Event Calendar
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Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
Net Literacy Students to Present at the Central Indiana “Summit for Student Success”
Net Literacy was asked to conduct a workshop to discuss its success and youth-empowered model at the Summit for Student Success on August 10th. The presentation will be conducted by five Net Literacy student board members. At the invitation of Net Literacy, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett will discuss community engagement in our educational system. For additional information or student board members interested in receiving a complimentary ticket, contact [email protected]. The Summit is sponsored by America’s Promise Alliance and McCoy, and was planned by Net Literacy and 18 other organizations.
Busy Summer for 12 Net Literacy Schools Will Conclude on August 7th
Five Net Literacy summer programs conducted during the past 8 weeks will conclude on August 7th. Students at Northwest, Broad Ripple, Carmel, Brebeuf Jesuit, Howe Academy, John Marshall, Arsenal Tech, Manual, George Washington, Crispus Attucks, Haverford, DePauw, Purdue University, Indiana Univeristy, and several other schools repurposed more than 850 computers and designed and constructed a website that will be the foundation of Net Literacy’s fifth core program, Financial Connects. Computers were distributed to more than one dozen schools and nonprofits. The Financial Connects, a financial literacy website with more than 20 original videos contain 200 “best of class” financial videos, calculators, applications, articles, and interactive games, will be located at www.financialconnects.org when launched in the next month. Students also taught elementry school children Internet safety using Safe Connects (www.safeconnects.org) at three YMCA summer programs and planned and began to design a graphical user interface for a virtual campus. These programs were funded by Bright House Networks, Lilly Endowment, the Hoover Family Fund, Old National Bank, the Junior League, the Clowes Fund, and the Luminus Foundation. IUPUI provided the Net Literacy student volunteers over $80,000 in scholarships for their community service work.
Net Literacy receives 400 computers from Carmel Clay Schools
Carmel Clay Schools donated 600 monitors and 400 computers to Net Literacy. 200 monitors were donated to other schools. The computers and remaining monitors will be repurposed by Carmel High School Net Literacy student volunteers together with students from other schools. The computers will be donated to nonprofits throughout Indiana. This is Carmel Clay School’s sixth year participating in Net Literacy programs.
Northwest High Establishes a New Computer Connects World Record!
Under the team leadership of Youth Vice Chairs David Johnson and Chris Roberts (a rising NWHS Soph & Senior), Northwest High Schools repurposed 452 PIV computers during the first week of their summer program. Brian Kelley’s new super slip stream CD and a team of 7 guys and 5 gals worked hard to make the first week a success.
The students volunteers also had time to tape several financial literacy videos for the Financial Connects website and finished up on Thursday (since July 3rd is a holiday). This was an outstanding team effort and Northwest repurposed these computers for nonprofits, their “sister” elementary school, two other high schools, and to ensure their entire incoming freshman class would have a computer at the beginning of the school year. And that’s community service!
This week marks the start of Net Literacy’s second and third summer program. Net Literacy is teaching elementary school students about Internet safety at the YMCA and began a repurposing program at Northwest. Next week, a dozen students from five high schools will spend a month learning how to build a website using Dreamweaver and create the Financial Connects website.
Congratulations goes to the Northwest High School Net Literacy chapter for establishing a new world computer repurposing record at Net Literacy refurbishing 452 computers in a four day week!
Computer Connects to Launch New Website
A website describing the Computer Connects program will be launched at www.computerconnects.org. As Net Literacy ramps up the number of computers student volunteers repurpose from over 3,000 in 2008 to a projected 5,000-6,000 in 2009, additional schools are becoming involved in this program. Slipstream CDs created by 2008 Board Chair Brian Kelley now have Microsoft Volume License Keys integrated into them, and significantly speed up the process. Repurposing 100 computers in one day was the “word record” for Net Literacy and required a dozen student volunteers 13 hours of hard work in 2007. In 2009, half a dozen student volunteers can now repurpose 100 PIVs using Brian Kelley’s slipstream CD in seven hours. “See” more about Computer Connects at www.computerconnects.org!
Net Literacy @ Indianapolis Website Launched
Net Literacy launches a new website (www.netliteracy.org/indy) that recognizes contributions from it’s partners Bright House Networks, Intel, Lilly Endowment, and the Clowes Fund. Collectively, these organizations have contributed $100,000s in cash and in-kind services to Net Literacy. Through the generosity of our partners, hundreds of computer labs have been created or expanded and 10,000s of individuals have gained increased access to computers and the Internet. Please learn more about how are partners are enabling student volunteers to make a difference by visiting www.netliteracy.org/indy.
First of Six Net Literacy Summer Programs Begins on June 18th
Net Literacy’s first summer program begins on June 18th and concludes on August 7th. Conducted at Indianapolis Public School #68 and comprised of students attending five high schools, students will learn life skills, job skills, and provide community service as they repurpose 400 computers and build a graphical user interface website as a frontend for a virtual campus that will be made available to any school upon their request at no cost. Other Net Literacy (www.netliteracy.org) summer programs will teach Internet safety, build a financial literacy website, and repurpose 600 – 800 computers during the next 60 days. Contact [email protected] for additional information.
