Present:

Angie Aldebol (LCCS), Andy Chandonnet (YWCA), Gregg Croteau (UTEC), Eduardo Czarnobai (LTC), Sr. Janet Deaett (St. Julie Asian Center), Marc Giroux (Volunteer / LCCS), John Grullon (YWCA), Kathy Horn (Girls, Inc.), Soeun Kie (RRC), Chris Landry (YWCA), Dan MacNeil (LTC), Erin Matheny (VISTA @ CFWC), Chris McClure (Pathfinders), Maryellen McEleney (New Beginnings), Lori Macguire (Goodwill), Osvalda Rodrigues (MAPS), Dan Toomey (CFWC), Peggy Shepard (CTI), Micky Sin (RRC), Sothyra Suy (RRC), Eric Stevenson (LTC), Felicia Sullivan (LTC), Virac Tep (RRC), Ed West (MRC /RRC)

I.   Introductions /Updates

• Girls, Inc - has hired a new lab coordinator and will begin desktop publishing and web design classes soon
• YWCA - just received funding from Mass Service Alliance to fund "Surfing Senior" program which links up youth mentors with elders. Mass Service alliance funds a variety of things such as community gardening, campus / higher ed service learning and other community projects. their website is http://www.msalliance.org/ . Summer programs have finished two really great publications. A Graphic design and animation class will be starting soon for 13-17 year olds. 15 weeks (M/W 6-7:30pm). The group is looking for logos and animations to build for NPOs.
• MAPS - Starting an afterschool program for 8^th graders as part of GEAR - UP program. about 28 middle-schoolders in two groups (M/W and T/Th). New ESL instructor, Amy Medina, will also be computer skill instructor.
• St. Julie - Will be adding an evening class in basic Khmer (M/W from 6:30 - 8:30pm) . A class in Basic computer skill class  is also being taught on Friday mornings. The Center received additional funds from the Stevens Foundation, Parker Foundation, and Computers for Community to expand Tim O'Connor's hours.
• New Beginnings - Will have the Internet resource guide online in the next couple of weeks. A new VISTA will soon be starting in November. He is coming from Louisiana. There are also some part-time folks starting who have been regular users at the center.
• Center for Family, Work and Community - Have been running a series of MAP Info classes and Excel spreadsheet classes. Have received monies as part of the Campus Compact through the Mass Service Alliance to involve 50 students in community service learning projects. Hope to place some of these students in CTC labs. Community Radio show up and going and training in community radio and web streaming also. PowerUp conducted site visit and will be installing lab in October.
• Recruitment Resources - Have worked out an agreement with Lowell Housing Authority to create an elder communication program - mini labs in 5 different housing sites to provide access and training to computers and the Internet to elders. PowerUp also conducted site visit - lab to be set up in October. Pursuing accessibility issues and modeling accessible workstation prototypes. Increased number of CMAA Apprentices who are supporting the Flanagan and North Common Centers. Also working on career / decision-making skills. Have applied to America Connects Consortium and Lowell Public Schools for additional program funding. Have a number of volunteers from housing working. Will be part of the Career Fair 2001 at Bayside Expo doing a workshop on CTCs and workforce development. Running formal programs in workforce skills, afterschool and public access.
• Lowell Community Charter School - students are now actively using the lab. Open use and homework activities. Teachers using lab to find resources. Will be running computer skill class for community (times and dates TBA). Web design / publishing class based on the Living Lowell project (http://www.livinglowell.com). New headmaster has been hired and a VISTA volunteer (Marc Giroux) will start in November. Currently lab needs volunteers, specifically monitors. School is looking for $$$ for a tech coordinator, LCD projection, and voice recognition software.
• Goodwill - Still have a bunch of refurbished machines that need monitors. Please contact Lori Macguire (lorimag@juno.com ) if you have working PC compatible montiors. Volunteers are matching up machines. David Crist (VISTA volunteer w/ pathfinders) is at site salvaging usable HDD, CD-ROM drives, etc. Have received $50K to fund technology infrastructure for Goodwill.
• Community Teamwork, Inc. - sent 35 monitors to Goodwill. Head Start program's computer lab is being used by parents in the program. YouthBuild also has a lab at their site to advance computer skills for workforce development. Pawtucket House has a small lab that residents are using for training. CTI has some senior volunteers who could be linked into tech programs. Also the Housing Consumer Education Center is making computer available for researching mortgage rates, loan calculators, home-buying information.
• Pathfinders - 2^nd year of VISTA volunteers. 1^st Distance learning program has started using Groove (Peer-to-peer) sharing system for GED program. Fosters student discussion. Basic Computer Skill class to be offered Saturdays. David Crist has started as VISTA volunteer responsible for recycling / refurbishing program. Working with Goodwill to salvage additional hardware. New weekend person, Marsha Davison, is offering basic skill classes. Database development for integration onto website so we can search for hardware / software items.
• LTC - is reworking curriclum to reflect a more Mac-based environment and multi-platform. Looking into options for a YVP program focussed on film and photography. A new service and support program will be starting in October (2 nights a week). MSCE Class - 2 students have passed 1^st MCSE class (Angie Aldebol & Tim O'Connor). Estimate 4-6 will pass exam in the next month. New 1^st MCSE class will be starting on Weds. form 6pm - 9pm. 1-3 open slots / $100 materials fee. Upgrades at various sites are taking place and working with RRC on accessibility issues. Live video stream of Folk Fest and Southeast Asian Water festival successful. Looking for T1 connectivity. Friday evening (after 5pm) workgroup at Eng403 focussing on Linux server options for web hosting. Website group is meeting on Saturdays @ 2pm in Eng403.

