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Understanding Faith-Based CTCs

Understanding Faith-Based CTCs. Presentation 2 of CTC Partnership Grant. www.techmission.org 617.282.9798. Outline. Presentation 1 Part 1: Program Models and Resources Part 2: Steps to Developing a Partnership Presentation 2 Part 3: Understanding Faith-Based CTCs

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Understanding Faith-Based CTCs

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  1. Understanding Faith-Based CTCs Presentation 2 of CTC Partnership Grant www.techmission.org 617.282.9798

  2. Outline • Presentation 1 • Part 1: Program Models and Resources • Part 2: Steps to Developing a Partnership • Presentation 2 • Part 3: Understanding Faith-Based CTCs • Part 4: Additional Resources

  3. Part 3 Outline: Understanding Faith-Based CTCs • About TechMission, AC4 and AC4 Member CTC’s • Other National Faith-Based CTC Initiatives • Unique Aspects and Issues of Faith-Based CTC’s • Suggestions for Partnership Between FBO’s and CBO’s

  4. About TechMission • Mission: to support Christian community computer centers across the world as they address the Digital Divide by providing others with computer skills to make a living and a spiritual foundation to make a life

  5. TechMission Programs • TechMission, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) with the goal of supporting Christian computer centers through three program areas: • Association of Christian Community Computer Centers (AC4): providing technology training over 500 Christian organizations serving at-risk communities (funded by HHS) • TechMission Boston Program: supporting Christian Community Technology Centers (CTCs) in the greater Boston area (Funded by DoE) • TechMission Corps: provides 20 FTE AmeriCorps members to programs using technology to serve at risk youth

  6. Locations of AC4 Members

  7. AC4 Member Site Statistics • Combined Technology Program Budgets: $16,551,798 • Participants Served in Tech Programs: 108,865 Numbers reflect annual budgets and number of participants each year and are based on self reporting of AC4 member sites.

  8. AC4 Members • 564 organizations as members and 122 individuals 122 Individuals 358 Christian Nonprofit Organizations 87 non-Christian Nonprofit Orgs 119 Churches

  9. Program Area Activities for AC4 Member CTCs

  10. AC4 Members in Other Organizations AGRM 40 Salvation Army AC4 Members Youth: UYWI & Compassionworks 30 ?? CCDA HUD NN 92 60 CTCNet HLIC 93 ?? World Vision ??

  11. TechMission Boston DoE Program • TechMission is the lead agency with six sites (HERCs and BWM) and one coordinating agency partner (Emmanuel Gospel Center) • Provides at-risk high school students with: • SAT preparation class to over 200 students • MCAS preparation class to 175 students • Academic tutoring and support to 300 students • College planning and preparation to 300 students • Provides computer classes to over 350 adults

  12. TechMission Corps • Provide 20 FTE AmeriCorps positions in Boston (14) and LA (6) metro areas • Staff after school and teen programs in at risk communities and integrate tech into existing programs • Proposed to grow to 60 FTE in three years and expand to Chicago, which could be 60 half-time staff and 30 full-time staff

  13. National Faith Based CTC Initiatives

  14. Jewish Vocational Services • Jewish Vocational Services was founded in 1939 and has served over 16 million people (currently 350,000 each year) • Has 24 centers providing job training in the US and many focused on technology

  15. Muslim CTC’s • No Identified National Muslim CTC Initiative • Local Muslim CTC Initiatives • Inner City Muslim Action Network • Others

  16. Christian CTC’s • In the past 15 years, we estimate over 2,000 community computer centers have been started in Christian organizations in the USA • Over 500 of these sites are now members of the Association of Christian Community Computer Centers (AC4), which is the largest association of faith-based community technology programs in the world • We estimate that there will be over 5,000 identified Christian community technology centers by 2010 and probably more than twice that including unidentified centers

  17. Salvation Army • Salvation Army has 3,000 centers of operation, 50,000 employees and services 20 million people each year in the USA • e-Quip for Success Initiative will address the digital divide • 160 technology centers started this year • 1,000-2,000 technology centers in next four years • Providing tech programs in homeless shelters, multi-service centers, seniors and rehab programs • TechMission is in final discussions with the Salvation Army to work as a consultant to provide training and to have their sites join AC4

  18. World Vision • World Vision is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the world with about a $650 million annual budget and over 20,000 staff serving millions of individuals globally • World Vision USA operates regional hubs in 10 US cities involving 9,200 churches and ministries • TechMission Partnership • WV applied for grant with large training component including TechMission • WV-LA co-sponsored our West Coast Regional Conference • TechMission is providing two TechMission Corps members to World Vision LA sites

