Net Literacy Corporation first innovated that youths should be the catalyst that increase Indiana's Internet literacy through four student-volunteer lead programs; and successfully lobbied the Indiana General Assembly which resulted in the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 85, or "Indiana Net Literacy Week." This legislation endorses and details Net Literacy's programs:

• Senior Connect Program - Net Literacy will provide access to up to 22,500 underserved senior citizens as part of the Indiana Net Literacy Week program. Promotes senior citizen computer and Internet literacy by building public computer labs, teaching senior citizens (and especially those that are mobility impaired or lack reliable transportation) computer and Internet skills, and increasing public awareness to this critical issue. During the last twelve months, the Senior Connects program collected over 500 computers, built or enhanced public computer labs in almost 70 independent and assisted living facilities, and taught senior citizens Internet

  skills. Since our average "pupil" is 87 years young, we spend up to five months with each student working on a one-to-one basis. Consequently, our success rate is very high. Currently, we have more than 100 youth volunteers and during the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year; we plan to double the number of student volunteers through the participation of additional middle and high schools. During the last twelve months, student-volunteers have taught senior citizens in an intergenerational program and have provided 11,000 senior enhanced or their first access to public computer labs within their own facilities; taught youths leadership skills; and dispelled misconceptions by some youths about senior citizens. The Senior Connect program was recently officially endorsed by the AARP and the Urban League. For more information, click here > www.seniorconnects.org.

  
  
• Safe Connects Program - Educating children about Internet safety is a critical issue- but it has not yet been fully addressed by America's public education system. Safe Connects will enable schools, religious institutions, and parents to educate their elementary and middle school youths about Internet safety. Unfortunately, the newspapers are increasingly filled with stories that range from Net predators, to stolen passwords, and some of us can tell stories about friends that have had real life and potentially very dangerous Internet-arranged "meeting situations." In fact, almost one in five youths are contacted in an inappropriate manner by an adult in a chat room pretending to be a youth, and some parents are not sufficiently Net savvy to be able to help their children understand that the cyberspace is a mirror of the real world - there are both good people and bad people. But because of the trusting nature of children and the deception that is possible via the Net, we believe more time and resources should be dedicated educating children. Eight high school students have been developing the Safe Connects program and lesson plans, and an additional group of high school juniors will be working with Save The Youth and DREAM Alive (two nonprofit organization for at-risk inner city kids) this summer to finalize the program.

  The Safe Connects program will be made available to Indiana schools for the 2005-2006 school year. It will also be posted on the Internet for use by parents and religious institutions. We are meeting with the Indiana Department of Education, parents, Governor Daniel's Senior Education Advisor, and members on Senator Bayh and Lugar's staff to educate them about this gap in our public education program, and have recently received an endorsement from the US Internet Industry Association regarding our efforts focusing on Net safety for youths. For a PowerPoint that provides additional information, please click here www.safeconnects.netliteracy.org

  
  
• Computer Connects Program - Net Literacy will provide access to up to 22,500 underserved individuals in HUD and Section 8 Housing, and are currently working with the 7,000 residents in the Indianapolis Housing Authority by upgrading or creating brand new youth computer labs.This is significant
  

  because students are most adversely impacted when their parents are unable to purchase a computer in their home for them to do their homework. After the labs are completed, we will work with the seven youth organizations to enable them to have a self-sustaining computer and Internet training program. The lesson plans have already been completed. We have also completed refurbishing all of the required computers for the Indianapolis Housing Authority, and are beginning to work with organizations such as the Urban League and CICOA to prioritize other underserved HUD and Section 8 apartments in Indiana. If we are successful in obtaining this grant, most of the money will be spent purchasing additional software licenses so we can furbish additional computers and further expand our program. We currently have the required computers necessary to provide 15,000 residents enhanced computer access in our warehouse, and are planning computer drives to obtain more. Additionally, the Computer Connects program identifies non-profit organizations and raises money for them to build computer labs in their facilities, identifies youth leaders in these organizations, and "trains the trainer" so that an in-house sustainable program is established.

  Last month, Net Literacy raised $15,000 through a partnership of the TechPoint Ventures, n|Frame, and Asset Forwarding, for one inner-city youth organization, www.SaveTheYouth.org. We will be working with the at-risk middle and high school youths that live in this neighborhood; helping to provide them the resources, lesson plans, and training programs necessary so that they can create a self-sustaining program that educates both youth and adults in their communities.

  
  
• Youth Connects - in August of 2004, we tested the Youth Connects program by donating computers to families on public assistance and with elementary school aged children that could not afford to purchase a computer for their children to do their homework. Earlier this year, Net Literacy conducted a second computer drive to procure 100 families on public assistance that couldn't afford to purchase a computer for their elementary school children to do their homework. To protect the privacy of the families, the computers
  

  will be donated directly to the elementary schools. We are in the process of refurbishing the 100 computers and plan to distribute them through July. Some of our programs are synergistic, and through Computer Connects, we will be donating a second 100 computers, some of which will go to underserved inner-city youths that are members of anti-gang nonprofit organization this summer. During Indiana Net Literacy Week, Net Literacy Corporation hopes to provide thousands of computers to underserved families, depending upon our ability to obtain grants.

  
  
• EPA Compliant Recycling of Computers - a related Net Literacy Corporation initiative that is important to all programs is the state-wide computer drive. Asset Forwarding, a member of both the Indiana and National Recycling Coalition has endorsed Net Literacy and agreed to be the "point company" in a state-wide computer recycling drive.
  

  Additional information about Asset Forwarding can be found at their website, www.assetforwarding.com. The computer drive will have two purposes. First, it will recycle computers in an EPA compliant and environmentally friendly manner, preventing thousands of computers and monitors from being delivered to landfills. This is especially important considering that the monitors that are buried in landfills have toxins that could potentially affect our environment today and succeeding generations of Hoosiers’ quality of life. The second purpose is that thousands of computers will be repurposed, wiped, new operating systems installed, and donated to Hoosier youths, families, and seniors.

Net Literacy plans to raise a minimum of $100,000 to fund Indiana Net Literacy Week, but hopes to raise up to $150,000 for PC related costs. We seek to have Internet service providers doing business in Indianan to donate some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of Internet connectivity that will be required. When fully funded, this program will enable our organization to cumulatively:

1. Provide computer access or enhanced computer access to as many as 22,500 senior citizens - and empower middle and highs school students to teach them how to surf the Internet and use email to stay in contact with their friends and family members.
2. Provide computer access or enhanced computer access to as many as 22,500 underserved individuals residing in HUD and Section 8 apartments that have 50 or more dwelling units. In underserved families, the elementary, middle, and high school students suffer the most when they are unable to access a computer to be competitive in school.
3. Assist up to 2,000 families on public assistance with elementary school students that are unable to purchase a computer - and provide them a computer for their children to complete their homework. The individuals in the families having access to these computers will range up to 10,000, depending upon siblings, extended family members, and so forth.
4. Mobilize 5,000 to 10,000 middle school and high school youths to participate in Indiana Net Literacy Week through its relationships with middle schools, high schools, and organizations including the Student Council, National Honor Society and other school-related organizations.

In 2005, the Net Literacy organization has been recognized by President George Bush, former President Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell