has 7-10 stations and can be driven to housing sites for use by residents, thus enabling residents without transportation to access the training in their housing community. The CTC grant has enabled DHRD to hire staff and provide computer services to disadvantaged and at risk populations on the Salish and Kootenai reservation. They hope that access to computers will enrich the community, where the unemployment rate is 41% and of those with jobs, 40-48% still qualify for energy assistance, childcare, food stamps and Medicare. One DHRD staff member, a mother of four, felt that before the program she did not have the skills to effectively compete in the job market. Completion of the training program has made her more competitive for jobs with a higher wage. Nevada Nevada Rural Hospital Project Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $250,000 Non-Federal Support: $257,690 Date of Grant: October 1996-September 1998 Project Partners: University of Nevada School of Medicine and Nursing, Nevada State Department of Information Technology, Nevada Office of Rural Health, Local Workforce Development Council, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Contact: Michael J. McMahon, Director of Policy and Program Development Phone: (775) 827-4770 Email: mike@nrhp.org With the support of a TOP grant, the Nevada Rural Hospital Project Foundation and the Nevada Office of Rural Health were able to develop the necessary infrastructure to electronically link 11 rural hospitals. The resulting Wide Area Network enhances communications among and between healthcare providers. It also enables Nevada's small and rural hospitals to more fully utilize telemedicine and teleradiology services in rural areas. This has helped in the conversion of some facilities to critical access hospitals. Michael McMahon, Director of Policy and Program Development for the project, says that this project not only benefits the residents of these rural areas, but also the 15 million people who visit Nevada annually. This technology provides rural residents with high-speed access to healthcare information and supports rural healthcare centers in more than just emergency medical situations. The technology supports the viability of rural communities through the on-line continuing education credits for health care professionals, nursing education, and courses in healthcare support services that are available to local residents. Additionally, workforce development funds will provide tuition assistance for those interested in pursuing careers in healthcare via the technology provided through the Nevada Rural Hospital Project. Nevada Community College of Southern Nevada Neighborhood Education Center Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $491,314 Non-Federal Support: $535,032 Date of Grant: 1999-2002 Project Partners: Nevada Partners, Inc., the A.D. Guy Center Contact: Norma Bucelato, Interim Executive Director, Resource Development Phone: (702) 651-7343 Email: norma_bucelato@cssn.nevada.edu West Las Vegas has a high number of unemployed adults and a high incidence of gang-related crime and violence. Through a CTC grant, the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) has established two computer access points in West Las Vegas where residents have an opportunity to receive computer training. For example, the four-week Computer Sampler course for students with basic computer literacy enables them to progress to a basic skill level in software and Internet use. These courses are offered in the hope that once residents feel comfortable with computers, they will take the more advanced computer courses regularly offered by CCSN. The education center also helps participants find jobs. The CCSN Community Technology Centers are part of the CCSN Neighborhood Education Centers, which seek to provide a wide range of services for West Las Vegas residents, including health care information, job development, family counseling and support services, and housing support. As of September 2001, the A.D. Guy Center site has served over 380 individuals, and 246 area residents have used the Nevada Partners site. A Hispanic single mother of three came to one of the CCSN computer technology centers looking for computer training that would improve her ability to obtain a job. After participating in the free introductory computer sessions offered by the CTC, along with other classes available at the education center, she enrolled in the community college. The knowledge that she gained enabled her to eventually find employment with a major Las Vegas hotel as a corporate retail accounts payable clerk. New Hampshire SupportNet at Crotched Mountain Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $240,000 Non-Federal Support: $246,251 Date of Grant: October 2001-October 2003 Project Partners: Nassua, Kearsarge and Londonderry School Districts, North Country Education Foundation, New Hampshire Public Television Contact: Phil Girard Phone: (603) 547-3311, ex 251 Email: girard@cmf.org In New Hampshire, more than 15,000 children with developmental disabilities require specialized care to meet their daily living, educational and medical needs. A limited number of physicians, therapists and other professionals are available to these children, especially in the state's many isolated rural areas. Through TOP funding, SupportNet, a program of the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, is providing rural and urban school districts with video conferencing equipment that provides children with special needs as well as their teachers and parents with additional help such as distance learning, speech therapy, and access to developmental pediatricians. The video conferencing technology is also benefiting