2006 Awards

To use technology to conduct youth media education and increase young people's sophistication and expertise in creating culturally relevant, multimedia messages about issues of concern to youth, including building awareness on common false or misleading advertising and marketing campaigns that target youth. This project will be conducted in partnership with media organizations, the California Public Utilities Commission, and youth organizations that serve a diverse population, including youth with disabilities.

To create economic and civic participation opportunities and develop the leadership skills for low-income women through the creation of radio documentaries that highlight local issues that affect women and girls-of-color in the Bay Area.

To support using digital media and vocational art to provide Los Angeles youth a means of artistic expression and economic gain.

The Tulare County Office of Education/Services for Employment and Education (SEE) Ticket to Work program will enhance its training program and take it online using Web 2.0 technologies, thus enabling SEE to maintain its support of its EN cohort that they have physically trained, as well as reach out to other ENs that they cannot train in person. This grant is divided into two tiers (although occurring in parallel program implementation): Tier 1: Development of the Ticket ENhancement program. Tier 2: Taking Ticket ENhancement online.

To conduct research to explore the feasibility and potential impact of using existing and planned wireless (Wi-Fi) networks on colleges and universities in California to provide broadband services to adjacent low-income and underserved neighborhoods.

To sustain and enhance the Tech Tales digital storytelling program by removing barriers to digital media as a tool for social engagement and creative academic development for underserved middle-school youth in low performing, technology-poor San Francisco schools.

To support the convening of a public consensus conference in October 2006 that will educate and empower a panel of diverse Silicon Valley community members to formulate policy recommendations for municipal broadband in California and help strengthen community voices in the state's broadband policy debates.

To use mobile and Internet technology to gather stories and provide critical connections between homeless youth and the agencies, political leaders, and individuals who have the power to respond to their needs.

Reel Voices is a 15-week incentive based summer internship for high school students. The program encourages teenagers to reflect on their identity, community and sphere of influence via the process of creating their own short documentary. Interns meet regularly, attend lectures, and are assisted throughout the internship by API mentors working in the film and television industry. Upon completion of their own documentary, students receive a $500 scholarship. Their movies are showcased at the annual SDAFF film festival in October and released on DVD.

To launch a Digital Inclusion Project with the goals of demonstrating the community benefits of broadband access to an underserved community in Sacramento by developing a training and educational program that will increase the technology literacy of local residents; and continuing to play a leadership and advocacy role with the city to persuade the city to use its resources to ensure ubiquitous technology access for its poorer residents.