Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids Program Helps Revitalize Rural Perry County

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids (C4K) program, Congressman Marsha Blackburn, and several Perry County leaders gathered yesterday to celebrate the donation of computers to Perry County’s “Vision Perry” program, an innovative program that has put hundreds of Perry County citizens back to work over the past two years.

In January 2009, unemployment in Perry County surged to 27 percent, and at that time was the 3rd highest rate in the country. That summer, working with AT&T, Connected Tennessee donated computers to the program, allowing for the creation of a Digital Factory, which put citizens throughout the county back to work and brought the unemployment rate down to a remarkable 17%. Today’s donation marks the next phase of the Vision Perry Digital Factory, which today employs nearly 100 people.

“The VisionPerry program is a perfect illustration of the power of combining technology with public-private partnerships to help revitalize a community and put its citizens back to work,” remarked Congressman Marsha Blackburn. “I commend the work that Connected Tennessee is doing to connect citizens along the county highway to the Digital Highway and congratulate VisionPerry on their worthy achievements.”

While the lack of a four-lane highway and the remoteness in the county have in the past been major obstacles to attracting new business to the area, the “Digital Factory” is conducted entirely using the Internet. With the provision of computers from Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program, VisionPerry piloted the Digital Factory Network that has transformed a traditional based manufacturing county into a high-technological area. In its first year as a pilot program, VisionPerry aggressively focused on stimulating a lifeless Perry County. Since its inception, the VisionPerry Digital Factory has transformed itself into a fully-equipped work center which offers training, job placement, and work space. In cooperation with county and local government, Connected Tennessee, the Tennessee Career Center, TDS, AT&T, TVA, Economic & Community Development, Department of Labor, and a dedicated staff, over seventy-five people in the area are currently working as a direct result of the program.

Ten brand new computers were awarded to the Vision Perry program at yesterday’s event, added to the twenty donated in 2009. The event took place at the Commodore Hotel Linden in downtown Linden. City of Linden Mayor Jim Azbill and Perry County Mayor John Carroll were also on hand to show their support of the program.

To date, C4K has distributed nearly 4,000 computers statewide.

Congressman Blackburn shares her thoughts on the power of broadband:

Marsha Blackburn SOTs from Roy Hutchins on Vimeo.

C4K Equips Tennessee Youth With Computers

By Mandy Hale, Public Relations Specialist, Connected Tennessee

In the final installment of our back to school blog series, we examine Connected Tennessee's innovative and successful Computers 4 Kids program, which helps gives youth across Tennessee access to their own home computer.

Kids across Tennessee will be going back to school next week armed with not only summer memories, but with new computers, thanks to Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids (C4K) program.

C4K has been making its way across the state this summer, from Union City in far west Tennessee to Kingsport in far east Tennessee, awarding a total of more than 1,400 computers to deserving youth across the state. Both teens aging out of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services program as well as active participants in the state’s Boys & Girls Clubs received computers – the DCS youth awarded with laptops to carry with them into the next phase of their lives, while the Boys & Girls Clubs were outfitted with new computer labs, available to the children to work on projects, complete homework assignments, and in some cases, even check out a laptop to take home for studying purposes.

“Many participants come from low-income, single-parent homes and don’t have computers,” explains Michal Cranford, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga. “With take-home computers, doing research papers may be easier for students, and those in high school will be able to find more financial aid opportunities for college.”

In Knoxville, the Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year Nadia Valdez will start at the University of Tennessee this fall. Thanks to the C4K computers available to her through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Knoxville, Nadia will have somewhere to go to work on college assignments and connect with new friends in social network settings. Nadia’s experience with the Boys & Girls Clubs has equipped her with both social and educational tools that will last her far into the future:

“I recently competed for the Southeast Region Title and made it to the top three. It was an amazing experience and a wonderful way to meet other Youth of the Year across the region,” says Nadia. “I am super excited about attending the University of Tennessee next month; the summer has just completely flown by. Summer Orientation was a blast, and I cannot wait for classes to start! Thank you once again for all of your hard work and compassion.”

As summer turns to fall, the next phase of the C4K project will be kicking into high gear, with various training opportunities taking place at both DCS and Boys & Girls Clubs locations across the state. And the project will continue to award computers and host other educational events for the next two years, impacting nearly 60,000 youth across the state by the time it reaches completion.