children who live at the Crotched Mountain facility. One child who must use a communication board because of his disability was only able to communicate to his father over the phone through his counselor. The new technology now enables his father to watch him construct sentences via video conferencing, making it a much more personal interaction. Crotched Mountain hopes to extend its resources throughout New Hampshire through the development of a dedicated video-conferencing connection. End users will interact directly with Crotched Mountain staff, who will provide consultation, evaluation, and training to community partners and families of children with disabilities. The system will also allow for more evaluation and follow-up for children with special needs. New Mexico Northern New Mexico Rural Telemedicine Project Type of Grant: TOP Grant Date: October 1996-December 1999 Grant Amount: $500,000 Non-Federal Support: $511,870 Project Partners: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Northern New Mexico Community College Contact Name: Dr. Jose Griego Phone: (505) 747-2210 The Northern New Mexico Rural Telemedicine Project, established with a TOP grant in 1996, is designed to enable health care workers at rural sites to transfer medical records, including x-rays, to larger medical centers for analysis. The Telemedicine Project currently connects 13 rural clinics to urban medical centers via TeleMed software, which was developed specifically for the program by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a founding partner of the project. Cuba, New Mexico is 3 hours from an urban health center. Prior to the establishment of the Telemedicine project, residents of the Dulce Apache Reservation had to travel to a health center in Colorado for advanced treatment, a trip that isn't even possible in the winter. The TeleMed software enables these isolated populations to receive advanced health services in their rural health centers. The health centers also serve as community centers, and function as an organizing point for the populations they serve. These centers are often the first places in the community with Internet connections. Minority entrepreneurs have expressed interest in marketing the TeleMed software to other isolated communities, making this program scalable throughout the United States and the world. New Mexico NO Walls Community Technology Center Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $329,000 Non-Federal Support: $209,582 Date of Grant: 2000-2003 Project Partners: University of New Mexico Health Sciences Contact: Judith Liddell Phone: (505) 272-2763 Email: jliddell@unm.edu With a CTC grant, NO Walls is focusing on making technology accessible to people with disabilities. The program offers computer classes for people with disabilities as well as those that work with them. The classes are often the first opportunity for people with severe physical disabilities, such as head injuries or cognitive disabilities, to participate in a community computer class. One woman who has a head injury has taken three classes and has found them to be exceptional. She has received enough information to practice on her own and she is finding practical applications for the information she has learned. In additional to training persons with or at risk for having a disability, their families, service providers, caregivers, teachers and advocates on how to access information using technology, NO Walls also plans to use the center to educate the broader Albuquerque community in how to find information about disabilities using computer technology. North Dakota Internet Access for Persons with Mental Retardation Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $560,000 Non-Federal Support: $560,000 Date of Grant: October 1998-October 2000 Project Partners: Minot State University - NDCPD Contact: Joseph Ferrara Phone: (701) 858-3055 Email: ferrara@farside.cc.misu.nodak.edu In 1998, with support from TOP, the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) at Minot State University established the Internet Access for Persons with Mental Retardation Project (IAPMR). IAPMR created and maintained a local area network (LAN) that provided people with mental retardation access to the Internet. The program participants' use of the Internet was not limited to recreational and social activities; those with moderate to severe mental retardation used IAPMR-generated software to earn up to $15.00/hr at Internet-based jobs. Ninety-four participants learned to use project-generated data entry software. NDCPD continues to make this software available at-cost to businesses and agencies hiring workers with mental retardation. One replication site operated by the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) employs about 15 people with moderate to severe mental retardation. In December of 2001, BHSSC billed data entry customers for over $9,000. This project has made it possible for people with mental retardation who have never worked and never had money of their own to achieve the goals of employment and earned income. There have been several other offshoots of the IAPMR program, and as a result, several hundred people with severe mental retardation and no expressive vocabulary have been able to use modified communications boards to send and receive email messages. Also, IAPMR has developed an Internet-based data service that currently tracks the effectiveness of the vocational and support services provided to over 1,500 consumers with mental retardation. Specialists use this system to review data and provide timely case-specific guidance to community-based professionals. These programs also have the potential to help people who were not members of the