Class I

Approximately twelve years ago I became morally connected to the recyclable conditions inner-city youth were facing daily and as they progress towards their future, such as poverty, crime, drugs, teen pregnancy, poor education, or generally, things that created unhealthy lifestyles and relationships. At that time I was convinced the greatest spiritual, social and educational reward was to invest in young people lives in hopes to bring a positive change in their lifestyle and create leadership. Through my eagerness to make a change, I learned the sincerity of the Old African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child... a community... a leader... policies, etc." It's important for community leaders, directors and members to learn the art of networking and working together to support the mission of the community for the betterment of the people it serves.

After graduating from San Diego State University, I made Kids' Copy and Tubman-Chavez Multi-Cultural center a mission and a reality.

Since the inception in 1993, Kids' Copy has been successfully providing youth 11-18 employment opportunities and leadership skills to become economically independent. We formed partnerships with local businesses and skilled professionals who serve as mentors and provide internships at their professional work sites. Kids' Copy is not only a school-to-career program but prepares inner-city youth for future career goals and fosters youth entrepreneurial development. Kids' Copy teaching methods provides opportunities for youth to change their negative environment to positive outcomes. The program includes constructive and ongoing evaluation of skills, content and changes in students' performances.

I'm excited to be granted an opportunity to participate in the Zero Divide Fellows. I believe this experience will allow me to network and meet exciting innovative people.

Micheline Wilcoxen was born in Los Angeles during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Her parents were a bi-racial couple that had migrated to Los Angeles. Her mother came to Los Angeles from Canada and her father grew up in Canton, Ohio. She is the eldest of fraternal twins -- the other twin being a brother. The twins and their younger brother lived in the Los Angeles area during their early years.

When she was five years old, Micheline's family moved to San Bernardino, California. She and her brothers grew up in a primarily rural area just outside of the city. As young girl, she was always concerned about community and people less fortunate than her. Even as a young girl, she helped students with physical disabilities in her elementary school. As she moved on to middle and high school, Micheline become concerned over the injustices faced people of color. She began to read about and study the accomplishments of African-Americans in the United States.

Though frustrated with the educational system, she worked hard to earn her high school credits. Her efforts included volunteering at a local elementary school, going to community college, and attending school during the day. She graduated from high school at the age of 16, with a number of awards.

At eighteen, Micheline married. In addition, at this time her husband enlisted in the United States Navy. At nineteen, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter, and by the age of 20 a son was born -- Gabriel. Four months after his birth, Gabriel died due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This life-changing event lead to Micheline to become involved in a SIDS parent support group, where she worked with other parents who had lost children to SIDS. As the wife of a serviceman, she lived in other areas of the country over the next few years. Even as she relocated and with a growing family, Micheline continued volunteering for a variety non-profit organizations that worked within the communities were she resided, including Navy Relief, Girls Scouts, and Little League. During this time, she had also given birth to three more daughters.

Shortly after the birth of their youngest daughter, she and her husband were separated. At that time, Micheline enrolled Grossmont Community College in San Diego, California; She graduated with honors with an Associate of Science Degree in Computer Science Information Systems, focusing on Programming. While attending Grossmont she worked in the student computer lab, was a member of Honor Society, the Black Student Union, and she was member of Grossmont's Speech and Debate Team.

From San Diego, Micheline and her daughters moved to Ontario, California where she continued her course work at Mount San Antonio College. While at Mt SAC, she became a member of their Speech and Debate Team and earned a Silver Medal for Competing at the state level, and a bronze medal for competition at the on the national level. During her year of studies at Mt. SAC, she worked in a computer lab that serviced the needs of students with disabilities.

Once her course was completed at the community college level she then enrolled in Cal Poly Pomona continuing to major in Computer Information Systems. Where there, she was actively involved in the African-American Student Center and the Management Information Systems Student Association. While attending Cal Poly Pomona, Micheline was offered a position at Break Away Technologies. This led her to move to Los Angeles, where is she purchased a home has since become an active Angeleno.

Over the last few years, she has been very active in Los Angeles, volunteering her services to a variety of community groups, churches and political campaigns. This has included providing computer support services to Jefferson Park Improvement Project, Inc and Trinity Baptist Church. She has advised and provided IT support for Nate Holden's 10th Council District and 32nd Congressional District campaigns.

Currently, Micheline is a volunteer computer instructor for FSS-Project T.E.C.H., a community technology program and the Tom Bradley Youth and Community Center. She is a founding member of the Community Technology Organizing Consortium (CTOC) and currently serves as Chairperson of CTOC's Planning Committee.

Micheline played an instrumental in the establishment of the Computers In Our Future Project and the Business and Community Resource Center at Break Away Technologies, serving as the Program Manager. In addition, while employed at Break Away Technologies, she coordinated the Technology Village at the African Market Place for two years. She has also served as a consultant for American Connects Consortium.

