Special efforts will be made to reach the most disadvantaged including the elderly and single parents. Residents of the City and surrounding townships currently have public access to only one computer, through the small public library. The Community Technology Center will provide 10 community workshops in its first year, five addressing the use and fun of a computer, and another five related to using the Internet for education, shopping, communication, or just about anything else. Students will be involved in developing the lesson plans for these workshops, and then will function as teachers and mentors for their neighbors and families. Moreover, students will assist in the preparation of public information materials through current class work such as desktop publishing.
Residents can attend sessions or just come in on an open night.
Help will always be nearby. In addition to this training service, the Technology Center has plans for educating the public about policy issues related to telecommunications. First, the students and staff of the center will do research to become more fluent with legislation, such as Senate bill 1153, which proposes establishing a rural-oriented federal policy effort. Community forums will follow, where the participants are taught how to use the Internet as a research tool to learn more about various legislation and how to identify and contact key legislators all valuable skills for any active citizen, and ones that increase their confidence and ability with the technology. A new tool from the National Center for Education Statistics provides fast answers to education questions.