original target population. For example, one company is interested in using a modified version of the data service to enable families to monitor the services provided to loved-ones in distant nursing homes. Ohio NetWellness Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $375,000 Non-Federal Support: $486,042 Date of Grant: October 1994-December 1996 Project Partners: University of Cincinnati, Ohio University, Ohio State University, Case Western University, TriState Online, Ohio Library Information Network, State Library of Ohio, Cincinnati Bell Telephone, Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center, Ameritech, Sybase, The Southeastern College and Continuing Education Coalition, Indiana University School of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Contact: Steve Marine Phone: (513) 558-0166 Email: stephen.marine@uc.edu A TOP grant enabled NetWellness (http://www.netwellness.org/), a consumer health web service that provides users with a wide range of medical information, to get off the ground. The website's most popular service is "Ask an Expert," where faculty from Ohio's 3 research universities volunteer to answer online questions. To date, NetWellness volunteers have answered over 18,000 questions on more than 45 topics. The objective nature of the NetWellness site helps foster the trust of its users. The site is non-profit and non-commercial and there is no advertising. Because of the useful information provided, NetWellness users feel that they are better prepared to address their health problems. In surveys, they consistently say that the information enables them to better communicate with their physicians, make an appointment, seek a second opinion, or change a behavior that is negative to their health. NetWellness is a service provided jointly by the University of Cincinnati, the Ohio State University, and Case Western Reserve University. Over 200 health professionals contribute their expertise, ensuring that consumers receive only the highest quality information. About 1 million people per year use the service. Forbes.com has placed NetWellness on their list of the 30 best health websites for the last 3 years. User feedback has reinforced the value of the services. Messages left on the website include: "Thank you so much for your answer [submitted to Ask an Expert]. I have looked high and low in medical books and on other websites and never found anything mentioned that sounded similar to my problem. Your answer made me feel like there's hope for a solution, now that I know what the problem is." "Extremely helpful. It helped me understand what the doctor couldn't take the time to spell out." "Thank you so much for the information, advice, and encouragement. This is a wonderful service and an excellent example of how the Internet can be used in a positive way." Ohio Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) Type of Grant: CTC Date of Grant: 2001-2002 Grant Amount: $158,210 Non-Federal Funding: $121, 200 Project Partners: Ohio State University; 4-H Clubs; Department of Job and Family Services; Workforce Investment Board; and the One Stop Center Contact Name: Mr. Russell Combs Phone: (704) 592-3854 Email: russc@acenetworks.org With a CTC grant, ACEnet is able to use the Internet to empower the residents of rural Ohio, both children and adults alike. ACEnet works with high school students, encouraging them to look at the Internet not just as a tool for schoolwork, but also as a source of employment opportunities. As a result, six students who have participated in the program have started their own businesses. Two of the students who participated in the ACEnet youth entrepreneurship program, a project to encourage students to use computer knowledge to set up their own small businesses, used the training they received not only to make money for college, but also to help others. One participant helps other individuals, including seniors, learn about the Internet and software applications. The other student helps local businesses train small groups of employees in specific applications. ACEnet runs four CTCs that are available to both youth and the community at large. Specific focuses include: youth entrepreneurs, training volunteers to help with specific trainings and workforce development for adults. The CTC in Athens, OH, for example, has provided 260 families with computers through a program for TANF eligible adults who complete a specific training program. Two other CTCs conduct the Jump Start program, training unemployed individuals and laid off coal miners in categoric transferable technology skills (a training program designed by ACEnet) and job readiness skills. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University Telehealth Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $603,610 Non-Federal Support: 668,972 Date of Grant: October 1997-June 2000 Project Partner: Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia More than 200,000 adults in the Philadelphia, PA metropolitan area suffer from diabetes. Despite the fact that there is an increasing use of telecommunications technology in health care, its use in home care, the fastest growing sector of the health care industry, has lagged behind. With a TOP grant, Penn State, in conjunction with the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, developed a telehealth project using technology to deliver video, voice, and data technology over standard telephone lines to connect nurses' stations to patients' homes. Patients feel that the program has been very positive and that using the technology has helped them to better monitor their health. It also has the added benefit of teaching adults and senior citizens technology skills; the program