Net Literacy Recognized with a Jefferson Awards for Public Service
Net Literacy will receive a Jefferson Award for Public Service (http://www.jeffersonawards.org/) on June 16th in Washington DC. Net Literacy’s work will be recognized by US Senators Lugar and Bayh.
The Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. They began in 1972 to create a Nobel Prize for public service. Today, their primary purpose is to serve as a “Call to Action for Volunteers” in local communities.
The Board of Selectors chooses the winners. The national Jefferson Awards honorees are a “Who’s Who” of American history makers. They have included: Barbara Bush, Rosalynn Carter, Colin Powell, Peyton Manning, Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong, Sandra Day O’Connor and Alan Greenspan.
The Jefferson Awards has over 150 Media Partners in over 90 communities across the country. A local panel of judges selects the winners who are grassroots. These Media Partners are major local newspapers, television and radio stations.
Net Literacy was nominated for the Jefferson Award by Helen Lenke, a senior citizen that learned how to use a computer and the Internet through the Senior Connects (www.seniorconnects.org) program in 2003. In 2004, she purchased her own computer and a broadband connection. Six years later, Mrs. Lenke still sends boxes of cookies to her friendly student volunteers…and keeps up with them via email. The student volunteers fondly refer to her as their “cookie monster.”
June 8th USIIA-Net Literacy Press Conference
On June 8th, the USIIA (www.usiia.org) and Net Literacy (www.netliteracy.org) will conduct a joint press conference to announce their white paper and release it to the FCC and Congress proposing a national blueprint to reduce the digital divide throughout America. The press conference will be conducted at the National Press Club and feature David McClure, President of the USIIA (US Internet Industry Association) and Daniel Kent, Board of Directors at Net Literacy. The white paper is entitled:
“Digital Inclusion: Bringing The Rest Of America Online With Broadband”
Net Literacy has been invited to showcase its successes of increasing computer access to over 150,000 individuals at a broadband adoption conference held by the US Internet Industry Association and Broadband for America on June 22nd at the Park Hyatt Washington in Washington DC. More about the conference is available at the USIIA website.
In May, 2009, the USIIA named Net Literacy as the preferred model for increasing digital inclusion in America. Two of Net Literacy Board members serve on Broadband for America’s Adoption Committee. The USIIA and Broadband for America asked Net Literacy to serve as a joint participant of the conference.
“Since 2003, Net Literacy’s student volunteers have increased broadband adoption and thousands of students have donated hundreds of thousands of hours of their time in the service to others,” said Student Chair Daniel Kent. “During a time when American corporations and our government should be identifying the most efficient and effective model to increase broadband adoption, Net Literacy spends thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to increase digital inclusion when other organizations spend millions of dollars or tens of millions of dollars. A community-based bottom-up public private partnership with student volunteers is a way that most efficiently increases broadband adoption on the community level.” Net Literacy has been recognized and received award from two American Presidents. US Senators Lugar and Bayh serve as Honorary Co-Chairs, and Congressmen, Lt. Governor Skillman, and Mayors also serve on its Honorary Board of Directors. Since 2005, Net Literacy has help provide or expanded over 500 computer labs throughout the Midwest.
This one day conference will discuss methods and case studies that increase broadband adoption in America and provide American tax payers and broadband providers an ROI. In its recent report to Congress, the Federal Communication’s Commission cited Net Literacy’s Community Connects and Senior Connects programs. The FCC also agreed with Net Literacy’s suggestion that a Digital Literacy Corps be created and that K-12 students on free or assisted lunch programs receive priority for subsidized or free computer hardware and broadband in the plan.
Net Literacy’s programs are independently used by students from New York to California and around the world. The US Internet Industry Association submitted a Filing to the Federal Communication Commission naming Net Literacy’s model as the preferred approach to reducing the digital divide in the United States. Net Literacy was selected by the European Union Study on Digital Inclusion as one of the 91 most promising good practice initiatives based upon an investigation of 32 countries including the EU Member States, the United States, Norway, Iceland, Canada, and India. Microsoft’s publication Innovating for inclusion: A Digital Inclusion guide for those leading the way, cites Net Literacy as one of the best of class digital inclusions examples. Other organizations and consortiums, including the US Broadband Coalition with 170 members that range from Google to Comcast and from Verizon to Cisco Systems cited Net Literacy and its model as a policy consideration in its “Adoption and Usage Report” for its programs in broadband adoption, helping the disabled, and improving the education process. The report was prepared for the Federal Communications Commission in behalf of America’s broadband industry to support the FCC’s National Broadband Plan Blueprint report to Congress. The Federal Communications Commission cited Net Literacy’s programs that teach senior citizens computer and Internet skills, teaching senior citizens, and our Digital Literacy Corps in the National Broadband Plan to Congress.