Net Literacy Supports Connect to Compete’s 2015-2016 Indianapolis Launch with a Safety Awareness Campaign and Free Computers

Net Literacy starts the 2015-2016 school year by helping increase access to technology in areas within Indianapolis where more than 85% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunches.

Says Net Literacy’s Daniel Kent, “Our friends at Bright House Networks are launching Connect to Compete (C2C) in Indianapolis, and this initiative provides affordable broadband to low income families with K12 students. Now that qualifying families can receive broadband for less than $10 per month, we’re doing our part to help students be safe while having fun online and to provide parents a no cost option to obtain the technology that they’ll need to access broadband. IPS 51 is the first IPS school where’s there’s a formal school coordinated C2C launch, and we’re highlighting online safety with a challenge to the 3rd to 6th graders to write a few sentences about what they’d tell a friend, a classmate or a family how to be safe while having fun online. The 30 best entries, to be selected by Net Literacy student volunteers, will win netbooks or thumb drives (IPS 51 Safety Contest). In October at a school assembly, we’ll announce the student winners at a safety assembly where we’ll show some of our student created safety PSAs and short videos to help progress the students’ learning about online safety.

Also, we have more than 1000 computers in IPS’s warehouse to support families interested in participating in the C2C program but finding it difficult to afford purchasing a new or refurbished computers.

Finally, we’re conducting our 3rd annual IPS Students Against Bullying Awareness Contest and encourage students to become TV stars and youth heroes by helping spread the word about safety with an initiative that allows teens to become youth heroes and TV Stars…with lights, camera, action! While the campaign hasn’t officially launched yet, it will be similar to past year’s programs ( http://www.netliteracy.org/?p=6941).”

For more information, email me at danielkent(at)netliteracy.org

Bright House Networks Supports Net Literacy for an Eighth Year

Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks

Net Literacy is grateful that Bright House Networks took a chance on a group of middle school students that in 2004, wanted to reduce the digital divide and increase Internet safety awareness. Since then, Bright House Networks and Net Literacy have partnered together, donating more than 5,000 computers to schools and nonprofits. Bright House Networks has also supported Net Literacy’s student volunteers helping them to produce Internet safety PSAs and has carried them on their networks.

Listen to Bright House Networks’ Brooke Krodel explain why Bright House Networks has helped Net Literacy’s students for so many years, by clicking on the logo below.

WHJE Radio

Thank you Bright House Networks, for giving back to the community that you serve and making a difference to so many. To watch a video of the City of Indianapolis proclaiming Bright House Networks and the Techpoint Foundation Day, click on this link.

Respectfully,

Daniel Kent
Student President

Net Literacy Increases Digital Inclusion Thanks to Intel, Bright House Networks, and The Techpoint Foundation

Net Literacy Computer Distribution Map for Indiana
Net Literacy Computer Distribution Map for Indiana

With the support of Bright House Networks, Intel, and the Techpoint Foundation, Net Literacy continues to expand its partnership with the Indiana Association of United Ways. In 2010, Net Literacy provided 4,000 computers to 17 counties in Indiana, and has provided over 12,000 computers to schools, libraries, and other nonprofits during the last three years alone.

“Since January of 2011, Net Literacy has already provided over three hundred computers to thirteen counties, and we are on track to donate another 4,000 computers to schools, libraries, and other nonprofits this year. Through our partnership with the Indiana Department of Administration, and organizations including Carmel Clay Schools, the City of Indianapolis, the Town of Fishers, Angie’s List, Marsh, and the Carmel Clay Library, in addition to hundred of individual donations, teams of student volunteers in over 20 schools throughout Indiana will all be helping to reduce the digital divide and increasing digital inclusion. It’s a team effort,” says Daniel Kent. “We have more than 500 computers that have been dedicated to our initiative with the United way that will increase computer access in at least 17 additional counties this year, and that excludes 750 additional computers being made available to schools through our partnership with the IDOE, IDOA, and IOT.”

For more information, contact Daniel Kent at [email protected]

An Email From a Parent

One of six Net Literacy's summer programs
One of six Net Literacy's summer programs

This is an email from a parent whose 4th grade child is on a free lunch program and did not have a computer at home. Her daughter just received a Net Literacy computer so that she could complete homework assignments.

