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Youth Empowerment
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Code for America
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Are Seattle Public Schools working? Take the pre-poll and be heard. Then join in on Thursday, February 10t, 7:00-8:30 p.m. here or on cable channel 21. Seattle Channel host C.R. Douglas will lead a live televised discussion "in the round" featuring Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Education Association President Olga Addea, School Board Member Kay Smith-Blum, PTSA Acting President Lauren McGuire and other leaders, parents, and students. The online audience will be able to participate through comments and questions which will be read and answered at the forum. You can also participate in the live polls. This interactive 90-minute program is a partnership of The Seattle Channel, CityClub of Seattle and Town Hall. See more here.

The National Broadband Plan called on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to develop tools to help communities assess their needs for public access technology. IMLS is working with the University of Washington and the International City/County Management Association to identify the characteristics of digitally inclusive communities in order to guide strategic public and private investments. The IMLS appointed a working group, which includes David Keyes from the City of Seattle, Steve Albertson from Community Voice Mail, and other leaders in a variety of digital inclusion fields. The group of sixteen is assisting in the development of a Framework for Digitally-Inclusive Communities that can be used by local communities to assess their complex needs for public access technology. A larger group of 50-60 is also being organized to provide additional input. See more here.

RecTech centers provide a wide range of learning opportunities and activities for youth, adults and seniors. They use the told of computers and multimedia to provide programs which help develop skills, train tomorrow’s leaders, encourage recreation and health, build community and connect residents to vital services. RecTech centers are co-located in eight Parks and Recreation community centers. For an up-to-date listing of classes and other offerings contact:

Miller Community Center: Chongsun Ahn chongsun.ahn@seattle.gov

Garfield Community Center: Brooke Kempner brooke.kempner@seattle.gov

Yesler Community Center: Asfaha Lemlem asebhat@hotmail.com

Garfield Teen Life Center: Melanie Boehm melanie.boehm@seattle.gov

South Park Community Center: Lovely Domingo lovely-frances.domingo@seattle.gov

Delridge Community Center: Leslie Howle leslie.howle@seattle.gov

Southwest Community Center: Carl Dwyer carl.dwyer@seattle.gov

Rainier Community Center: Jaycee Coleman jaycee.coleman@seattle.gov

Seattle’s Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB) and Office of Cable Communications held a public workshop on the future of public access television on Tuesday, January 11, just as the snow started. There was a lively discussion and great ideas generated by community participants, many of them public access TV producers. The comments have been posted in the meeting minutes for the January CTTAB meeting. The Board will be talking about their findings at the February 8 meeting, to be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the 27th floor conference room at Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Avenue, entrance at 5th and Columbia.

The Knight Foundation has just released a new report on “What attaches people to their communities.” Their Soul of the Community report looks at questions like “What makes a community a desirable place to live? What draws people to stake their future in it? Are communities with more attached residents better off?” Go here.

Back issues of Brainstorm including techtips and linkage are now available in our online archives. Previous TechTips and Linkage are also available. Click to revisit all previous issues.

Free cable broadband Internet service is available for organizations providing technology training to community members. The free service is offered within the Seattle city limits, based on the City's cable franchise agreements with Comcast and Broadstripe (Millennium). For more information and to download a short form to make application, go to our tech web. If you have questions, email Derrick Hall or call (206) 233-5061.

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. 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.

q&a

Have a question for Mayor Mike McGinn? Join the conversation with Seattle Channel host C.R. Douglas as he sits down with the Mayor on Wednesday, February 23, at 7 p.m. for Ask the Mayor. Call (206) 681-8821 between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. or email your questions. Also, follow their conversation on Twitter or Facebook with the Seattle Channel’s accounts. You can also submit questions through Twitter and Facebook as well.

Follow the Seattle Channel on Twitter.com/SeattleChannel and become a fan of the Seattle Channel on Facebook! Friends and followers get up to the minute info on new programs, behind the scene pictures of shoots and interviews and more!

The Multimedia Resources and Training Institute of Seattle, or MMRTI, empowers youth to become leaders by using media technology to create stories about their cultural heritage, communities, and themselves. In partnership with the East Africa Arts and Cultural Association, MMRTI was a Bill Wright 2009 Technology Matching Fund recipient. MMRTI serves the immigrant community in the Seattle area, and, through the grant, has increased its capacity to serve more people. They have not only updated their computer equipment and software, they recently moved into a new, larger space better suited to their exciting new programming.

In addition to overseeing youth programs, MMRTI partners with local nonprofits and service providers to reach a broader community. For example, in addition to the multimedia courses offered in the past, MMRTI now holds Microsoft Word and Excel classes for adults in partnership with WorkSource. MMRTI Executive Director Assaye Abunie is excited about continuing to form partnerships with organizations to provide technology assistance and training.

One of MMRTI’s best known programs continues to be Ethio Youth Media TV, which aired weekly on SCAN-TV. Currently, many clips are available on their YouTube channel. The topics covered by the youth are issues directly affecting their community, including: cultural heritage, health and addiction issues, youth violence, and social justice. MMRTI trains youth to use Final Cut Pro to edit the video, and uses two cameras and wireless microphones for optimal picture and sound.

