Peter Miller on what nonprofit organizations need to know about community technology centers

At the Tech Networks of Boston Roundtable on November 7^th, Peter Miller will be the featured guest, and the topic will be what nonprofit organizations need to know about community technology centers.  Third Sector New England will be playing cohost, and the session will be held at the Boston NonProfit Center.

If you’re wondering why you, as a nonprofit professional, need to know at all about community technology centers (CTCs), here are a few points to consider:

1) If your organization offers advocacy or direct services to the community, then it’s important to know that CTCs are powerful resources for your constituents.  They provide access to online tools and information, skills training, and a focal point for community members that are interested in bridging the digital divide.

2) Some CTCs are based in community access television organizations, and a key places for community members to learn about the overlap between online communications and other forms of media.

3) Some CTCs are based in libraries, and it’s clear that professional librarians can be powerful allies for nonprofits and their constituents.  Librarians understand about free access to information and about knowledge for the public good; they can bring their skills to bear in bridging not only the digital divide but the knowledge divide.

4) Some CTCs are based in housing developed by community development corporations.  They can be crucial in assisting residents with online education, with finding and applying for jobs, and with online organizing for local needs.

5) CTCs can help your nonprofit with its internal professional development needs, if they are offering courses or certification in software or hardware skills that are crucial to your operations.

In general, the worldwide community technology movement is a power for social good, and you should at least be briefed on what it’s all about!

Tagged: advocacy, analysis, boston nonprofit center, community access, community development corporation, community informatics, community technology, community technology center, constituents, ctc, ctcnet, digital divide, digital inclusion, direct services, knowledge divide, librarian, librarianship, nonprofit, nonprofit center, nonprofit informatics, nonprofit technology, nptech, peter miller, professional development, public access, roundtable, stakeholders, tech networks of boston, technology, third sector new england, workforce development