AFN Right Click News                                                                              MARCH 2016
Empowerment Through Technology

Greetings from the Executive Director


March has been a busy month for Austin Free-Net and we are excited to share with you all of our great news!  Foremost, we are thrilled to announce that were awarded a City of Austin Grant for Technology Opportunities for our Getting It Done program at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH). We are elated to continue our work with the ARCH and offer a new component to the program-Adult Basic Education. The one year program is targeted to start in July.

We also started a new partnership with Easter Seals Central Texas offering digital literacy services for people with disabilities.

This month, we would also like to thank our neighbors Austin Public for producing a free Public Service Announcement about AFN that was broadcast during Amplify Austin on March 6. Check it out here and share the link.
 
As we head into Spring, we are eager to share with you many of the digital literacy program seeds we planted in the Fall. Remember to keep connected and support AFN as an advocate, volunteer or donor.


Sincerely,
Juanita Budd
 

Program News
New Techno-Women Program

AFN is excited to announce that we launched our new Techno-Women program on March 7, 2015!
   
Eleven women received a $7,500 scholarship to participate in the program that will educate and certify students in COMP TIA A+ and COMPTIA Network+ Cerfications. The 34 week program will include an internship with AFN's technical services department and conclude with a career fair for students in August. Funding for the Techno-Women program was provided by the Mitte Foundation, Shields Ayers Foundation, Google Fiber and the City of Austin.

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Thank You Amplify Donors

Thanks to the generous spirit of our donors, $3,700 was raised during the 24-hour online fundraising event March 8-9, 2016. This year we also had an opportunity to meet our enthusiastic supporters and volunteers at our festive Open House on the first night of the fundraiser. We want to thank everyone that helped make this year's event a success.
 
AFN ED greeting guests at first Digital Bytes.
Don't Miss a Byte
 
Save the date for April 21, 2016, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM. We invite you to our second byte of technology information and lunch. In November, we launched our new digital inclusion speaker series, Digital Bytes. The focus of April's discussion is "Corporate B roadband Adoption programs and Digital Literacy programs." As of today, our panelists include speakers from Google Fiber and AT&T. 

COA and Partners to Host first ever Digital Inclusion Day

On May 13, Austin Free-Net, Skillpoint Alliance, Austin Community College and the City of Austin are teaming up to host the city's first-ever Digital Inclusion Day. To celebrate we'll be hosting a Digital Resource Fair at ACC's Highland Campus from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm. The event is not only an opportunity to celebrate the city's ongoing efforts to close the Digital Divide, but also an opportunity to inspire people to do more with technology and improve their own technical skills. Mark your calendar. More exciting information coming soon. 
 
AFN Out and About

Unlocking the Connection Proclamation

On February 25, the Mayor of Austin awarded the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) a proclamation for its work in digital inclusion. The "Unlocking The Connection" program serves as a national model for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Housing of Urban Development (HUD) in the White House Initiative called Connect Homes.  Each of the founding partners received an award. Pictured, left to right:  Mayor Steve Adler; Parisa Fatehi-Weeks-Community Impact Manager, Google Fiber; John Speirs- Digital Inclusion Coordinator, City of Austin; Sylvia Blanco- Executive Vice President, HACA; Molly Beth Malcolm- Special Assistant to the President/CEO, Austin Community College; Catherine Crago-Strategic Initiatives and Resource Development, HACA; Rondella Hawkins- Officer, Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs, City of Austin; Juanita Budd- Executive Director, Austin Free-Net.
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In This Issue
We Need YOU
You are already a vital part of the AFN family and play a huge role in breaking down digital barriers in our community. But there are still 55,000 households in Austin that are under-connected and we want to let them know about our resources and how they can get online. That's where you come in!
 
We are seeking volunteers for a door-to-door outreach effort in East Austin. Volunteers will talk with residents about the importance of being connected to the Internet and about free computer training available to them at public labs and libraries. On April 23, City Council Member Ora Houston will join us as we visit with people in her district. 


  Volunteer Dates
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Thank you to our 2015-2016 Supporters & Partners






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Austin TX 78702/   512-236-8225