demonstrates that even very frail and elderly patients can use the equipment effectively. The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia continues to use the technology implemented by the TOP grant to monitor the status of patients with diabetes and has now created a program specifically for patients with congestive heart failure. Pennsylvania Career Cybercafé Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $510,853 Non-Federal Support: $406,797 Date of Grant: 1999-2002 Project Partner: Capital Area Intermediate Unit Contact: Jawal Boyd Phone: (717) 772-0640 Email: jboyd@caiu.org With the help of a CTC grant, the Career Cybercafé has expanded from a single computer center in a local career center serving the unemployed to 4 centers serving youth, seniors and those seeking jobs. The project provides users with a wide range of opportunities from introductory computer courses to projects in local history and graphic design. The youth programs focus on encouraging students to expand their computer and Internet use beyond surfing the web by introducing them to the artistic possibilities available through technology. Darlene Simmons, a senior citizen who had never used a computer prior to coming to the Cybercafé, was amazed by the world that was opened up to her through the Internet. The experience has been especially rewarding because it allows her to email her daughter and son-in-law who are living in Germany. Without access to technology, communicating with them would be very difficult because she cannot afford to call, and mail has been very slow post-September 11th. The Cybercafés offer a wide range of programs to participants, including art technology classes, oral history projects, and basic computer and job readiness courses. The program hopes to expand by partnering with local businesses to offer entrepreneurial opportunities that will enable students to see the real world applications of the lessons they learn at the Cybercafé. South Carolina Midlands Technical College Health Science & Distance Learning Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $180,000 Non-Federal Support: $241,716 Date of Grant: October 1996-October 1998 Contact: Dr. Richard Boan Phone: (803) 822-3280 Email: boanr@midlandstech.com Midlands Technical College, with the support of a TOP Grant, has developed and implemented a distance-learning program that provides college-level health courses for students studying at rural colleges in South Carolina to become pharmacy technicians and medical record coders. Via broadcast ETV, two-way video conferencing and the Internet, these students can now enroll in specialized courses that rural colleges cannot afford to offer on their own due to a small class size, limited clinical sites, and high overhead. Since the distance-learning program's inception, approximately 80 pharmacy students and 35 medical coder students have participated. William Xochihua, one of the students in the pharmacy technician class, found he was so interested after finishing the program that he enrolled in the Medical University of South Carolina. This May he will graduate with a Doctorate of Pharmacology. The program has been seen as a "win-win" situation for all involved. Students unable to afford the cost of attending college away from home are able to obtain an education and advance their career. Rural hospitals benefit because there are more local potential employees who are skilled in the health profession and less likely to move away. South Carolina United Way of Midlands "Fast Forward" Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $643,780 Non-Federal Support: $303,480 Date of Grant: October 1999-September 2002 Project partners: United Way of Midlands, Midlands Technical College, the City of Columbia, Hand Middle School, Richland County School District 1, and the Shandon Cluster of churches. Contact: Dedria Albritton Telephone: (803) 254-2345 Email: dalbritton@richlandone.org Columbia South Carolina's "Fast Forward" Program was created with the support of a CTC grant in 1999. Located in Hand Middle School, which was recently named Time Magazine's Middle School of the Year, the Fast Forward program provides access to computers and offers computer technology training classes for children and adults. Since Fast Forward's inception, more than 3,000 individuals have benefited from the program, including preschoolers from area childcare centers, middle school students before, during and after school and over 1500 local residents who have participated in the family technology nights, teacher training courses and/or technology training courses. Fast Forward is a good example of a CTC program that has successfully leveraged significant additional investments. In addition to those, "in-kind" contributions made by the original project partners, other organizations including the Nord Foundation, Ronald McDonald Charities and the Central Carolina Community Foundation have provided financial support to expand services to target populations. Over $50,000 in "in-kind" contributions generated by "PC Teach It" is supporting a city-wide technology summer camp. Fast Forward hopes to expand offerings in the near future at a new site for high school students. South Dakota Dakota Interconnect Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $900,000 Non-Federal Support: $1,572,457 Date of Grant: October 1995-October 1997 Over 25 organizations partnered in this project, including: City of Aberdeen, Northeast Council of Governments, Aberdeen Public Schools, North Central Area Interconnect, Northern State University, Midcontinent Cable, Northern Electric Coop/Northern Rural Cable TV, Brown County, Presentation College, SD Department of Labor, TelServ, St. Luke's