Technology For All is a nonprofit organization based in
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Developed in 1997 by local entrepreneurs, Technology For All services community-based organizations (such as development centers, YMCAs, and local schools) with computer technology, training, and other digital incentives “to empower under-resourced communities through the tools of technology.” Through the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is a bureau of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the president's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' ec ...
's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant, Technology For All (TFA) currently hosts 19 public computer centers.
History
Technology For All was formed in 1997 as a response to a perceived lack of digital inclusion for historically low-income areas. In 1998, it received M.D Anderson Foundation's first $50,000 grant to help build a
community technology center
A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...
at the M.D. Anderson
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
. According to their website, TFA has created 180 community technology centers in the United States since its inception, all partnered with community-serving organizations.
When the Reliant Astrodome sheltered
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
refugees in 2005, TFA coordinated a lab with 40 computers and other free supplies.
Community development
Technology For All divides its goals into three priorities: community technology center support and development, technology research and innovation, and technology services.
TFA-Wireless
TFA and
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres.
Rice University comp ...
operate the TFA-Wireless project, which provides free high-speed wireless Internet to Pecan Park, Houston. In 2011, they installed the first residential deployment of Super Wi-Fi, which uses longer wavelengths to penetrate typical wireless barriers.
Texas Connects Coalition
Texas Connects Coalition (TXC2) is a partnership between TFA, Austin FreeNet (AFN), and the Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN). It was recently awarded a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant valued at over nine million dollars. The grant is provided by the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is a bureau of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the president's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' ec ...
and funded by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a Stimulus (economics), stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed ...
. The coalition is summarized as a “comprehensive … initiative significantly expanding broadband public computer center capacity ... across Texas.” With the grant, TXC2 plans to install and maintain 70 public computer centers throughout
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
,
San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, and the Brazos Valley to "provide computer access, technical support, digital literacy, workforce development and other services to low-income and vulnerable populations."
Public computer centers
Through the BTOP grant, TFA aims to extend its network of public computer centers to 19. Each lab is partnered with organizations in historically underprivileged neighborhoods, such as Eastside University Village Community Learning Center in Third Ward and the Spring Branch Family Development Center. Each center provides public computers, printers, and Internet access, plus a trainer to manage the center and teach various computer literacy courses.
According to their website, TFA operates open labs in these community spaces, located in the following super neighborhoods:
* Bethel's Place ( Westbury, Houston/ Brays Oaks)
* Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center (
Denver Harbor
Denver Harbor was an American alternative rock band, based in San Diego, California. The band was formed in 2002 by former Fenix TX members Will Salazar and Chris Lewis, along with F.O.N. members Aaron Rubin and Ilan Rubin. After self-releasing ...
Midtown, Houston
Midtown is a central neighborhood of Houston, located west-southwest of Downtown. Separated from Downtown by an elevated section of Interstate 45 (the Pierce Elevated), Midtown is characterized by a continuation of Downtown's square grid stre ...
)
* Settegast Heights Village ( Settegast, Houston)
* Sharpstown Learning Center (
Sharpstown, Houston
Sharpstown is a Planned community, master-planned community in the Southwest Management District (formerly Greater Sharpstown), Southwest Houston, Southwest Houston, Texas.Fairbanks, Houston)
TFA also has rural sites and sites in San Antonio which it manages under the name TFA-Rural Texas San Antonio (TFA-RTSA), listed on the TXC2 website url=http://txc2.org/?page_id=100 TXC2 is a coalition including TFA, TFA-RTSA and Austin FreeNet. The TFA-RTSA sites include:
* Albert Benavidez Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Bastrop Public Library
* Benavides Library
* Blanco Library
* Blinn A. W. Hodde Jr. Technical Education Center (Brenham)
* Bob and Jean Billa Community Initiatives Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library (Brenham)
* Brenham Workforce Office
* Bryan Public Library
* Bryan Workforce Center
* Spring Branch Library (Bulverde)
* Caldwell Workforce Center
* Centerville Workforce Center
* Columbia Heights Family Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Freer Library
* Johnson City Library
* Fayette County Library (La Grange)
* Dr. Eugene Clark Library (Lockhart)
* Lockhart Technology Center
* Madison County Library (Madisonville)
* Madisonville Workforce Center
* Margarita Huantes Family Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Navasota Library
* Navasota Workforce Center
* Larry J. Ringer Library (College Station)
* Robertson County Carnegie Library (Franklin)
* San Diego Library
* Smithville satellite office for Technology For all – Rural Texas and San Antonio
* Smithville Community Network (Smithville Recreation Center)
* Smith-Welch Library (Hearne)
* St. Mary’s Family Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Victor Farrari Family Learning Center (San Antonio)
* Ward Memorial Library (Centerville)
Community technology center
A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...
*
Computer literacy
Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with skill levels ranging from elementary use to computer programming and advanced problem solving. Computer literacy can also refer t ...
*
Web Accessibility
Web accessibility, or eAccessibility,European CommissionCommunication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: eAccessibility, EC(2005)1095 pu ...