In Feb 2000, Micheline earned her vocational education teaching credential and taught for 1-½ years at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. At Dorsey, Micheline was responsible for setting up the school library's computer lab and worked with the LA COPS after-school program. While at Dorsey, Micheline also became a certified Cisco Networking instructor and taught several high school technology classes. In Sept. 2000, Micheline she began teaching at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Where she continues to teach college level course in the evening for Trade Tech and at various community locations.

Presently, Micheline works for Community Development Technologies in Los Angeles, where she is the Director of Technology. Her current projects at CD include setting up an IT Training Collaborative in the South Los Angeles Area, with other Community Groups. She has developed a Technology Plan for the CDTech and a technology plan for CDTech's much-anticipated Techlink a future Community Technology Center. Ms. Wilcoxen also assisted CDTech with a research project on IT entry-level positions in the entertainment industry. She has worked diligently to get classes from the Community Planning Economic Department and the Mortgage Finance Department at Los Angeles Trade available on the Internet. She also is actively involved with State and Local policy issues surrounding community technology.

Twenty years ago, my father encouraged me to study computers when I went off to college. It was "going to be the future", he said. Little did I know how prophetic that statement would become. In an attempt to follow my father's advice, I entered the University as a declared Computer Science major. Unfortunately, I had never seen a computer in my life and it took me over two hours to log onto the first computer I encountered. My experience was a prime example of what people now call the digital divide. I went on to become a student computer consultant at the University helping others like myself overcome their fear and misunderstandings about computers. Although I have since focused my energy on other areas of professional development, the field of technology and the existence of the digital divide always seem to reemerge.

I worked for the Community Resource Project, Inc. My job title was Director of Economic Development and Information Technology. Job duties included outreach into the local community, private sector and the Legislature. Another aspect of my job included implementing the company's technology strategy. This included overseeing all technology operations, subcontractors, support staff and formulating long-term technology strategies for the company.

Prior to Community Resource Project, my work experience included being the Executive Director of a statewide nonprofit agency and a senior policy consultant in the State Senate. A portion of my time in the State Senate included serving as Senior Education Consultant to then President Pro Tem David Roberti. I advised the Senator on all education policy issues to include, the state's budget negotiations. Prior to working in the Capitol, I was a policy analyst for the California School Board Association. My reports included: Proposition 13 Revisited; Achieving The National Education Goals In California; The School Voucher Analysis; and Cutting Through the Red Tape: Meeting the Needs of California's Children.

My story follows a similar plot as in the movie Paying It Forward, where a young boy responds to his teacher's assignment, "Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action." The boy's project was simple: "You see, I do something real good for three people."

Davis Park is the program director of the DISKovery Center, a community computer learning center which is a project of the Little Tokyo Service Center CDC in Downtown Los Angeles. The DISKovery Center provides computer skills training which includes a variety of programming for older adults, and offers classes taught by both English and Japanese speaking instructors.

With a Masters of Arts in urban planning and community economic development, Davis is a technology educator and activist. Over the last several years, he has been involved in computer-based learning and access programs for residents of low-income housing communities, and has recently been working to help build the capacities among other Los Angeles CTCs.

Before directing the DISKovery Center, Davis worked for the Lowell Telecommunications Corporation and the New England Community Technology Consulting Group in Massachusetts. Davis managed a basic/intermediate skills program for a multi-generation, multi-cultural housing community under a HUD Safe Neighborhoods initiative, and provided computer-based training for afterschool programs, classes for seniors, and individuals on transitional assistance.

As a native resident of Los Angeles, Davis scorned East Coast winters and its hell's kitchen summers. He decided to return to milder weather conditions and get involved in helping to organize the
region's community technology centers. Upon returning, Davis began working at the DISKovery Center, and has also been helping to develop technology-based organizing capacities in the Los Angeles area. He is a co-founder of the Community Technology Organizing Consortium, and has helped form the Asian Pacific Islander Community Technology Collaborative, a group of nonprofit
technology access providers serving low-income Asian and Pacific Islander populations.

I am a native Californian and have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area most of my life. Since 1968, I have been involved in the social change movement having been involved in the youth movement, the peace movement and the trade union movement. I am a published author in the anthology The Cold War Against Labor. Last May, I graduated cum laude from California State University, Sacramento with a BA degree in Government. I plan to earn a Masters in Political Science in order to teach at either the community college or state university level. From 1988-1992, I served as a Council member/Mayor in San Pablo, California. Since May 1995, I have worked for EAH, Inc., a nonprofit housing developer as the Family Services Coordinator at the Multi-cultural Family Resource Center. I am the founder of the Crescent Park community technology center in Richmond, California that is affiliated with PowerUP, HUD's Neighborhood Networks, CTCNet and the U. S. Department of Education. I participated in a six-month training seminar for minority consultants under the auspices of the National
Community Development Institute. I have more than 17 years experience in the nonprofit sector. I have served on the Richmond Workforce Investment Board for nearly five years.