Midland Regional Medical Center, Aberdeen Development Corporation, SD Public Utilities Commission, and the SD Bureau of Information Technology Contact: Chris Haar Phone: (605) 229-5335 Email: chrishaar@midco.net In the two decades preceding the creation of Dakota Interconnect, northeast South Dakota was experiencing a significant decline in its population largely related to the decrease in farm income and agricultural mechanization. With support from a TOP grant, the Dakota Interconnect project has transformed northeast South Dakota from an unconnected, rural and sparsely populated area into a technologically advanced region. The Dakota Interconnect project tied three previously separate networks together, creating an infrastructure of linked networks, all of which are compatible with audio, video and data connections. Dakota Interconnect created a reason for companies to establish offices in the northeastern part of the state, which in turn created more jobs for its residents. Since the project's completion, numerous other projects have been built utilizing the infrastructure established with support from TOP. Life is much better now for a woman living in Miller, South Dakota, who, in addition to being a wife and mother of four children, also works full-time as a registered nurse. Several years ago she did not think it was feasible to earn her RN degree and improve her family's economic situation. Her husband was a struggling farmer, and although she knew that going back to nursing school to become an RN would double her salary, with her responsibilities as a mother with a full time job, it did not seem possible. Fortunately, around that same time, the state of South Dakota was in desperate need of registered nurses and decided to establish a distance-learning program to help interested individuals obtain their nursing credentials without having to travel long distances. She was able to realize her goals and is now employed as an RN. Tennessee Computers for Homebound and Isolated Persons Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $524,838 Non-Federal Support: $570,256 Date of Grant: October 1998-June 2002 Project Partners: Knoxville-Oak Ridge Network (KORRnet), City of Oak Ridge, City of Knoxville, Knox County, Knoxville Utilities Board, University of Tennessee, Covenant Health, Office on Aging, East Tennessee Technology Access Center, First American National Bank Contact: David Massey Phone: (856) 215-5990 Email: dmassey@korrnet.org People who are homebound often feel a great sense of isolation. To address this issue, the Computers for Homebound and Isolated Persons (CHIPS) was established with the help of a TOP grant to provide training and equipment for homebound persons to use the Internet. Through CHIPS services, clients are able to connect with people and Web-based resources, contribute their talents and skills to others, and assert more control over their lives. Barbara Hendrix has rheumatoid arthritis that keeps her homebound. A self-described "people person," being forced to stay at home made Barbara depressed and lonely. With the help of a CHIP mentor and equipment, Barbara is now using the Internet to communicate with others who are also homebound and face similar issues. She says that her online community has become "...like a family and we have made some very special friends. It has been a very rewarding experience that has given me more confidence." CHIPS participants range in age from 21-90, with an average age of 56. They receive a free computer and free Internet access for six months, during which they are trained by a volunteer mentor and make periodic email reports on their progress. After six months, participants are allowed to keep their computer but if possible, are asked to pay for their Internet connection. In 2000, CHIPS received the prestigious Stockholm Challenge Award that focuses on the positive effects of today's information society, and the benefits information and communication technology can bring to people and society. Texas University of Texas at Austin, Charles A. Dana Center Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $272,000 Non-Federal Support: $276,510 Date of Grant: October 1998-June 2001 Project Partners: Southwestern Bell Communications, Boundless Technologies, Microsoft Corporation, Quick Internet, Austin Independent School District Project HELP, and Region XIII Education Service Center Contact: Tim Stahlke Phone: (512) 475-9709 Email: tstahlke@mail.utexas.edu In an effort to increase the educational achievement of students experiencing homelessness, the University of Texas Austin's Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (OEHCY) established the Support for Homeless Education: Linking Technology Resources to Shelters (SHELTRS) Project. With support from TOP and significant private funding they have been able to provide new technology resources to six homeless shelters and to expand existing technology resources at two homeless outreach/learning centers located in Austin. With computer centers at each of the eight locations, the project has provided personalized tutoring based on state-mandated curriculum to over 1300 students to date, and provides the students access to the same information and technology resources available to their peers who have computers at home. Homework assignments requiring information that can only be obtained online are becoming more and more commonplace in schools, particularly at the high school level. By providing homeless students access to online resources they are given an opportunity to keep up with their studies and to use the critical tools they will need to prepare for higher education and the workforce. The SHELTRS project received the prestigious Computerworld