  19. Catholic Charities • Catholic Charities together has a combined global budget of over $2.5 billion with over 51,000 paid staff and over 168,000 volunteers and serves over 9 million people each year • Catholic Charities currently does not have any organized national initiative around CTC’s

  20. Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM) • AGRM was founded in 1913 and is a group of 265 Christian homeless shelters • 34 AGRM members are also members of AC4 • AC4 also regularly has workshops at their annual conference. • Stats • Over 90 of these centers provide job training with focus on using computers for Adult Basic Education and GED classes • Last year over 85,000 people enrolled in AGRM educational programs • 5,000 graduated with a GED or other diploma • Nearly 15,000 formerly homeless individuals completed training programs and moved on to become productive members of society

  21. Here’s Life Inner City • Here’s Life Inner City is the urban ministry branch of a Christian campus group • Here’s Life Inner City operates • 18 regional hubs covering thousands of churches • 70 community centers with over 20 CTC’s • TechMission is working with HLIC to • Develop a refurbishing center in Los Angeles • Provide two TechMission Corps members to sites

  22. Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) • CCDA is an association of over 500 member Christian non-profit organizations serving at-risk communities • CCDA holds an annual conference with over 800 attendees • AC4 was founded by CCDA member organizations and maintains very close ties • Many CCDA members with computer centers are also members of AC4 • CCDA and AC4 are co-sponsors of the other’s national conference

  23. Other Christian Organizations • Volunteers of America • YMCA/YWCA • National Association of Street Schools • Cristo Rey Network

  24. Unique Aspects of Faith-Based CTCs

  25. Unique Aspects of Faith Based Groups • Holistic Approach • Majority (over 75%) of faith-based groups provide technology as one part of a holistic program • In contrast to independent technology programs which may provide tech training without meeting basic needs • Examples • After School and Teen Programs • Homeless Shelters • Rehabilitation Programs • Jobs Programs • Adult Basic Education, GED or ESL Program • Micro-lending Programs

  26. Understanding Christian CTC’s • Most sites to not identify themselves as CTC’s, but identify as other program with computers • i.e. After School programs, Jobs Programs • Over half of Christian CTC’s are very small (less than 10 computers) • Most CTC’s primarily affiliate with a holistic faith-based network rather than a network for tech programs • Our estimate is that 70-80% do not have an organizational culture where they ever join any secular networks • Result is that many Christian CTC’s are essentially “invisible” to secular networks

  27. Why an Association for Christian CTC’s? • Why any Christian association? • Create a community of a like group to share learning and resources • Christian associations exist for Community Health, Jobs, Housing, etc • Christian CTC’s have unique needs • Holistic program model • While they do provide “Computer skills to make a living” like other CTC’s they put an emphasis on “spiritual foundation to make a life” • Discussing role of faith in CTC • Enables CTC movement to grow overall • When we started there were only 20 Christian groups in CTCNet, now we have over 500 groups, with over 90 AC4 Members in CTCNet • Opens up CTC movement to more funding

  28. Strength of Faith-Based Social Service Agencies • Faith-based organizations hold five of the top ten national spots in charity size • Churches are primary source for volunteerism in the country with the faith-based community providing over 125 million hours per month to non-religious charitable activity • Faith based organizations give more than $41 billion per year to non-religious social services

  29. Strengths of Faith Based Organizations: Individual Donations From “Giving and Volunteering in the United States”1999 national survey from the Independent Sector

  30. Four Aspects of Addressing the Digital Divide • Physical Resources: Computers and Connectivity • Digital Resources: Content and Language • Human Resources: Literacy and Education • Social Resources: Communities and Institutions From the Book Technology and Social Inclusion by Mark Warschauer, University of California, Irvine

  31. Untapped Resources of Faith-Based Groups in Addressing the Digital Divide • Physical Resources • Have more locations globally than any other network • Digital Resources • Have potential to translate content into local delivery and culture better than any other network • Human Resources • Have potential of more human resources available globally than any other network (although majority is still at a low skill level) • Social Resources • Have the largest community in the world and ability to act globally in local language and culture

  32. Research on Foundation Restrictions on Faith • Survey of the 50 largest independent foundations showed the following restrictions on faith: • Restrict giving for activities with an expressed religious purpose (16%) • Restrict giving to church or religious institution (12%) • Restrict sectarian activity (8%)

  33. Issues with Restrictions by Faith • “Activities with a religious purpose” or “No religious institution” creates an issue for some organizations of whether they will “deny” their faith • eliminates thousands of sites including the Salvation Army (the largest non-profit in the world) • “Will not fund sectarian religious activities” does not create issues for most religious social service agencies • “Serve people without discrimination”: also much less restrictive, but creates issues for some rehab programs • Language excluding “exclusively religious purposes” could be viewed as ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations • Salvation Army example • Hiring based on faith

