PSACT Tech Talk
March 16
Topic: Technical Volunteers
Location: TBD (Call)
Cost: $5 for nonmembers
11:30 - 1:00

March 30
Post HUD Neighborhood Networks Discussion
STAR Center
2600 S. Walker
1:00 - 3:00

PSACT Tech Talk
April 20
Topic: Computer Accessibility Time and Location: Call

For more information, visit www.psact.org, call (206) 850-1502; to RSVP register@psact.org.

Do you need 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 computers for your organization? Don't have any money? How about raising money while increasing community awareness about your organization and refurbishing or recycling computers responsibly? The Seattle Community Network Association (SCNA) helps organizations set up technology recycling events as part of the Computer Giveaway Project. For more information, email them at computergiveaway@scn.org.

Free for teens: Learn from project managers, web designers, network administrators, programmers and others. Find out about the training required to become a technology professional and what it's really like. The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and PSACT are teaming up to offer Career Night on April 7, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Rainier Beach CTC, 8825 Rainier Avenue South. In the US, more than 346,000 IT jobs offer salaries starting from $25K to $50K a year. Top training experts will be on hand to put attendees on the road to becoming fully qualified members of the high-tech industry. Tables will be provided where computer professionals, instructors, consultants and technicians are invited to attend and network.

If you’ve never applied for a scholarship, here's your chance. NPower has partnered with the Verizon Foundation to widen access to NPower training. Puget Sound nonprofits are invited to apply to the Verizon Foundation for an E-Training Grant. While the program is targeted at groups with annual budgets under $500K, any Puget Sound nonprofit may apply.

Adobe is also showing their dedication to bolstering the technology fluency of nonprofit leaders. To find out about discounted training and more, see the Adobe page on the NPower web site.

WashingtonVotes.org

Find out how your Washington state senator or representative voted.

Self-Assessment Tool for Staff and Volunteers

This handy chart will help you and the individuals on your team assess their strengths and professional development needs.

The Teens and Technology Roundtable convened educators, researchers, philanthropists, and government officials from the U.S. and Europe in November 2002. Discussions centered around sharing "research-based strategies to address the digital literacy needs of underserved youth" and to prepare them for the IT workforce. The resulting report, "Preparing Disadvantaged Youth for the Workforce of Tomorrow," is available online.

If your homepage has been hijacked or you are inundated by pop up ads, your PC may have been invaded by spyware and adware. Adware serves up ads while spyware tracks your surfing and reports the results to a server that then sends ads that supposedly reflect your interests. Two good freeware programs can rescue your computer. One is Ad-aware; the other is Spybot Search and Destroy.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to Brainstorm, please email us, and we'll add you to our email notification list, or subtract you per your request. Tell your colleagues. We welcome your feedback and opinions. If you have ideas for future stories, please let us know and we'll try to accommodate them. We encourage you to visit the City of Seattle's Community Tech pages, seattle.gov/tech.

The Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB) is composed of 15 members, eight appointed by the Mayor and seven appointed by the City Council. In addition, a sixteenth young adult member is appointed by the Mayor under the Get Engaged program will be appointed by the mayor. Thirteen members are at-large, with one designated representative each from education and public access. Joining Pwint Htun, Richard (Sal) Salway, Jason Bennett, Ann Robinson, Harriet Wasserman, Jeffrey J. Techico, and Michael Daum are the following new members.

William F. Baron, has since 1974 provided legal advice in all aspects of technology business transactions and is currently Of Counsel at Foster Pepper and Shefelman. He has also served as an arbitrator and mediator of technology disputes both locally and nationally. In addition, Bill has lectured at the University of Washington Law School. Mr. Baron serves on the board of directors of the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the Princeton University Alumni Club of Western Washington. In addition to his law degree from Stanford University, Mr. Baron holds a graduate degree in physics.

Maryann Budlong has a strong background in management expertise in investment firms, large multi-national telecommunication operators, private foreign enterprises, start-up ventures and turn-around endeavors. Ms. Budlong is presently managing revisions to a League of Women Voters publication dedicated to encouraging active and informed participation in government. She has worked in several Asian countries, strengthening her commitment to diversity. Ms. Budlong has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seattle University and attended the executive program at the University of Washington.

Deborah Gartside is a technology strategist specializing in Internet technologies. Her consulting business focuses on providing businesses and organizations with technology solutions that support their business goals. She is a published author and experienced public speaker. Prior experience includes working with Warner Bros., NBC and Providence Health System. Ms. Gartside has been active in promoting women in technology as the President of the Board of DigitalEve International as well as a sponsor and participant in the Seattle Women's Summit.

Damien Koemans is manager of the Student Access and Computing Group at the University of Washington. He has been very involved in issues of the digital divide including working on the Smart Tools Academy, a program that trained principals throughout Washington on enhancing technology in the classroom, and community technology centers in Seattle and eastern Washington. Koemans has been very active in CTTAB’s Community Technology committee. He is also interested in video and web streaming, and has been a producer at Seattle’s community access station. Koemans has a bachelor’s degree in music theory/history from the University of Washington, and courses and/or certification in audio engineering and various MCSE programs.