Dear _________,

I wanted to let you know what was on my computer. I have to say my computer came with everything a person could need to get started.
• It had OpenOffice.org which is a free office software that does everything Microsoft Office does including databases and you can save files in just about any office format.
• It also had AVG 9 Free Version, which is antivirus software. You can advise parents that there is an updated version called AVG2011 Free version available at download.cnet.com.
• the operating system is Windows XP, and IE 8.
• The RAM is 512, which the minimum to run XP effectively. I opened mine up and found that the RAM can be increased to above 700. In otherwords, it’s fast but you make it zoom.
• Another plus is if you live in an area with free wi-fi, there is space to insert a wi-fi pc card or you use a UBS adapter to connect to the internet depending on how comfortable you are with taking a computer apart. Its a great machine.
• Net Literacy really hooked it up! Thanks !

Thanks you!

__________

Net Literacy Lobbies the Hill and Addresses Afterschool Alliance Rally in DC

David in DC

By David Johnson, Student Chair, together with the Student Executive Committee

I had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C for the Afterschool for All Challenge as the Student Chair of Net Literacy, an afterschool nonprofit where we have increased computer access to over 150,000 Americans. I’m proud that Net Literacy was established by middle school students and high students comprised 50% of our board of directors.

In addition to fellow other nonprofits, our delegation included David Klinkose (President of the Afterschool Coalition of Indianapolis) and Debbie Zipes (Executive Director of the Indiana Afterschool Alliance). Susan Rohwer from the National After School Alliance helped coordinate everything and made certain that our trip was productive by helping maximize the number of Congressional staffers that we visited.

This was my second time in Washington D.C. While I had been part of the Net Literacy team of students serving as the Youth Voice for America’s Promise’s Grad Nation Summit last year, this was no less thrilling. As a 15 year old sophomore that serves as Net Literacy’s Student Chair, I am learning why the past Net Literacy Student Chairs believed that it was important for nonprofit organizations to be engaged at both a local and national level.

While I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with outstanding youths that represented an extraordinary mix of afterschool activity programs from across our country and have read their blogs on this site, I want to focus my blog on what I believe was the most significant component of our trip for me – getting the word out to our Congressmen and Senators about how important funding afterschool programs are to the millions of students that participate in these programs, and the 13 million students that would participate if funding permitted new programs to be established or existing programs to be expanded.
I talked with staffers from Indiana’s Congressman Carson, Senator Bayh, and Senator Lugar. It was great to meet with them – they understand the importance of afterschool programs – in fact, both Senators and the Congressman are members of Net Literacy’s Honorary Board of Directors! But what I learned is that we have to talk to them about helping us youth more and ask them to talk to their colleagues about helping us youth more by increasing funding of afterschool programs. If there were two points that I emphasized to the staff that we met, it was that there is a desperate and immediate need for afterschool programs to receive additional funding, and that traditional academics during our school day would be made more impactful if afterschool type programs could be integrated into them to provide the theory that we learn more context and a real world applications. Simply said, afterschool programs help students succeed and increase our high school graduation rates. That’s good for us students, good for business, and good public policy for keeping our country competitive in this international and competitive global marketplace.

Representing Net Literacy, a student founded nonprofit that’s a member of the Afterschool Alliance, I was one of two students among ten speakers that had the opportunity to talk to the crowd of supporters at the rally in front of our nation’s capital. The Congressmen and Senators were more knowledgeable and spoke more eloquent than I, but I told my story and Net Literacy’s story about how an afterschool program can change students’ lives. The halls in schools throughout Indianapolis, like most other larger urban areas, are seemingly populated by the ghosts of students that dropped out because they didn’t have enough family or other support to continue in school. Some of these are my friends. So from my heart, I talked in a way that said not providing additional funding for afterschool programs not only costs America money in reduced competition, it costs American’s the ability to live rich and productive lives.

I’d also like to say that there are some extraordinary corporations that have an outstanding social conscious and give back to the communities where they serve. Bright House Networks, the organization that took a chance on a bunch of middle school students with big dreams when we asked them to help fund us so that we could increase computer access back in 2004, became our first funders. They believed in us and have supported every year since then. We would not be successful without the support of companies like Bright House Networks, and we’re proud that they’re long time supports of the National Afterschool Alliance. While other companies have generously supported us and other nonprofits that support afterschool programs, we believe that companies must have heart and soul and give of themselves to support afterschool programs. It’s not just about monetary funding, Bright House Networks has a leader that serves as a member of the 50% of our board that are adults.

We need more money for afterschool programs. As a 15 year old, I see how those high school students those are able to take advantage of and participate in afterschool activities are impacted and the cost for those that are unable to participate because there just isn’t enough money to help all of the students that need the help. What’s frustrating is that by not finding additional millions of dollars to fund afterschool alliance programs now, our society will pay billions for those students that are incarcerated or never attain their full potential because they were unable to participate in afterschool activities.

