COMPUTERS IN OUR FUTURE (CIOF)
South Coast Telecommunications Alliance (SCTA)
March 26, 1998 Meeting
Held at the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission Hearing Room
Meeting Notes by Chuck Ryan: ryan@rain.org
Guest speaker, Nick Tonkin, Director of Computers in Our Future
(CIOF), shared with those present an insight into the services which CIOF
is providing to the low-income residents of our community. The Computers
in Our Future Program is part of Santa Barbara City College's Continuing
Education Division located in the SBCC Schott Center, Room 6, at 310 West
Padre St, Santa Barbara. The room is clearly identified as COMPUTERS IN
OUR FUTURE CENTER.The SB CIOF Program was started in January and is still in the
development stage. It originated through a collaborative effort of some 40
local groups and individuals. The Santa Barbara group was awarded a CIOF
grant of a half-million dollars from the California Wellness Foundation to
provide training for the low-income community. The SB CIOF group is one
of only 11 such groups in California (out of more than 400 applicants).The main objective of CIOF is to provide access to computer
technology for our low-income population, primarily ages 14-23.
This "access" stresses providing a wide rage of 'hands on" opportunities
for experiencing realities of basic computer applications, including
internet and Web Page.(For the purposes of this program, the low-income group is
identified by geographic location, ie, zip code, rather than a specific
income criteria.)The CIOF Program has three main objectives:
Students will have:
1. Exposure to Windows applications, MSW95, NT and other
foundational software.2. Classes provided through Adult Education facilities. Instruction
provided in both English and Spanish. Schedule includes Morning,
afternoon and evening classes.3. A community technical resource for other community based
programs. CIOF will provide assistance to school programs,
instruction for instructors.
In addition, CIOF will be an active advocate in support of advanced
technology, ie, provide speakers for various public forums to explain
benefits of computer technology and the social and economic benefits these
computer skills will bring to both the students and community.
The SB CIOF group coordinates with the other 10 CIOF groups
located throughout California to share mutual experiences in the
development of their training program.
The Schott Center presently has some 20 computers available for students,
with five additional spaces available for expansion.
Composition of classes varies according to needs of students.
One group of students consists of parent/child combination
"students", ie, an adult parent must bring one of his children to
sit with him/her as computer instruction is provided. This approach
provides incentive for more family interaction with information
learned, and bonding of parent/child.
Other blocks of time available:Youth Access - from 3:00 to 6:00 afternoon use for high
school age students, to supplement High School computer
courses. SBHS computer labs close at 4:00 PM.
Another block of time is available on an Open Access
basis, during which time anyone can use the equipment for any personal
projects. Printers are available to support computer use.
The objective of computer training is to not only help the student
learn computer operator skills, but also to better understand the
underlying logic of computer applications and develop individual
creativity in finding additional uses for the computer skills.
The focus is on education.
Self teaching software is available on MS W95, Word97, Acess97,
Excel97 software and GED skills. (As an adjunct of SBCC, other tutorials
on typing and math skills are likely available.)
Another important focus is making a practical, ie, financial
application of the skills learned.
CIOF networks with the computer job market to identify skills
needed and then teach them to students.There is a need for help in provide students with real world job
experience - helping tailor training to specific needs of employers, and
then providing jobs for 'graduates'.
While there is a general interest in the business community in
participating in the benefits of the Internet/WWW facilities, many
companies are wasting money on their interface efforts to efficiently use
'the web'. CIOF proposes to offer a 6 weeks course this summer to teach
basic 'web' skill in these areas:Finding information
Downloading the information
Sorting, formatting and printing information for
distribution.
Efficient use of email.
Following completion of this comprehensive course, the students
would be certified as an "Internet specialists"
Another proposed training effort by CIOF will be an 8 week
summer minimum wage job/course during which the student will have the
opportunity to develop entry level proficiency in foundational software,
ie, word processor, spread sheet, data base, telecommunications, ie,
internet and web. In addition he will be able to assist with the computer
hardware refurbishment, and learn basics of trouble shooting, fault
isolation and sub assembly swap repairs.
Demonstration of proficiency in these areas will entitle the
student to a certification of proficiency.
Nick indicated that employers want some sort of "proof" of
computer/internet skills before hiring, ie, some "certification".
QUESTION:John Wiley asked:
What other job skills will you be teaching, such as
"getting to work on time?" :-)
CIOF would propose to teach, in addition to computer skills, basics such
as:
Get to work everyday
Get to work on time
Get along with fellow employees once you get to work
Students are encouraged to make use of self teaching modules.
SBCC has developed one of the firsts 'on line' , 'distance learning' web
based courses, on Career Development. See http://www.sbcc.net
QUESTION:Dana Simmons asked about the possibility of working with
employers to further define job tasks, and possibly modularizing
tasks such that they could be "farmed out" over an internet network,
allowing students to make use of their newly learned skills in a
cottage industry atmosphere.
Good idea to be explore. The medical records area., one of the
fastest growing areas of data processing, would perhaps be a good area
to give this a try?
Since CIOF is significantly funded by the California Wellness
Foundation, it would be especially rewarding to find a medical
application for new group of computer literate employees.
CIOF wants companies to come to them with requests for specific task
completion qualifications.QUESTION:
Chuck Ryan asked: How is CIOF working with other groups
providing computer training for this same low-income group?