Smithsonian Award in 2000. Texas AdEdge, LLC Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $240,000 Non-Federal Support: $409,075 Date of Grant: 2001-2002 Project partners: Cisco Networking Academy Program, Career and Technology Advisory Committee (a partnership of business, industry and education in the El Paso area) Contact: Dyana Chahda Phone: (915) 351-8090 Email: dyanac@tcg-ep.com With the support of a 2001 CTC grant, the AdEdge Community Technology Center in El Paso, Texas will work to improve the quality of life for its residents. Located within El Paso's Empowerment Zone Area, the population AdEdge serves is predominantly Hispanic, and has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the nation. Only 35% of its population has a high school diploma. AdEdge is a safety net for residents to receive a GED, learn to speak English, discover computer technology, and/or obtain computer technology certification with AdEdge's partner, Cisco Networking Academy. Dyana Chada, AdEdge's project director, believes that unless El Paso's residents receive the education and workforce development training needed to give them the skills necessary to secure viable employment, they will be destined to a life of growing disadvantage. Many of those who come to AdEdge with hope of improving their quality of life do not qualify for other training and education programs because either their Workforce Commission benefits have expired, they are working but only earning poverty level wages, or have just "fallen through the cracks." Many people who would otherwise have no other option than to remain on welfare or continue in low-wage jobs have the opportunity to become self-sufficient and contribute to the El Paso economy. Pilar Ruiz is a student enrolled in AdEdge's ESL/Citizenship course. "I feel the CTC offers a very good program and is preparing me well for passing the test. On top of that, I am also learning a lot about US History. The instructor is great and makes me feel that I am important and have value. I want to become a US citizen because I want to become successful, have a greater quality of life and be able to vote." Vermont Improving Rural Trauma Care, Education and Prevention Through Telemedicine Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $300,000 Non-Federal Support: $306,614 Date of Grant: October 1999-December 2002 Project Partners: University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, College of Medicine, Fletcher Allen Health Care Contact: Michael Ricci Phone: (802) 656-4216 Email: michael.ricci@uvm.edu Rural emergency centers are often staffed by professionals who are not trained to care for multi-trauma patients-especially children. With the help of a TOP grant, the Improving Rural Trauma Care, Education and Prevention Through Telemedicine project has supplied telemedicine technology (real time, interactive videoconferencing) to several rural sites, providing specialist consultation and medical education, vital resources for isolated doctors and medical professionals. The project has provided telemedicine technology that helps rural doctors treat severe trauma injuries. For example, a 41-year-old man with a severe closed head injury and facial fractures caused by a motorcycle accident was brought into a rural emergency department. After trying to resuscitate him for 40 minutes, a trauma surgeon at an urban hospital was asked to consult via telemedicine to the rural emergency room. The surgeon was able to successfully guide the on-site physician through a procedure that the rural physician hadn't performed in 20 years. The patient eventually went on to make an excellent recovery. The Improving Rural Trauma Care, Education and Prevention Through Telemedicine project has succeeded on many levels. Not only have patients benefited from improved care, but the isolation that emergency medical professionals feel has also been reduced and educational opportunities have been increased. There have also been measurable cost savings for the centers, the patients, and medical insurers. Virginia University of Virginia Office of Telemedicine Health Services Center Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $412,269 Non-Federal Support: $882,550 Date of Grant: October 1997-June 2002 Contact: Eugene Sullivan Phone: (434) 924-5470 Email: genes@virginia.edu The University of Virginia's Telemedicine Program, with the support of a TOP grant, has been able to provide more than 4,500 patients with access to specialized medical care, clinical services and health-related educational programming. To date, the University's telemedicine center has been able to provide professional consultation in 24 different specialties to underserved populations in remote regions throughout the state. On December 31, 1999 in a West Virginia hospital, a baby was born with an undetermined heart condition. The baby was transferred to a larger hospital 20 miles away that had more sophisticated equipment, but no pediatric cardiologist. The following day, University of Virginia's Telemedicine Program received an emergency request for a doctor to read the pediatric ultrasound. Using telemedicine, Dr. Karen Rheuban of UVA's Telemedicine program was able to advise them to change the medicine immediately and have the baby transported to University of Virginia's hospital for surgery. That baby is now a healthy two-year old. In addition to providing specialized medical care to rural patients, telemedicine provides new and exciting learning opportunities to isolated medical professionals, allowing the University to broadcast medical classes and seminars to remote sites. World-renowned specialists come to UVA and are able to teach physicians all over the state. Virginia Wesley