Program Updates

New Digital Center in South Africa Trains Disabled People in Computer & Job Skills

Last month, One Economy joined with the QuadPara Association (QASA) to open a new center that provides computer training and employment solutions for the quadriplegic and paraplegic residents of Ashley Village in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as members of the public with disabilities. One Economy helped set up the center, providing assistance to new users and on-site training.

The Rod Colenbrander center, funded by the Alexander Forbes Community Trust and Microsoft SA, encourages people to make use of the Durban Beehive to expand their knowledge and skills.

Already, two classes of people with disabilities have graduated from a course in basic computer literacy. Most of the trainees had never used a computer before. As part of the training, the candidates learned how to write a resume. Several recruitment agencies that specialize in finding employment for people with disabilities are using those resumes to help the graduates look for jobs.

CEO Rey Ramsey Testifies Before Congressional Panel on Universal Broadband Access

On June 24, One Economy Chief Executive Officer Rey Ramsey gave testimony on the importance of universal service at a hearing by the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
The subcommittee met to evaluate accountability and spending limits in the allocation of Universal Services Fund (USF) resources, as well as the question of providing universal broadband across the nation.

“Efforts that are less about a specific technology and more about education and creating a culture of use are needed to ensure that the benefits of the Digital Age are reaching the communities that need them most,” said Ramsey, who stressed the importance of both access and content.

“Government can play a role in stimulating demand,” Ramsey added. “A policy that brings the traditional conception of universal service into the digital age, while addressing the broad spectrum of reasons why people are not online, will improve the lives of millions of Americans.”

Witness George Lucas, founder and chairman of The George Lucas Educational Foundation agreed: “We must recognize the even greater possibilities made possible by broadband and wireless and expand the program to keep pace with technology.”

Ramsey’s complete written testimony is available for download in our press room.

Families Struggling with Economic Slowdown Turn to the Beehive

Everyday, more households stretch their budgets to compensate for increasing food and gas prices and dip deeper into savings or extend more credit for everyday goods and emergency expenses. As of December 2007, the revolving debt had reached a record high of $943.5 billion, according to the Federal Reserve. Mostly from credit card debt, this number continues to increase, almost doubling in 2007 alone.

Households challenged by the economic downturn and those who are experiencing financial crisis are using the Beehive's newest resource, the Financial Coach, to take steps towards financial freedom. This innovative online resource provides information and tools to help families build confidence with budgeting and prevent debt.

Created with support from the Ford Foundation, the Financial Coach features free credit counselling around the clock from licensed National Foundation for Credit Counselling-certified counsellors in both English and Spanish. Users can also discover financial quick fixes they can use right away and use the Better Budgeting tool to get assistance in managing their money. The Financial Coach draws on the experiences of its users; visitors can contribute stories of their own stories and read those of others.

Media: DC Health Care for You Helps District Residents Get the Care they Need

In Washington, DC, the need for improvements in health and health care access is undeniable. When compared with the 50 states, low-income people in the District of Columbia’s have the highest rates of cancer death, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS transmission. Low-income DC residents are also among the least healthy in the country when it comes to chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.

Last month, One Economy launched its new online resource, DC Healthcare for You (www.DCHealthcare4U.org) to empower DC residents to find quality health care and take advantage of low-cost and free services. Created with support from the Merck Company Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this bilingual web portal provides multimedia-rich tools to improve access to health care and health information for DC residents.

DC Healthcare for You provides:

• A zip code-based directory of doctors and services that allows users to find convenient help for their health problems
• An interactive quiz that helps users understand which low-cost or free healthcare assistance programs they qualify for, and simple instructions to assist users in applying for these programs
• Personalized advice from a top doctor in the DC area
• Calendars and schedules for low-cost and free health events and services
• Multimedia features to improve access to information, including videos showcasing local resources and providing information on how to apply, audio interviews with local doctors, and an audio site tour to help users make the best use of the site.

To promote this resource, One Economy is engaging in an extensive on-the-ground outreach campaign to promote the website through health clinics, community groups, and places of worship. Community Fellows will make this resource more accessible through one-on-one training and a mobile laptop lab.

Media: The Beehive Explains Economic Stimulus Payments

With the economic slowdown taking its toll on American households, the government, working through the IRS, will be sending out “stimulus payments” to millions of taxpayers starting in May. In addition to wage earners who file their income taxes reporting a minimum $3,000 income, many seniors receiving Social Security benefits and veterans disability or death benefits are encouraged to file taxes so that they may get a stimulus check. Most individual taxpayers will get between $300 and $600 with phase-outs starting at $75,000 annual income; married couples may qualify for double that amount.

Find more information in the Beehive’s special section dedicated to the stimulus package here. We feature language that encourages saving and spending wisely, links to the IRS stimulus estimator and the Beehive’s free tax preparation tool. Check back in 2 weeks to see new multimedia content featuring DC residents talking about their plans to spend or save.

Youth: Lights… Camera… Action! – Digital Connectors Go Multimedia

Across the country, youth in the Digital Connectors program are giving back to their communities in a whole new way. The new Arts and Digital Media program is giving Digital Connectors the tools they need to capture audio and visual content and the skills to create exciting new media. With this new training, Digital Connectors are preparing to be the eyes and ears of their communities.

Earlier this year, Digital Connectors in the Bay Area received Flip cameras (small, easy-to-use digital camcorders) and audio recorders to capture the voices of their communities. Digital Connectors captured a variety of voices in their neighborhood in video that they have edited for placement on 247TownHall (www.247townhall.org), an online civic engagement and social networking resource. They have also spoken to students and parents about education, gathering content for ZipRoad (www.ziproad.org), our educational resource that provides information for students and parents. Click here to watch a video created by Digital Connectors.

Digital Connectors in Chicago’s North Lawndale community recently completed a four-week civic journalism workshop to get ready for an upcoming youth-led virtual town hall funded by the Motorola Foundation. Youth will be using flip camcorders and audio recorders to promote awareness for issues that are on young people’s minds today, such as the tone of the music industry and violence in schools.

As One Economy develops and expands its Arts and Digital Media curriculum, the Digital Connectors program will not only prepare the next generation of digital media specialists, it will cultivate a generation of social activists eager to voice their new, innovative ideas and solutions for old problems.

Broadband & Hardware: One Economy and NetEquality Join

Since its inception, One Economy has brought internet access to thousands of low-income families in America and Globally. Now, through a new partnership with NetEquality, a Portland-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free Internet access to low-income communities, One Economy hopes to connect many more hundreds of thousands of low-income families with broadband.

One Economy recently acquired NetEquality, an organization that has worked for three years to develop a strong remote web-based network monitoring capability; detailed user-friendly documentation on how to design, install, and monitor wireless mesh networks; and an online store that distributes wireless mesh hardware to others throughout the world looking for low-cost internet access solutions. Working with One Economy, NetEquality is poised to leverage their skills, knowledge, products, and services to reach a larger audience and magnify their impact.

“The Internet—broadband in particular—is the most dynamic tool of the 21st century. It ought to be a national imperative to make sure everyone has access. For low-income people, the Internet holds the key to better jobs, health care and education,” said One Economy Chief Executive Officer Rey Ramsey. “Our combined effort with NetEquality will bring vital information into low-income households around the country and the world.”

This acquisition is part of a larger campaign, launching in April, to bring broadband into the homes of 500,000 low-income Americans during the next two years. To help reach that goal, One Economy will partner with 75 municipalities to connect communities to the benefits of technology.