Debbie Gray, executive vice president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, sums the C4K project up well:

“What a great opportunity this will be for the kids.”

Connected Tennesee's Computers 4 Kids, Vision Perry Celebrate a Year of Success

In June, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program celebrated its Perry County: One Year Later milestone event, where the spotlight was on the impressive progress Perry County has made since partnering with Connected Tennessee and AT&T one year ago to bring increased technology and opportunity to Perry County.

Working with AT&T, Computers 4 Kids proudly donated 20 computers, four printers and two scanners to Perry County’s “Vision Perry” Summer Youth Employment Program. Since the donation of the computers one year ago, the unemployment rate in Perry County has dropped from highest in the state and second highest in the nation at 27.4% to a remarkable 16%. To learn more about this event, please click here.

Connected Nation’s Connected Tennessee Garners Federal Grant to Help Provide Technology to Disadvantaged Youth

In Tennessee, the work to connect the entire state just received a major boost, thanks to $2.3 million in federal funding.

Today, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program was awarded $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.

The Computers 4 Kids grant will be used in efforts to increase sustainable broadband adoption and provide computers and training to nearly 60,000 disadvantaged youth across Tennessee.

Specifically, the project intends to focus on economically vulnerable youth in Tennessee by deploying laptops, academic support programs, and workforce training to two disparate, but especially at-risk populations: those in the state’s foster care system that are “aging out” as they turn 18 and youth that are active in the state’s 76 Boys & Girls Clubs.

The project plans to provide younger children in the Boys & Girls Clubs with broadband access in a safe environment via its Club Tech program, supported by software provider Microsoft.

“This project is going to connect thousands of Tennessee young people who would otherwise not have access to the vast resources afforded by a high-speed Internet connection,” said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. “The project will create new educational opportunities and provide vital career training that will empower youth with the tools they need to achieve their goals in a way not previously available to them.”

Already, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program has donated more than 2,000 computers to children, families, and communities throughout Tennessee.

To read the project description, visit the NTIA website.

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids celebrates major milestone in Perry County

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program recently celebrated its Perry County: One Year Later milestone event, where the spotlight was on the impressive progress Perry County has made since partnering with Connected Tennessee and AT&T one year ago to bring increased technology and opportunity to Perry County.

Last June, working with AT&T, Computers 4 Kids proudly donated 20 computers, four printers and two scanners to Perry County’s “Vision Perry” Summer Youth Employment Program.

Since the donation of the computers one year ago, the unemployment rate in Perry County has dropped from highest in the state and second highest in the nation at 27.4% down a remarkable ten percentage points to 17%.

To learn more about this program, view a press release here and read the Buffalo River Review's coverage of the event.

Confronting the Broadband Adoption Challenge – How do We Fix it?

How do you boost broadband adoption? That was the subject of a webinar hosted by Intel and other industry leaders to stress the importance of tackling the key barriers to broadband adoption. Connected Nation Chief Executive Officer Brian Mefford served as one of the panelists in the discussion with other broadband researchers and technology leaders.

Mefford was joined by Michael Santorelli, director of the Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute; Aaron Smith from the Pew Internet & American Life Project; Eric Greenman, manager of Service Provider Marketing at Intel Americas; and Bill Wallace from DigitalBridge Communications. The webinar was hosted by w2i.com.

There was a common theme among the findings and experiences of the group, most notably: populations, particularly those that are older, have less education, or lower income, continue to lag behind in broadband adoption.

However, all parties agreed that simply providing affordable broadband service to an area or particular group of people does not mean that adoption rates will instantly rise.

Coupling affordable high-speed Internet with digital literacy programs, like computer classes, and community involvement and technology planning programs have the most significant impact on broadband adoption rates, they said.

At Connected Nation, the efforts to address the issues of broadband adoption are two-fold, Mefford said. The first is to identify the reasons that people do not use broadband. The second is to address those issues at a community level.

“It’s not just about identifying the common barriers at a macro level,” he said. “We must drill down further to the local level and understand particular communities’ nuances. By doing so, we are able to bring forward and execute the most relevant and high-impact solutions to broadband adoption barriers.”

Already, Connected Nation has designed or started such community-specific programs. Connected Nation, along with Intel and other technology companies, have proposed a program called Every Citizen Online (SM), which will work with local communities to provide affordable broadband service, along with digital literacy training and a personal computer.