Housing Development Corporation/ National Capital Area Neighborhood Networks Consortium (NCANN) Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $186,967 Non-Federal Support: $197,049 Date of Grant: October 2001-October 2002 Project partners: AHC, Inc.; Community Preservation & Development Corp.; Edgewood Management Corp; Interstate Realty Management; National Homes Trust; and Wesley Housing Development Corporation. Contact: Fritz Hirsch Phone: (703) 642-3830, extension 236 Email: fhirsch@whdc.org With the support of a US Department of Education CTC grant, the National Capital Area Neighborhood Networks Consortium (NCANN), a network of community technology centers spanning northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, and southern Maryland, will be able to serve 780 low-income residents living in HUD-assisted housing units. This funding has made it possible for NCANN to hire a full-time project director, provide its members with computer lab tech support, and fund a variety of its members' needs (e.g. new staff, lab renovation, new computers). NCANN member centers offer computer skills training, GED preparation and ESL classes, adult basic education classes and employment training as well as employment search assistance. The centers also provide after school programs that offer homework assistance, computer training and classes to improve reading, writing and math skills. NCANN's community technology centers are a vehicle for strengthening the viability of affordable housing and improving the overall community environment. Fritz Hirsch, NCANN Project Director, strongly believes in the programs' potential to create positive change. "Offering computer classes, access to technology and employment readiness training increases employability, lessens the demand on the government to provide services for low-income residents, and creates a sense of community which lowers property vandalism and the occurrence of violence". Washington City of Seattle, Department of Housing and Human Services Type of Grant: TOP Amount of Grant: $410,000 Non-Federal Support: $468,746 Date of Grant: October 1998-March 31, 2002 Project Partners: City of Seattle Executive Services Department, the Department of Housing and Human Services, Washington State Aging and Adult Services Administration Contact: Pam Piering Phone: (206) 684-0104 Email: Pamela.piering@ci.seattle.wa.us The City of Seattle, with support from TOP, has developed a web-based data system that has streamlined the city's homecare referral process. After completing a patient evaluation, a caseworker is able to submit the client assessment, service plan and payment authorization by email, and the system can send the information to three homecare agencies at once. Before the web-based system was invented, caseworkers were required to fill out and fax long forms to homecare agencies and then wait for them to respond over the phone once they had found an available homecare aide. A homecare aide time tracking system was also created, which uses interactive voice response technologies to monitor the quality and performance of the services provided by homecare aides and tracks when the aides arrive and depart from a client's home. More than 4,500 low-income residents of King County, Washington suffer from chronic illnesses or disabilities and rely primarily on the homecare system as the cornerstone of their effort to live independently. Personal care in the home is the most flexible, least expensive and most-preferred option for senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The structure of the partnership between state social workers, area agencies on aging and community-based agencies varies from state to state, but all include the same elements. The use of telephonics and web-based data systems can help lessen the strain on the long-term care system. Josephine Mazzine has been caring for her daughter Deborah since December of last year. Deborah, 47, suffered a stroke when her doctor over-prescribed her thyroid medication. Shortly afterwards Josephine turned to Aging and Disability Services (ADS) of King County in search of relief. Thanks to ADS' Home Care Referral (HCR) system, Josephine's case was quickly processed and accepted by a local home care provider. "It's great when somebody has very specific needs, being able to send the referral to three different agencies," says Peggy Graybill, the Deborah's case manager. Peggy simply typed the referral details into the HCR program and clicked "send"-an assessment and service plan were sent to competing agencies via the Internet. The agency accepting the referral promptly sent a respite care worker to Josephine's house. Deborah now receives eight hours of respite care a week. Josephine still has plenty of stress, but respite care has helped ease the burden of caregiving somewhat. "It lets me feel free to go out, to get errands done-it gives me a much-needed break." Thus HCR helped Josephine get some well-deserved rest. Washington University of Washington/Tribes Community Technology Center Partnership Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $299,995 Non-Federal Support: $239,234 Date of Grant: December 2001-December 2002 Project Partners: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation Contact: Robert Ozuna Phone: (509) 865-8672 Email: rozuna@u.washington.edu With the support of a CTC grant, the University of Washington serves approximately 1,600 tribal members on the Colville and Yakama Indian Reservations, both of which are located in geographically isolated, economically depressed areas of Washington State. The program provides increased access to computers and information technology, access to online tutorials and educational programs, on-site