II.   Old Business & Working Group Updates

• Core Values - accepted - see here
• Educational Values - accepted - see here
• Recycling Program - centers doing individual activities as well as connecting to other organizations who can help. Consortium members direct and refer inquiries to appropriate agencies. Recycling needs are posted to LTC website. New additions should be sent to webmaster@lctc.org . If someone wants a computer, should have training in using it first. Pathfinders picked up a pallet's work of equipment and received matching Windows 95 license for them
• Curriculum Standards - have agreed to educational values. working on basic skills and what it means to have basic skills competency so there is a standard understanding of skill levels. Chris McClure suggested Marsha Davison present at the next educational working group mtg, since she has taken core curriculum and is working on skills.

III.   Collaborative Projects - brainstorm

  Possible projects for Consortium members to work on:

• Central site to post projects
• Work with NPOs to build websites
• Set core standards for education
• Develop volunteer strategy - assessment, jobs, evaluation, training
• Work with 5-10 NPOs tech planning and implementation
• 1-2 page description of each program, resources - Create curriculum pool
• How do we provide general level of access to all
• Ways and means comte to make projects happen (action cmte, planning cmte)
• Showcase venue technology fair - open house to show off, sites and projects, set date, publicize
• Central clearinghouse for volunteers, classes
• Fundraising / development plan

This discussion yield 3 main priorities:

IV.  Collaborative Projects Action Plans

1. Action Plan #1 - Develop a Volunteer Strategy: Technology Focussed with training both at site and LCTC

Goals

• Chris Landry and Dan Toomey will coordinate a meeting for planning a training session by October 10, 2001
• One volunteer orientation will take place by the end of Novebmer 2001
• If you have a volunteer you can not use, send resume or volunteer form (available on website) to the list. Form should assess what they bring and what they need. Maryellen McEleney will create form.
• Add this person to a list of volunteers with their info to the website (simple form)
• Establish a contact person at each site who is familiar with needs and positions by the end of October.
• Dan Toomey will checking housing options for VISTAs at UML

2. Action Plan #2 - Create and test an online system for sharing and coordinating a variety of information

Goals

• Create a sub-committee - LCTC - 9/7/01
• Identify manager - subcommitte - 9/7/01
• Created shared space using groove - manger - 9/10/01
• Invite members - manager - 9/12/01
• schedule installation / demonstration for all members - manager - 9/17/01
• Finish installs - 9/24/01
• publish procedure - 9/24/01
• start Groove - 9/24/01
• Test process - 9/24/01 -end of November
• Full evaluation (TOC, ease of use, program usefulness) -
• Present formal recommendation to LCTC - 12/7/01
• Vote on - 12/7/01

3.    Action Plan #3 - Create a fundraising and organizational development plan

Goals

• Form a committee - 9/14/01 - Felicia
• Meet - by end of September
• Create a misison statement - by beginning of October
• Create inventory tools - in October
• Conduct inventories of all member organizations to assess needs, programs, funding, staff, org. sturcture - by 12/7/01
• Develop a business plan and attach real numbers to fundraising needs - by early spring
• Pull together a number of fundraising tools to realize needs - early spring after business plan

Next Meeting

• Next Quarterly Meeting 12/7/01 - location and time TBA
• Next monthly meeting - 10/17/01 - location TBA, 12:30pm - 2pm