In addition, Connected Nation’s work through its state-based initiative, Connected Tennessee, has seen the fruits of such local-level collaboration.

In Tennessee, work to provide expanded access to and use of broadband has seen significant success. Since Connected Tennessee’s 2007 inception, more than 250,000 Tennesseans have gained access to broadband.

In addition, Connected Tennessee has donated more than 2,000 computers to children, families, and communities through its Computers 4 Kids program. One such donation, to the Saint John Baptist Church After-School Program in Stanton, stands out.

Click here to view a video about the impact of the C4K donation and the importance of community involvement in combating broadband adoption barriers.

Overall, the key to widespread adoption and use of high-speed Internet is a group effort — from community leaders to local business to technology providers.

To learn more about the work of Connected Nation and its partners, visit www.connectednation.org.

Connected Tennessee Debuts Latest Innovation in Broadband Mapping

Screen shot of BroadbandStat in Tennessee, developed by Connected Nation in conjunction with ESRI, a market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software.

Michael Ramage (left), executive director of Connected Tennessee, showcases BroadbandStat to Connected Tennessee steering committee members.

Today, Connected Tennessee, a Connected Nation state-based initiative, demonstrated a new interactive mapping tool for viewing, analyzing and validating broadband data.

Called BroadbandStat, the new interactive mapping platform is a multi-functional, user-friendly way for local leaders, policymakers, consumers and technology providers to devise a plan for the expansion and adoption of broadband.

BroadbandStat was developed by Connected Nation in conjunction with ESRI, a market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software.

For Bob Mayfield, managing partner of Electronic Communications Systems, a small broadband provider in west Tennessee, the new tool will be extremely helpful as his company plans further coverage.

“BroadbandStat is a very important tool,” Mayfield said. “For providers to be able to look at the market as we are developing our business plans--to see where broadband exists and where the demand is—this is the best thing that’s come out in a while.”

Daryl Phillips, executive director of the Hickman County Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD), agreed.

“Five years ago, we had local business owners that couldn't decide where to locate within the county because they didn't have access to this kind of detailed information,” Phillips said. “Now, business and industry can use this tool for relocation decisions, home buyers can use this while shopping for a home and government and ECD can use it for planning purposes. BroadbandStat gives Tennessee an advantage over other states."

During Wednesday’s presentation, Michael Ramage, executive director of Connected Tennessee, showcased the online tool, giving a basic overview of the system, along with highlighting advanced ways to view the data. BroadbandStat is scheduled to launch by late 2009 to early 2010 in Tennessee.

BroadbandStat is unique because it allows a user to build and evaluate broadband expansion scenarios using a wealth of data, including education and population demographics, current broadband speeds and availability and research about the barriers to adoption. The tool also provides an instant feedback mechanism for consumers to validate broadband data electronically or via phone.

The tool will be useful for government agencies, consumers, community leaders, broadband providers and the media. The broadband-related data can be used for grant writing, broadband investment and economic development, and it gives the public the ability to find information about broadband providers, down to the street-level.

Since its inception in 2007, Connected Tennessee has distributed more than 2,100 computers to children, families and community-based organizations through its Computers 4 Kids program.

On Monday, Connected Tennessee highlighted its digital inclusion work at a Federal Communications Commission’s field hearing in Memphis. The field hearing was one of a series of FCC’s public hearings promoting an open discussion between the commission and the public on the development of a national broadband plan.

Related Information:

News Article: 12 States Pick GIS to Help Build Broadband Coverage Maps

UPDATE: NextGenWeb to live stream FCC Field Hearing Featuring Connected Nation State-level Digital Inclusion Work

At 7 p.m. Eastern, NextGenWeb will live stream the Federal Communications Commission’s Field Hearing in Memphis. The digital inclusion work of Connected Tennessee, a Connected Nation state-level initiative, will be highlighted during the event.

Connected Tennessee’s executive director Michael Ramage will speak at one of a series of FCC’s public hearings promoting an open discussion between the commission and the public on the development of a national broadband plan.

View the live feed here.

In addition, Connected Nation has submitted a number of comments to the FCC, adding its voice to the public discussion. The filings cover a variety of topics including education, healthcare, economic opportunity and broadband adoption.

To view the filings, click here.