  34. Faith Based Organizations and Effects of Discrimination • African American Culture has a long history of church-based social services and movements • Civil Rights Movement, Abolitionist Movement • The Black Church is still arguably the most significant and widespread Black-led institution serving the Black community in the USA • Discrimination against faith based groups has the secondary effect of discriminating against the African American community • As an example if half of all Black-led social service programs are faith-based, then eliminating funding to faith-based organizations excludes them • Also has implications for the Latino community, particularly those with ties to the Catholic church

  35. Facts about Charitable Choice • Charitable choice laws were a bi-partisan initiative passed under and strongly supported by President Clinton • These are the main legislative provisions for the faith-based initiative • Focused on ending discrimination against faith-based groups • Unified laws across government agencies with regards to faith • Supreme court ruled that FBO’s can use faith as a factor in their hiring practices

  36. Distinguishing the Faith-Based Initiative from Charitable Choice Laws • While the Faith-based initiative is viewed as a partisan issue… • Charitable choice laws are bi-partisan • Reaction to the Faith-Based Initiative led to some increased hostilities toward FBO’s resulting in discrimination • Violating charitable choice laws are just as illegal as other forms of discrimination

  37. Specific Strategies for FBO’s • Go to Where They Are • Most FBO’s affiliate with national FBO organizations like Salvation Army, etc • Need strong partnership strategy with National FBO’s • Need workshops at existing national conferences • Sharing faith builds trust for more in depth partnership • Build on holistic framework with tech as a component rather than emphasizing starting a new program • TechMission provides unique strengths in implementing these strategies

  38. Suggestions for Improving Partnership • Value Diversity • It is helpful to have some contexts that are primarily for secular organizations and some that are primarily for faith-based organizations • Communicate Trust • TechMission to FBO’s to build trust to CTCNet and ATA • CTCNet and ATA to build trust from CBO’s to TechMission

  39. Additional Resources

  40. Getting Free Software • Visit TechMission’s Software Donation Page: http://www.techmission.org/resources/software.php • Register your site with TechSoup at www.techsoup.org to get discounted donations • Download letters and modify for your site to get free software from Knowledge Adventure the Learning Company and Voyetra • Apply for extra copies to give to other sites

  41. Benefits of AC4 Membership: Training • Training through our national and regional tech conferences, workshops and conference calls • TechMission Manual: 60+ page manual for operating Tech Programs including curriculum and capacity building materials • Information and curriculum available to members only on our Website • Free electronic subscription to Christian Computing Magazine

  42. Benefits of AC4 Membership: Community • Conferences: regional and national • Regional Chapters for regional collaboration • Volunteer Network: recruit volunteers for members through AC4’s website • E-mail List with over 700 participants • Contact List of Christian Computer Centers

  43. Benefits of AC4 Membership: Resources • Subgrants and Intensive Technical Assistance totaling $750,000 (through the C4T Project in CA, IL and MA) • Discounted Gifts in Kind Membership providing access to over $800 million in product donations • Advocacy for members to foundations, corporations and government initiatives • Equipment: Assistance in securing computer and hardware donations • Consulting on starting and growing a computer center and Web Design

  44. How to Join AC4 • Sign up for membership at www.techmission.org • Membership cost • $20 per year for organizations with budgets under $500,000 • $50 per year for organizations with budgets over $500,000

  45. TechMission Conferences • TechMission National Technology and Ministry Conference: October 27-28, 2004 in Atlanta • TechMission Northeast Regional Technology and Ministry Conference: March 2005 in Boston

  46. Helpful Sites for Youth Ministers in General • http://www.uywi.org • http://www.youthpartnersnet.org/ • Sponsors of the Compassionworks Urban Youth Ministry Conference • http://www.youthpastor.com • Provides good material for youth pastors • http://www.xxxchurch.org • Good Christian anti-pornography educational site • http://www.youthbuilders.com • General Youth Ministry Website • http://www.reach-out.org • Purchase materials for youth ministry • http://www.funattic.com • Get ideas for games for youth ministry

  47. Appendix

  48. Digital Divide

  49. Computer Industry*** Manufacturing Jobs Down 55-65%* Jobs Grown to 7.4 million & Increasing 6.5% per year Once provided 52% of jobs to some groups, but now only 28%** 65% of all jobs use computers 90% of all jobs use computer- related technologies * In a range of Northern cities between 1967-1987, When Work Disappears ** Statistics are for inner-city black men in Chicago *** Other sources include Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Commerce Computer Literacy and Jobs

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