Ethio Youth Media TV will celebrate its 5th anniversary in March. Check back MMRTI’s website to find out the party date and location!

On January 19, 2011, the Mayor and City Council appointed six new members, and reappointed three to the Citizens’ Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB). The 2011 appointees are Roni Ayalla, Daniel Carillo, Jr., Robert Dolin, Brian Hsi, Eric Koester, Karen Manuel, Marina Martin, Ted Schmitt, and Stacey Wedlake.

Roni Ayalla is a candidate for a Masters in Digital Media Communications at the University of Washington. She is a technology instructor at the YMCA Metrocenter, a tutor and academic counselor with the Upward Bound Program, and a mentor for young women in the Girls First Mentoring program. Roni lives in West Seattle and enjoys cooking, gardening and exploring the city.

Daniel Carrillo, Jr. is an Associate Site Manager for the Jumpstart Program at the University of Washington, supporting teams of undergraduates helping low-income children in preschool classrooms build language, literacy, social and initiative skills. He has a BA from Yale University in Sociology and while there, worked for their Information Technology Services providing user hardware and software support. Daniel was in the United Way of King Couty Project LEAD Class of 2010. He is a resident of the Eastlake neighborhood.

Robert Dolin is a Program Manager for Microsoft’s Publisher, and in the last five years, he has worked on the MSN/Windows Live team integrating social networking functionality from other services with Messenger and Hotmail. His work on Publisher has also included accessibility features. He has previous experience as online editor of the Daily Illini. Robert has been active in the King County Democrats and has also coded a blog, calendar and volunteer tracking system for them. He has a BS in Civil Engineering and Graduate Certificate in User-Centered Design.

Brian Hsi is a social web strategist and currently a Product Manager at Classmates.com. He has previous experience in online communities and social media product planning at Microsoft and Participate Systems (for MSN Games, now Outstart). Brian has been Board President of the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation and is also currently on the Board of Seattle Works. His volunteer experience includes program evaluation consultations for the International District Housing Alliance, a 2007 Technology Matching Fund recipient.

Eric Koester is VP and General Counsel at Appature, which provides web-based marketing solutions for healthcare companies. He has extensive experience in technology start-ups, is author of the Green Entrepreneur Handbook and found of Greentrepreneur.org. Eric previously served as a new venture attorney at Cooley LLP. He has been active in the Startup Weekends, Northwest Entrepreneur Network and Washington CASH. He was named “Star of the Year” for 2010 by the ABA Young Lawyers Division. Eric is a Fremont resident.

Karen Manuel has over ten years’ experience working in digital inclusion programs and policies. She currently works as a Research Associate for VisionTech360 on broadband panning for the states of Idaho and Wyoming. Prior to this she was the Director of Digital Inclusion for the EdLab Group and Executive Director for the Washington State Communities Connect Network, where she continues as a board member advocating for digital inclusion at the state level. Karen is also on the board of Reel Grrls and a member of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General’s Public Council Citizens Advisory Committee. Karen also served as the Director of TechREACH, serving students, adults, and teachers in low-income communities. Karen holds a BA from Carleton College and an MAEd from Seattle University, focusing on program evaluation. She is a resident of North Beach.

Marina Martin is the owner of The Type-A Way, an efficiency consulting firm focusing on corporate and personal efficiency, including the integration of Salesforce customer relations management (CRM) systems for corporate clients and the creation of customized productivity-enhancing Web applications. Marina volunteers at the Dependency CASA Program, advocating for specific foster children’s needs, and was a board member of Seattle Six Hour Startup, which hosted monthly entrepreneurial technology events. Marian is a Wallingford resident.

Ted Schmitt has an extensive background in science and technology, with more than 15 years of IT development experience and most recently as a program officer at the National Academies of Science. Mr. Schmitt holds a B.S. in electrical engineering, B.A. in German from Purdue University and a Master of Arts in international science and technology policy from George Washington University.

Stacey Wedlake is a computer instructor at the downtown YWCA WorkSource technology training center with experience in curriculum design and instruction for diverse community members. She was previously a health promotion education volunteer for the US Peace Corps in Mongolia. Stacey also has community organizing experience, has participated in the Undoing Racism Workshop and has a certificate in project design and management. Stacey is a Wallingford resident.

CTTAB is composed of 16 members serving two-year terms each; eight are appointed by the Mayor and seven by City Council. Thirteen members are at-large, with one representative each from education and public access, and one member from Get Engaged. If you have any questions regarding appointments or CTTAB in general, please call David Keyes at (206) 386-9759.