Rebecca, a long time East Palo Alto community member, has been been active in technology through business, education and community activities. Rebecca's 15 year career started at Raychem where she was first introduced to her passion for technology. After Raychem, she went to LSI Logic where she was a supervisor for developing international training materials - gathering knowledge from engineers and turning it into training materials for LSI Logic employees and customers.

After LSI Logic, she started her own business in San Francisco called Compuclerical and launch her career in academia when she worked for Cal State University Monterrey Bay in Technology, Communications, and Science. Since then she has been active in East Palo Alto working for a variety of organizations including Plugged In, OICW, and RISE as a teacher, trainer, technology coordinator and activist working to make technology accessible to her community.

Paul Lamb is a founder and Executive Director of Street Tech (www.streettech.org), a nonprofit program providing professional computer training and job placement for at-risk and underserved adults in the San Francisco Bay Area. Street Tech is a winner of the 2002 California Technology & Innovation Award. Paul is a board member and founding partner of the Bay Area Technology and Education Collaborative (Bay TEC). He is the former Director of Youth Services at the International Institute of the East Bay, where he developed and implemented school and community-based outreach programs for at-risk and gang youth. Paul has developed numerous youth mentorship programs in California, and was instrumental in founding of the Community in Peace (CIP) partnership and the East Bay Links Neighborhood (EBNL) collaborative- both in the San Francisco Bay Area. Paul also has a background in international business and affairs, having served as Director of Programs and Executive Director of the China Business Forum at the US-China Business Council in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Earlham College, In Richmond, Indiana (B.A. political science -1986), The Johns Hopkins-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China (1990), and the University of California, San Diego's Graduate
School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (MPIA - 1995).

"Equal Access"

I struggled with the place to start this story because so much has happened to me and to my family. I am an ambitious women with a good education and yet I found myself homeless with 4 children, unable to access basic services for lack of a telephone and an address. My children and I were denied education because we didn't meet criteria for enrolling in local schools and job training programs. The legislative climate in California for AFDC/TANF recipients was deplorable with demands on single parents to give up the care of their children to daycare facilities, taking minimum wage positions in order to continue receiving benefits that barely covered basic needs of food, shelter and medical care.

My life has run the gamut, from being homeless on the streets of Santa Cruz, to working for minimum wage in response to the Welfare to Work legislation, from working with ALL the local agencies that provide access to housing, food, education and job skills training, to going to school full-time and working part-time while raising my family, and finally to basic self-sufficiency. I was blessed to keep my family intact while being asked to perform all the duties required by the agencies that helped us to self sufficiency.

This is History. Now Fast Forward.

The first time I met Grandma Sue I was living in Beach Flats in Santa Cruz CA. I was struggling to make ends meet with 4 children on welfare and she offered us a bag of food with a little wisdom. "Take good care of your children and make sure you take good care of yourself." Through her guidance I was able to become self-sufficient and bring myself and family out of the circumstances that so many families find themselves in here in California. I was able to write a grant and host the Blaine Street Kids Club and Parent Co-op in response to unmet needs in the community for children and parents. Today I am an Advisory Board Member at Grandma Sue's Community Project providing assistance to working people desiring to acheive self-sufficiency.

The first time I saw a personal computer was in the back of a small grocery store in Houston. It was in a little ante room and I asked permission to use it after work. I was 40 years old and had never used or even seen a personal computer. Today I am employed by the University of California, Santa Cruz as a Payroll/Personnal Coordinator. I have been trained to use PC's and MAC's and work in any one of a number of systems that need special access and training. I am also self-employed with a small dot.com business run from my home. My children are typical techno savvy young adults in highschool using technology in their everyday lives at school and home.

My personal and professional goals are intrinsicly woven into the fabric of my story, my family and my community. My passion and commitment are focused into assisting people provide basic neccessities for their families, attain any educational goals they may have and I believe that accessing technology is a key component in acheiving sustainable success.

It is an honor and priveledge to join The Community Technology Foundation of California in the Zero-Divide Fellowship.

Jenny is the Community Relations Officer for Citibank (West), F.S.B. Her main responsibility is to create strategic partnerships with groups in the Central Valley that will serve to build the economic base of the community. Jenny joined Citibank after having served as the Executive Director of the Congress of California Seniors Education & Research Fund, a statewide organization dedicated to assisting seniors with issues of healthcare, affordable prescription drugs, housing, transportation, technology and consumer protection.

Prior to her position with the Congress of California Seniors Education and Research Fund, she served as Academy Fellow at the Greenlining Institute where she focused on energy, telecommunications, and the digital divide. She has also served as a trial assistant to the law offices of Kazan, McClain, Edises, Fernandez, Lyons & Farrise in Oakland, California and as a Legislative Assistant to Assembly Member Marco Antonio Firebaugh.

Jenny is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.