support to help develop Internet research skills, training in job search and preparation, basic computer skills and Internet-based small business resources. Although the Colville and Yakama Indian Reservations are rich in cultural traditions, they are burdened with high unemployment, poverty and dropout rates, and lack educational opportunities. The CTC grant enables them to use 21st century technology to improve their lives and preserve their cultural heritage. According to one Yakama Reservation elder, "learning about email will help me talk to my grandson on the Colville reservation about our life history and beliefs". Wisconsin Northwest Side Community Development Corporation Type of Grant: CTC Amount of Grant: $363,634 Non-Federal Support: $363,634 Date of Grant: October 2001-September 2004 Contact: Howard Snyder Phone: (414) 438-8300 Email: hsnyder@nwscdc.org With the support of a TOP grant, the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Technology Innovation are working together to increase the ability of minority-owned businesses in Milwaukee's Northwest side to compete in the global marketplace. According to Howard Snyder, Executive Director of the Northwest Side CDC, "the Internet has opened up the marketplace worldwide, and small, predominantly minority-owned businesses are falling victim to unforeseen technologically advanced global competition". The project will help area businesses by upgrading computer systems and training, providing bundled access to the Internet and web technology, and strengthening and building business relationships via an online cooperative marketplace. The online marketplace will reduce high operating costs by facilitating purchasing through a vendor/purchaser network that is more efficient and competitive, and will increase sales by enabling businesses to reach consumers globally. Acknowledgements This report represents a collaborative effort led by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Benton Foundation. Leslie Harris & Associates, in consultation with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Benton Foundation, prepared the report. Contributing writers and editors: Norris Dickard, Brian Komar, Kevin Taglang, Jill Bond, Rachel Zwerin, Kalyani Manohar and Regan Fitzgerald. 1 The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) formerly known as the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program promotes the widespread availability and use of digital network technologies in the public and non-profit sectors. 2 The Community Technology Centers (CTC) program promotes the development of model programs that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology in urban and rural areas and economically distressed communities. 3 "Digital Divide Report Criticized," USA Today, 02/06/02, http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/02/06/digital-divide.htm 4 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/whoweare/briefhistory.htm 5 Education Budget Alert for Fiscal Year 2003, ed. Myrna Mandlawitz, Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC, 2002, 212. Education Budget Alert for Fiscal Year 2001, ed. Michael Pons, Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC, 2000, 158. 6 See chart, pages 18-19. 7 US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Internet Access in US Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2000. May 2001. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001071. And American Library Association, Quotable Facts About America's Libraries. http://www.ala.org/pio/quotablefacts.html. 8 Unless otherwise indicated, all charts and graphs are based on data from US Department of Commerce, A Nation Online. February 2002. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/index.html. 9 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/anationonline2.htm 10 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/anationonline2.htm 11http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/anationonline2.htm 12 A "central city" is the largest city within a "metropolitan" area, as defined by the Census Bureau. Additional cities within the metropolitan area can also be classified as central cities if they meet certain employment, population, and employment/residence ratio requirements. 13 Linda Ann Riley, Bahram Nassersharif and John Mullen, Assessment of Technology Infrastructure in Native Communities. Economic Development Administration, US Department of Commerce. 1999. http://www.doc.gov/eda/pdf/1G3_13_atinc.pdf. 14 Disability as defined for this purpose includes: blind or severe vision impairment, deaf or severe hearing impairment, difficulty walking, or difficulty typing. 15 Part of the reason only 25.4% of people with disabilities use the Internet is because the population of people with disabilities is heavily weighted towards older Americans. 16 21st Century Literacy In A Convergent Media World, Prepared by AOL Time Warner Foundation and Bertelsmann Foundation. March 2002. http://www.21stcenturyliteracy.org/white/WhitePaperEnglish.pdf. 17 In contrast, only 40.8% of people who were not employed were computer users and 36.9% were Internet users. 18 See table on page 18 19 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/whoweare/awards.htm. 20 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/research/EvaluationReport/evaluation_report.htm#1997. 21 Prepared by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund Data Source: CTC Figures: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/AdultEd/CTC/ctcgrant.html FY 1999-2001; TOP Figures: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/grants/grants.htm FY 1994-2001 64 Bringing a Nation Online: The Importance of Federal Leadership 66