News and announcements
The Broadband Access Project ends, its work to be continued by Community Partners
December 31, 2012 marks the end of the Broadband Access Project (BAP), a project funded by a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (Award #27-42 B10003) with matching support of $741,000 from the University of Minnesota and community partners. Our community partners and staff members are preparing to continue this work in a variety of ways. Please continue to check our website, www.bap.umn.edu for updates. A final BAP Update will come out the first week of January with more information.
Access Makes the Difference
Her apprenticeship may have ended, but the skills Anisha Sapho gained as an apprentice with the Broadband Access Project have opened a whole new world of possibilities.
Anisha Sapho didn’t know much about the Broadband Access Project (BAP), or even computers, when she attended the grand opening of the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) in the summer of 2010. But she went anyway on the advice of Wilson Maceno, who thought there might be some interesting job opportunities for her with BAP, a $3.6-million UROC initiative to make broadband access and computer skills more accessible to underserved urban communities.
A World of Possibilities
As a Broadband Access Project apprentice, Robbin McLaurin helped new computer users discover things they didn’t even know they were missing.
Improved Training Schedule!
In response to community feedback, we are paring down our trainings and offering trainings on a consistent schedule. However, we are still interested in providing free, customized trainings to community members, non-profit groups, and small business owners and staff. If you or anyone you know are interested in scheduling a customized training, please contact Cheryl Vanacora at vana0043@umn.edu.
Job Clubs will begin in June and will offer the following 60-minute trainings—Fundamentals of Typing, Gmail Basics, Using a Mouse/Computer Basics, and Internet Job Search. Job clubs will be facilitated at all interested sites and facilitated by apprentice staff.
Broadband Access Project featured in Southside Pride
Southside Pride's Boa Lee writes about the Broadband Access Project’s collaboration with Sabathani’s Horizon Youth Program (HYP) to provide computer training for high school youth last summer. Read the full story:
University-Sabathani partnership teaches teens job and computer skills. Southside Pride, 11 October 2011
Another BAP lab user finds work
“Tamekia showed me how to better myself.”
That’s what one community resident said about Lifetrack Resources’ Broadband Access Project staff member recently.
Patricia came to Lifetrack’s BAP computer lab because she was unemployed, losing her home and unable to provide food or shelter for herself. She quickly found personalized, one-on-one help. She learned how to look for jobs online, improve her resume, identify what to wear in an interview and even got to practice answering interview questions.
Patricia chose the BAP lab because it offered invidualized help and a quiet atmosphere, where she didn’t have to worry about being booted off after an hour.