Code for America is a new kind of public service that recruits teams of passionate technologists to work with cities to help them be more efficient and effective. The program is funded by a number of organizations including the Knight Foundation, Microsoft, The Case Foundation and O'Reilly Media. Seattle was chosen as one of the first cities to participate in Code for America, based on its proposed project. The Seattle project is about strengthening the city's network of civic leaders and making collaboration between these leaders and the City staff more effective. The Code for America fellows hope to take advantage of the great innovative work Seattle has already done, so they will begin by learning about existing tools in place in the city. For the entire month of February the fellows will be in Seattle for the sole purpose of meeting and interviewing the City staff and residents.

Seattle’s Fellows
Alan Palazzolo is a web developer, focusing on open source software, data visualization, and mapping. He has worked in the non-profit and NGO sectors, having worked for multiple organizations at home and abroad. He is an active contributor to the Drupal community and is a firm believer that open source is more than just a software methodology. Specifically, he is one of the lead developers of the Drupal OpenLayers module, which is a robust solution for web mapping in Drupal.

Anna Bloom has worked as a reporter and researcher for news organizations ranging from local newspapers to national web sites. After graduating from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2010, she worked for YouTube to launch an innovative news project documenting the Bay Area with user-generated video. Prior to that, she regularly contributed to The New York Times Bay Area Blog and co-founded a hyper-local news site for Oakland in 2008, OaklandNorth.net.

Chach Sikes is an experienced developer who builds organizational web sites and participatory educational experiences. She was a core developer for the state of Missouri’s Department of Conservation web site. She also founded the Drupal Open Garden Project, a collaborative learning project that brings technologists and community gardeners together to work on open source technology for local food systems.

City Councilmembers want to hear from you. Call (206) 684-8821 or email your questions now for Seattle City Councilmembers Jean Godden and Sally Bagshaw. This month’s edition of City Inside/Out: Council Edition premieres Wednesday, February 9, 7:00 pm., Cable 21. Do you have questions for Seattle City Councilmembers? Will the Council put a funding measure on the ballot to pay for improving the central waterfront and replacing the Seattle Seawall? What do the Councilmembers think of Mayor McGinn's plan for a homeless encampment in Sodo? Do more City workers face layoffs in 2011? This episode of City Inside/Out: Council Edition features Council Budget Chair Jean Godden and Council Parks and Recreation Chair Sally Bagshaw answering your questions.

Whatever your question is, if you want it answered on TV, you have to call (206) 684-8821 or email us. Host C.R. Douglas will also raise the key issues facing Seattle. You can also submit your questions or watch past episodes by visiting the City Inside/Out: Council Edition web site.

Don’t miss this opportunity to put your issues before the City’s lawmakers. Call or email right now. Then tune in Wednesday, February 9, 7:00 p.m. on SeattleChannel, Cable 21, to get answers.

Do you have a network in your home or have many users using one computer? Then getting Windows 7 Professional is better buy because it has all of the computer and networking support features needed for your computer to work in a multi-user or multi-computer environment. The Home version is useful if you are the only user of the computer and you have no plans to network. The Home version does have good features that will allow you to share your videos with other computers but you will be limited in permissions given to users that may access your computer. When buying a new computer, it will normally come with Windows 7 Home, unless you request an upgrade to Pro or buy a business-model computer.

Compare windows 7 versions at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/compare

When purchasing a new computer, take a look at the warranty that comes with it. If you are not an IT savvy person or don’t feel like dealing with swapping out broken pieces on your own, it's better to go with a 3-year or more warranty. You will want to get an onsite warranty replacement plan if possible. My laptop went out on me and I wanted to use the warranty. I was told that since my warranty was not an "onsite replacement" I would have to send my laptop to them to have it repaired, which would have taken three weeks for them to fix it and send it back to me. Most computers do come with a 1-year parts and labor warranty standard.

Agree or disagree with me? Drop me a note: Derrick Hall.

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Large Projects Fund
The Large Projects Fund provides awards of up to $100,000 to support community members in building community relationships around a project.
Deadline: February 14, 2011, 5:00 p.m.

2012 Youth Arts Funding Program Youth Arts provides funding for age-appropriate training programs in all arts and culture disciplines led by experienced teaching artists. Funding priorities include serving youth or communities with limited access to the arts. Artists, arts and cultural organizations, and community-based (non-arts) agencies with qualifying programs are encouraged to apply. Awards are for up to a maximum of $10,000 and are for projects taking place in the year between September 2011 and September 2012.
Application Due Date: February 15, 5:00 p.m.

Russell Family Foundation
The Russell Family Foundation will focus its environmental grantmaking on reducing polluted runoff around Puget Sound, promoting green infrastructure development and supporting experiential education that connects citizens to Puget Sound.
Letter of Intent Due: February 14

Zotero is a free online tool initially designed for researchers that enables you and your group to easily host documents, create cites directly from web sites and share work. Zotero is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Handylogs provides an application for web or mobile devices to help create logs for diet, money, heart and sugar health. The app to sync your phone to the website and registration are free.

Let’s Move Chefs is a map to help schools find chefs that are interested in working with schools or vice versa. Let’s Move has a lot more offerings on exercise and food. This is the federal initiative in which Michele Obama has been very engaged.