This was an extraordinary learning opportunity. I was the only teen that for the Indiana delegation, and the adults suggested that I be make the introductions and make my comments first. While I didn’t have the global appreciation that other members of the Indiana delegation have, I’ve seen firsthand how student without options, such as afterschool programs, fail at school, and know that many will later go on to fail in life.

Attending the After School Challenge helped put things into context for me. The first thing that was done after my return was to make certain that the rest of Net Literacy’s Executive Student Board was aware of the results of our trip. In accordance with the way things work at Net Literacy, our Student Executive Board contributed to this blog and we collectively wrote it. It’s the wiki-management way that Net Literacy’s student volunteers work together. The second thing that we did is to more fully complete all of the programs that we offer on the Indiana Afterschool Network’s website – as high school and college students, we didn’t fully appreciate how the Afterschool Alliance is impacting us. But it’s not enough for organizations – especially student empowered organizations – not to be social activists, agents of change, and part of the solution. We can’t ask organizations like the Afterschool Alliance to bare all of the responsibilities of lobbying for us. Local nonprofits have to become cognizant and engaged in the awareness campaign ourselves.

Net Literacy is about student engagement and student empowerment – so we brainstormed how we could make a difference to support Afterschool programs beyond the scope of Net Literacy. Our Executive Student Board decided to submit a grant to America’s Promise that will provide a website of “best after school activity practices” that students (educators, and nonprofits) can suggest to make our daily academics more like an afterschool activity.

Respectfully submitted,

David Johnson and the Net Literacy Student Executive Board

Bright House Networks Recognized by Hendricks County Commissioners for Increasing Computer Access

Duo teams up to make donation to shelter

Published: February 26, 2010 03:00 pm

Duo teams up to make donation to shelter

By Ryan Palencer

DANVILLE — While Sheltering Wings is bursting at the seams with residents, Bright House Networks and Net Literacy of Indiana teamed up to offer the shelter a donation of computers.

“With the increase of our women, we need more computers,” said Maria Larrison, CEO of Sheltering Wings. “With the increase in numbers of our children, we only have one computer back there (for the teens). This will help us put one or two more back there so they can do homework, research, or whatever they need to do. We feel very blessed.”

Larrison learned about the opportunity when she was contacted by Don Kent, president of Net Literacy.

“Many years ago, there was a group of middle school students who decided they wanted to increase computer access and digital inclusion,” Kent said. “The first organization they approached was Bright House Networks. Bright House took a chance on kids, eighth-graders, who had passion. Ever since then, Bright House has supported us.”

Net Literacy is a student-run, all-volunteer, non-profit organization. In addition, students make up half of the board of directors. Bright House also has a manager on the board of directors to offer vision and guidance.

“Over the years, Bright House has provided enough funding that we’ve been able to create hundreds of computer labs and thousands and thousands of computers in Central Indiana,” Kent said.

One thing that Net Literacy and Bright House are known for is creating Internet safety videos and public service announcements.

Brooke Krodel, marketing communications supervisor for Bright House, said, “Being an Internet provider, one of our big pillars are the children. With net predators and all of that, it’s more important to educate them at a very early age on how to be safe on the Internet.”

Krodel said Bright House is pleased to assist local non-profit organizations.

“We look for worthwhile organizations in our service area who specifically are in need of computers to get net literacy,” he said.

Friday’s donation was part of a 45-computer donation to non-profit organizations in Hendricks County in the days and weeks to come. Due to that effort, the Hendricks County Commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday are scheduled to issue a proclamation naming Tuesday as “Bright House Networks Day” in Hendricks County. Representatives of each of the groups receiving donations are scheduled to be in attendance.

[email protected]

Bright House Networks Supports Net Literacy for a Fifth Year

Bright House Networks has agreed to support Net Literacy (www.netliteracy.org) for a fifth year, enabling Net Literacy’s digital literacy corps of student volunteers to offer its five core programs in five counties throughout Indiana.   The Net Literacy – Bright House Networks has increased computer access to tens of thousands of non-adopters during their partnership together, and will be providing 36 computers to six Hendricks County nonprofits in January.

For the third year, Bright House will also support Net Literacy’s Internet safety PSA program (www.safeconnects.org) by providing a substantial number of advertising avails in its franchised areas.  Over 100,000 individuals have viewed Net Literacy’s Internet safety PSAs, helping to make the Internet a more friendly and comfortable place for everyone.  Bright House Networks will also fund the production of five additional PSAs. 

For additional information, please contact [email protected].