Connected Nation State-level Digital Inclusion Work Hightlighted at FCC Public Hearing

Connected Tennessee’s Executive Director Michael Ramage Invited to Speak at Federal Communications Commission’s Field Hearing in Memphis

Memphis, Tenn. -- Today, the digital inclusion work of Connected Tennessee, a Connected Nation state-level initiative, will be highlighted during a Federal Communications Commission’s field hearing in Memphis.

Connected Tennessee’s executive director Michael Ramage will speak at one of a series of FCC’s public hearings promoting an open discussion between the commission and the public on the development of a national broadband plan.

In Tennessee, work to provide expanded access to and use of broadband has seen significant success. Since Connected Tennessee’s 2007 inception, more than 250,000 Tennesseans have gained access to broadband.

Connected Tennessee has accomplished this goal by involving all of Tennessee’s 95 counties in a technology planning and outreach process called e-Community Strategies. Through this process, each county creates local leadership teams, comprised of leaders from both the private and public sector. These teams work to create county-level technology plans in order to address a particular county’s challenges related to technology growth.

In addition to this process, Connected Tennessee has distributed more than 2,100 computers to children, families and community-based organizations through its Computers 4 Kids program. In October, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program was awarded a “community service” award at the 7th annual TechStar Awards in Kingsport, Tenn. The honor was given for the program’s commitment of time and resources to improve the community through technology.

Following the success of state-based programs like Connected Tennessee’s Computer 4 Kids, Connected Nation and several leading technology companies including Intel, Fujitsu, Velocity Micro and ZT Systems announced in August the creation of Every Citizen Online (SM), a public-private partnership program that will enable computer ownership and broadband use in low-income and unconnected homes throughout the United States.

The program will help vulnerable populations overcome the top barriers to adoption: broadband awareness and training, computer ownership and subscription affordability.

Joining together technology companies and local entities, the program will provide digital literacy and help unconnected consumers purchase a new broadband-enabled computer using an instant rebate, bundled with a year of discounted broadband service.

Related Links:

Press Release: Connected Nation Partners with Technology Leaders to Apply for Broadband Stimulus Funds to Connect More U.S. Households

About: Every Citizen Online (SM)

Whitepaper: Investing in Sustainable Broadband Adoption (PDF)

News Article: Intel's Maloney talks beer and broadband (The Hill, 10/29/09)

News Article: Q&A with Brian Meffford, CEO, Connected Nation About Every Citizen Online (Wireless Government Report, 12/07/09)

News Article: http://connectednation.com/in_the_news/connected_nation_in_the_news/2009/08/us-stimulus-intel-invests-in.php

News Article: Intel, Dell, Fujitsu Partner with Nonprofit to Increase Low-income Internet Access (The Daily Tell, 08/18/09)

News Article: Connected Nation, Technology Stalwarts Launch Every Citizen Online (Cherokeean Hearld, 08/19/09)

News Article: Connected Nation: Access Not the Biggest Problem (TMCNet, 08/14/09)

News Article: Intel, Dell Join Nonprofit To Bring Cheap Internet Svc To Poor (Dow Jones Newswire via The Wall Street Journal, 08/13/09)

View press release here.

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids shows power of technology at home

Audrey Carey was born and raised in Gallatin, Tennessee but moved to Atlanta several years ago with her four children.

After living there for five years, Audrey was called at work one day that her home had caught on fire. Her children were home, and thankfully, no one was hurt. The house, however, was destroyed.

Audrey and her kids lost everything and were forced to move from place to place until finally settling into a shelter. Not long after that, Audrey packed up her four kids and all their belongings and moved home.

The day after commenting to her mother about how badly she needed a computer for her kids, Audrey received a letter in the mail from her Department of Human Services case manager telling her she would soon be receiving a brand new computer from Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program.

She had been selected based on her outstanding performance in the DHS Families First program, a program that emphasizes work, training and personal responsibility. “My kids started jumping up and down,” she said.

Today Audrey is working at a nursing home, attending night school to obtain her GED, and preparing for massage therapy school. And, thanks to her new computer, Audrey’s daughter was recently able to perform research to win an essay contest that won her a $500 prize.

For Audrey and others benefiting from Connected Tennessee’s Computer 4 Kids program, a home computer and the subsequent use of broadband in their home can change their lives.

At Connected Nation, we recently announced a partnership called Every Citizen Online (SM) which will sponsor these kinds of computer donations and literacy education throughout the United States.

To learn more about Every Citizen Online (SM), click here.