Nina Sanders is a current board member of the Seattle Community Access Network (SCAN), channel 77, and will fill the designated Public Access position. With a background in education, training, and human resources, Mrs. Sanders was the long time executive director of the Executive MBA Programs at the University of Washington, as well as various positions with Key Bank and other private concerns. She is particularly interested in technological applications of distance learning and ways to enhance community and education.

Todd B. Achilles is currently director of business products and sales engineering for T-Mobile. Mr. Achilles has experience in voice and data network design; emerging areas, particularly WiFi, residential broadband and voice-over-IP. He has the ability to think long-term about telecommunications trends and is passionate about the profound impact that information access can have on an individual’s ability to grow, learn and contribute. With a long term commitment to public service, he has participated in tutoring youth through both City Year and Youth in Focus.

Manuel C. Ovena, Jr. is director of Department of Technology Services for the Seattle Public Schools and is the designated education representative. Mr. Ovena has over 25 years of experience in information technology in the public and private sector and is skilled in planning, management and auditing. He has experience working collaboratively with public and private cable and telecommunications groups and brings an understanding of issues surrounding community access. With five years experience in educational technology, Mr. Ovena sees technology as a key enabler to student academic success and will continue to be an advocate for community and student access and use of telecommunications and technology.

Huat Chye Lim, with both a recent bachelor's and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University, currently works at Amazon.com as a software development engineer. A native Malaysian, Mr. Lim has a lived and worked in Hong Kong as well. He has passion for education and a desire to serve on CTTAB to further education through technology to the community.

Ken Thompson, a librarian by education, currently runs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Community Access to Technology Program, dedicated to bridging the digital divide in Washington State. He also sits on the board of the Technology Funders Collaborative, an international alliance of grantmakers. He has worked with the City’s community technology team and has volunteered with various organizations to improve technology access to the underserved. In addition to community technology, Mr. Thompson is particularly interested in public policy and in using technology to bring arts and culture to the community.

Titled "Building Connected Communities: The Power of People & Technology," the 13th Annual CTCNet Conference will explore emerging themes under the larger framework of community building and its relevance for community technology centers as they engage and connect diverse communities to effect positive change. Among the offerings are nearly fifty sessions; a series of pre-conference workshops on June 10; the "Welcome to Seattle" Reception; a CTC at the Conference, regional and special-interest networking events; exhibitors featuring products or services valuable to community technology providers; and the Community Technology Share Fair where community technology practitioners will share curricula, resources & tools. The conference is slated for June 10-13 at the Doubletree Hotel in SeaTac.

Meredith Blache of Highpoint CTC has been named the Washington-based conference coordinator. She’s looking for presenters and volunteers to help make the conference a success. Volunteering is a great way to get into the conference. Contact Meredith Blache at (206) 271-1600 or mablache@ctcnet.org.

March 1 brought improved virtual reference services from the Sound Libraries Information Consortium. Online reference service is now available 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, from Seattle Public Library, the King County Law Library, the Washington State Law Library, the U.W. Health Sciences Libraries, and the Elisabeth C. Miller Library at the U.W. Center for Urban Horticulture. And, best of all, online interactive chat services from the Seattle Public, King County Law and Washington State Law libraries no longer requires you to download a browser plug-in.

To access these online reference services, go to www.spl.org and click on the blue Ask a Question button.

Last month, the Corporation for National and Community Service committed to renewing the CTC VISTA Project for program year 2004-'05. CTCs interested in applying as well as potential VISTAs are invited to the CTC VISTA web site for details. The CTC VISTA Project is open to all CTCNet affiliates in good standing. All placements will be finalized during the summer to officially begin at the PreService Orientation program, scheduled for the end of August for three days, beginning either August 23 or 30. At this time, the project anticipates placing 40+ VISTAs.

The Seattle Schools U.S. Department of Education CTC Tech Net project is designed to align several interrelated systems. The result will help to better connect the school day with extended day learning through technology-infused activities at the schools and community labs. The main goal is to improve the academic performance of low achieving and newly arriving English Language Learning high school students in some of the most highly impacted communities in Seattle.

The project is a partnership among three Seattle secondary schools, the Interagency Academy, South Lake High School and the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center, the community tech labs at NewHolly, the Rainier Beach Community Center and the South Park Community Center, and SafeFutures Youth Center. Tech Net will help to ensure that there is a system of support, both technological and academic, a system for communication between in school and out of school instructional staffs and a process for coordinating and aligning instruction between these learning environments, as well as an opportunity for that learning and support to extend deeper into the families of the students. The Tech Net project is also being coordinated with a District pilot technology project at Rainier Beach High School.