2011 Digital Inclusion Forum

Thursday, November 3, 2011

AGENDA & PROGRAM

Tom Cytron-Hysom works as an independent consultant, specializing in Adult Basic Education, digital literacy, distance learning, and related areas. Current work includes managing the North Star Digital Literacy/Core Computer Standards project, facilitating the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium, consulting with the Minnesota Adult Basic Education Distance Learning Project, and serving as state coordinator for a federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant built around the Learner Web program. He has a Master's in Organizational Leadership from the University of St. Catherine's, and is a licensed social worker.

Sarah Koschinska has led PPL’s digital inclusion efforts that integrate technology into employment training, supportive housing and youth development programs and started an organization-wide Tech Direct Team. Sarah was one of the founders of TLC, manages a U of M BAP lab, supervised CTEP AmeriCorps members and served as a member of the City of Minneapolis Digital Inclusion Task Force.

Alice Neve received her Master’s Degree in Library Science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  Since then she has worked as a Public Library Branch Manager, School Librarian, Youth Services Coordinator, Outreach Services Supervisor and Public Service Manager in Omaha, in rural southwest Minnesota schools, and at Saint Paul Public Library for over 30 years.  Alice is an active member of the American Library Association and serves on the Legislation Committee of the Association of Library Service to Children.  Currently she chairs the Metropolitan Library Service Agency’s Jobs and Small Business Task Force and manages 6 branch libraries.

James Nicholson supervised and taught at Minneapolis Public Library's first two public technology centers, is a former member of Community Computer Access Network, one of the founding members of the Technology Literacy Collaborative and currently serves on the Minneapolis Foundation’s Digital Inclusion Fund Advisory Board.

Kara Schommer has dedicated her professional career to working with immigrant, refugee and low-income communities with a focus on increasing access to education, technology/digital literacy and college. Kara earned her B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota.  She has over ten years of experience in Education and Language-Learning environments, including seven years at Neighborhood House. Kara is the current chair of the St Paul Community Literacy Consortium (SPCLC), of which Neighborhood House Adult Education is a member. She serves on the Executive Committee for the Technology Literacy Collaborative (TLC) and co-chairs the TLC Professional Development Committee. Kara is also a Leadership Saint Paul graduate from the Class of 2011. Under Kara’s leadership, the Neighborhood House Adult Education program was named the 2011 PEGASUS Award winner - the ‘best of the best’ in Adult Basic Education programs based in Community Based Organizations in Minnesota. Kara is a featured presenter in Neighborhood House’s Cultural Proficiency Workshop series, speaking and teaching on Working with Immigrants and Refugees: A Practitioner’s Perspective. She is sharing her expertise by providing a foundation of awareness and successful strategies when working with immigrants and refugees to other community members, businesses and other providers.  Kara loves reading, knitting scarves and shawls and is happily exploring meditation.

Catherine Settanni is founder of the Digital Access Project, The Community Technology Empowerment Project ("CTEP AmeriCorps"), the Community Computer Access Network (C-CAN) and Wireless Minneapolis. These Minnesota-based projects address digital inclusion through support of community-based technology initiatives, resource mapping, and facilitation of public-private partnerships that address technology use in underserved communities.

Terri Thao is a program officer at Nexus Community Partners, a community building intermediary where she covers the South Minneapolis area (ranging north-south from Franklin Avenue to 38th Street) and works on a number of projects.  Terri is an active community volunteer, serving on several local boards including Neighborhood House, the Asian Pacific Endowment at the St. Paul Foundation, the Asian Economic Development Association and the City of St. Paul’s Planning Commission.  She has a B.A. International Relations and Russian and a Master of Public Policy, both obtained from the University of Minnesota.

Mary Ann Van Cura serves as Library Development and Continuing Education Coordinator for State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education. Before being hooked by digital inclusion issues, Van Cura gained technology and database management skills on the job while serving for many years as law librarian within law school libraries. She assumed everyone had the opportunity to gain computer and search skills on the job and had access to the Internet. After observing the skills of visitors to public libraries across the city of Minneapolis, and training residents from varied socio-economic backgrounds, she changed her assumptions. Van Cura works to increase public awareness of the importance of public technology training and access for the activities of daily living – for business and economic development, education, e-government and civic engagement, employment and workforce development, and entertainment. She is a founding and active member of the local Technology Literacy Collaborative.

Thank you to the 2011 Digital Inclusion Forum Sponsoring Organizations:

• Technology Literacy Collaborative, Organizing sponsor

• City of Minneapolis

• Division of State Library Services of the Minnesota Department of Education

• Lifetrack Resources

• Neighborhood House

• Nexus Community Partners

• Pillsbury United Communities

• Project for Pride in Living  

• St. Paul Neighborhood Network

Special Thanks to the 2011 Digital Inclusion Forum Planning Committee & Event Volunteers:

• Elise Ebhardt

• Judee Ferguson

• Lynette LaFontaine

• Rob Masen

• John Richard

• Laura Schwartz

• Terri Thao

• Mary Ann Van Cura