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December 1, 2008 | |||||||
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 Hurdling Great Divides March 8, 2001 This isn't just another story about the digital divide, that gap between the technology haves and have-nots (most of whom tend to be minorities, women, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor). Sure, the point in bridging the gap is to bring technology to more people, but the heart and soul of the matter may be in the offline connections between folks who need each other. Reader Responses are a goodthing! Follow along by clicking here. What are your thoughts on "Hurdling Great Divides"? Dear readers, "We don't want to go unless you go." Maya, Nneka, Shalynn, and Willette -- all students in the Technology Access Foundation (TAF)'s Technical Teens Internship Program -- had just returned triumphant from the regional Try-Math-A-Lon competition in Phoenix and told Sherry Williams the news. The four girls had matched wits with other high school juniors and seniors in the contest and emerged with bragging rights spanning 13 Western states and a ticket to bigger things -- the national Try-Math-A-Lon in Indiana. They weren't thinking of Sherry as a secret weapon, though. She doesn't even really know computers. Sure, she e-mails and uses office software and even the Internet with the best of them, but when it comes to the things the kids around her are doing, she's just getting started. But as the internship program manager, Sherry is these kids' inspirational leader, a dedicated believer in the opportunities she's helping to create, and -- as a single mom formerly on public assistance -- right where she wants to be. TAF's new teaching center in Seattle's Judkins Park is something of a beacon, illuminating the neighborhood. And the center is buzzing with teenage electrons around Sherry's nucleus. The 66 kids from each of four training levels all expectantly greet her. They seem to know she'll always send back a kind, personal word. Sherry and her colleagues at TAF are working on a widely acknowledged problem facing children of color. Despite living in a world where computers seem to outnumber people, minority children, as well as the elderly, the disabled, and disadvantaged women, more often than not find themselves on the far side of a digital chasm as deep and alarming as a Seattle earthquake. A testament to the fact that the most incredible ideas often come at the most unexpected times, TAF (the brainchild of two women who shared an epiphany while walking their dogs) is bringing the computer age -- via a rigorous, time-intensive educational program -- to kids who might otherwise miss it. TAF considers a successful graduate one who not only knows how to use existing programming, graphics, networking, and fundamental software technology, but also knows how to create it. Its premise is simple, but the program is not for dilettantes. It becomes these kids' number one priority after school. Sherry recognizes that her job is "10% planning for the future, 90% relationship building." While she's committed to having an ongoing connection with parents and families, the relationships that matter most to her are those with the kids. The fact that Sherry hasn't yet become a computer superstar herself is hardly the issue. By virtue of where she is and what her bond with the kids in the program is, she gets back all that she needs. More importantly, though, her personality, life experience, wisdom, and casual communication style give the kids the grounding they need to take advantage of a life-changing opportunity she personally never had but works tirelessly to provide. And so maybe Sherry's Indiana cheerleading trip won't happen next week (TAF is a non-profit after all), but four of the kids whose futures she is helping to change will be there, and so, in spirit, so will she. GOODTHINGS (e-mail us) TALK ABOUT IT Have you seen examples of how computers and the Internet can break down barriers? Write us your own GoodLetter. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Support the Technology Access Foundation. Donate to TAF now -- online -- quickly and securely. Our partner, 4charity.com, enables direct donations to more than 730,000 non-profits. Find out how to get a kid involved in a Try-Math-A-Lon near you. LEARN ABOUT IT TAF has many allies, like PowerUp. Read the Fast Company article. Find out about the PBS series "Digital Divide" . and learn how you can help Connect with Enabling.org, an organization helping people with disabilities cross digital hurdles. The elderly may be catapulting over the digital divide. Read the LA Times article. But the work is never done. Green Thumb provides opportunities for the elderly to learn, work, and serve, as well as use the Internet to make their lives easier. Readers Respond Want to share your thoughts or ideas with other people who care about good things? Send 'em our way. Dear goodthings, Yes, the Internet has absolutely revolutionized how two non-profit groups that I work with in remote Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, communicate among their volunteers, interns, sponsors, and other constituents. These projects simply started using Yahoo! Groups to facilitate better communications. Friends of Pasac Segundo is an organization dedicated to supporting indigenous Guatemalan communities in self-sustainable development projects. The focus of our projects is education, empowerment of women and girls, and the celebration of indigenous culture. You can visit their forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pasac. La Pedrera is an impoverished community in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Proyecto" La Pedrera is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the citizens and especially the children of this community. "Padrinos and madrinas" are "godfathers and godmothers" (financial sponsors of individual children). You can visit their forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pedrera. I encourage people to join these groups, if only temporarily, to experience the power of the Internet for charitable organizations. Regards, Mike Baird Morro Bay, California |
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