Since you already know that ZeroDivide was awarded Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) funding last week for our Generation ZD Digital Literacy Program, it's time to talk about the seven great organizations we are partnering with in this effort.  Let's build in a little western states geography lesson as well and start from Hawaii, cross the ocean to the Pacific Northwest, go southbound, and then move slightly eastward. 

Akaku is a community access television station nestled on the island of Maui in the middle of the Pacific.  With funding for sustainable broadband adoption, it will create a systematic program that raises the awareness of broadband technology through a variety of media including television, radio, internet and face-to-face on-site media training.  Akaku will employ the methodologies of webstreaming, video-on-demand and media education to bring technology and broadband literacy to rural and underserved residents of the three islands of Maui County.

Reel Grrls, which operates out of Seattle, Washington, is the first all-girl, year-round media training program in the US.  Their participants don't just drop into a computer lab after school - they develop lasting relationships with filmmakers over time and learn skills that propel them on to leadership roles in their communities as well as college degrees and careers in the media industry.  Through the SCALE UP Initiative, young women on probation, in foster care, and in low income neighborhoods gain confidence, voice, and technical skills by working with adult mentors and producing videos that are showcased in their communities.

Portland Community Media, based in Portland, Oregon, operates a very popular introductory Youth Media Program that reaches youth ages 14 - 18.  Program trainers utilize curriculum that helps participants develop a passion for technology and leads to improved study habits, critical thinking, problem-solving, and team-building skills.  Furthermore, participants learn to produce projects that air on cable channels managed by Portland Community Media.  The introductory program also serves as a precursor for teens who wish to participate in the organization's career development and job readiness program.

Digital Redwoods - Pathways is a community broadband media access project to develop sustainable training, skill-sharing and workforce development services for the North Coast region of California.  Access Humboldt, located in Eureka, will manage the project building upon existing collaborations with local community anchors and with broadband media access colleagues across the nation.  Access Humboldt's new Community Media Center at Eureka High School will serve as the base and network hub for distributed service delivery to a variety of anchor sites across Humboldt County, California.  

Community Media Access Partnership (CMAP), located in Gilroy, California, provides free and low-cost media literacy, multimedia storytelling, technology and video production trainings to local residents, youth, nonprofits, and the education community.  It airs local media programs on its cable channels for public, educational and government access, in community screenings, and online.  Last year, CMAP launched a new initiative to increase its youth media partnerships and education training progams.  Through digital media content creation and Internet literacy programs in six local schools and with community partners, CMAP will increase its existing programs that provide broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment, and support to community anchor institutions, job-creating strategy facilities, and vulnerable populations.

Spy Hop Productions, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, is widely recognized as one of the leading youth media arts education centers in the country and acknowledged by the Sundance Institute as setting the standard for media arts learning across the nation.  Spy Hop is committed to providing safe after-school and summer time mentoring programs for diverse youth (K - 12) in emerging digital technologies and the media arts; developing 21st century skills in youth: community and global awareness, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and media literacy; promoting positive youth development through individuality, leadership, creativity and intellectual curiosity; and increasing higher education and/or vocational opportunities.

The Computer Clubhouse, implemented at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe in 2002, was the first Clubhouse to be established in New Mexico.  With a start-of the-art facility for its Computer Clubhouse, plus a separate sound studio with a computer for recording, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe provides lower-income, at-risk young people ages 6 - 18 with access to broadband technology, hardware, interactive software, and mentors and teachers to increase their knowledge about technology and its importance in schoolwork and future career choices. 

The Alliance for Technology Access will support all these organizations in their disability accessibility work.  So, you can see why ZeroDivide is so excited about working with our Generation ZD Digital Literacy Program partners!