Net Literacy

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.

Student leaders are needed to gather a team of students and present training throughout their community.

Establish a "Net Literacy-oriented" club at your high school - working with Net Literacy. Your school club should decide which community service program to initiate (see requirements for additional information).

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.

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 2006-2007 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.

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 2006-2007 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.

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.

Student leaders are needed to gather a team and adopt an independent living facility and teaching senior citizens computer and Internet skills.

Currently, we have more than 100 youth volunteers and during the beginning of the 2006-2007 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.