Some of the groups we are networking with are:
Transition House
SB High School
Computers for Families (CFF) / Santa Barbara Industry and
Education Council
The CFF is endeavoring to assure that every family on
south coast will have a computer for home use and training. CFF
refurbishes donated PC equipment (486 or better) and makes these units,
with modems, nominally available to 5th grade students and their
families.
The distribution process:
Teacher makes application - for student project
Computers given to student and family for use in a
teacher/parent/student collaborative project. The idea is to help develop
ongoing dialogue between teacher/parent/student, not only in the use of
the computer but also in other academic and social areas.
CIOF also provides training for families who receive the CFF
computers.
Youthnet (Unity Shoppe -SB Council of Christmas Cheer)
Friday Hampton, Director of Youthnet, (present at the meeting)
explained that Youthnet's training is focused upon upgrading the
employment skills of the bread winner in the family. Friday asked: "I
don't know of any, or many children that pay the mortage or who have been
downsized or laid off a job." Foundational computer skills are
taught,with the goal of upgrading family members in the employment market,
making parent(s) more employable thereby providing economic stability
to family.Youthnet is having some success working with local businesses in
training students for specific skills needed by a business and on business
site orientations, resulting in eventual employment.Youthnet students satisfactorily complete the Youthnet training
can earn a computer and modem for their personal use at home. Equipment
used and distributed by Youthnet is provided by donations from
local businesses and citizens.Note: It is interesting to see that while there are various
plans for providing hardware and software to students/'graduates', there
was no mention made of assistance with internet costs ?
Boys/Girls club Activities
Ken Wyrick, (present at the meeting), spoke briefly on the
activities going on within these groups. The emphasis is to get the youth
involved in using computer technology by having creative computer
applications,ie, multimedia,internet/www applications available. Ken
feels that the Multimedia approach helps to inspire the youth to be more
creative in computer uses and not just a consumer of computer services.
Video, music and graphic applications, typing skills used in chat rooms,
and other training are available. The Boy's Club on Cannon Perdido uses
Mac equipment. The youth are making good use of this equipment and gaining
skills and confidence in computer applications which will provide a
confidence base to enter more specific job related applications.
QUESTION:How much redundancy is there in the various programs and
student target group which CIOF is addressing?
Nick indicated there is considerable redundancy in asset
solicitation and equipment purchased. The apparent excess of Van
transportation was a case in point. Evidently many of the local
service/youth groups have successfully solicited funds to buy Vans, far in
excess of the specific needs. The utilization rate on these vehicles is
apparently very low and transportation could be much more cost efficiently
provided by pooling these equipment/driver resources and providing
transportation through a central dispatch system. (Easy Lift provides a
very functional roll model). In any case,there is a limit to the
financial resources of our community and money invested in dormant
transportation equipment might more effectively be invested in other
community equipment/services ??
The example of the Vans was discussed in light of the need for the
computer training groups to centrally coordinate their fund raising
efforts so that the "titans" of local industry, and sources of funding,
are not approached in a splintered fund solicitation manner such that they
become disinterested from lack of focus of this group. Somehow there
needs to be coordination and recognized leadership.
It was agreed that there is some redundancy in the training effort and
more coordination needs to be done to help each group to better focus on
their particular areas of interest and to share training facilities,
equipment, software and available funding where possible.
What can we, ie, SCTA and others, do to assist with the CIOF and
other related programs?
It was suggested that we:
Donate computer equipment which is excess to your needs.
As you move up to newer equipment, share the older systems with
those coming on behind you.
Assist with student instruction.
Visit the Schott Center, talk with the instructors and find
those areas of instruction where you might linger and share your
expertise with the students. Your 'real life' work experience with
computer applications is a very valuable asset to share, it is not
available from books.
Suggestions wanted:
Job related skills towards which CIOF could focus.
Health related applications are of particular interest
NETWORKING:Following Nick Tonkin's presentation, those in attendance visited and
shared information of mutual interest.
Dana Simmons, of ICONOCAST Imagine Media Inc. shared a colorful handout
entitled THE INTERNET AT A GLANCE showing a very succinct compilation of
Internet user statistics and demographics.
Such as:
Worldwide Internet user population as of 1 Mar 98 was 65,942,000
Top rated sites: 1. Yahoo 2. Netscape 3. Microsoft
Most successful E-Merchants: Cisco, Dell, Amazon.com
- - - and many other groups
An interesting and well done summary handout !
For a free ICONOCAST subscription visit http://www.iconocast.com
Biography:
Nick Tonkin is a native of England and a nine-year resident of Santa
Barbara. For four years he was a reporter at the Santa Barbara Independent
where he covered primarily politics and the Latino community. Soon after
discovering that computers could do more than word processing he founded
Tonkin Resolutions, a communications, publishing and internet development
company he still owns and operates. Among Tonkin's clients are Web-Ignite
Corporation of Santa Barbara, for whom he designed and built the "What's
New'" internet search engine. He speaks five languages fluently, including
Spanish, French, Swedish and Perl in addition to his native English.
Nick Tonkin is a long-time advocate in support of equity for low-income
communities, particularly youth, and brings a strident progressive voice
as well as technical expertise to the Computers In Our Future program.
Next meeting: Thursday, April 23, 1998, 7:00 pm
Speaker: Dana Simmons, of ICONOCAST Imagine Media Inc.
For more information, contact John Wiley at 730-1027 <john@silcom.com> or Dev Vrat at 962-8999 or 568-2022 <imago@silcom.com> or visit the:SCTA Web Site: <http://www.silcom.com/scta>
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