Frequently Asked Questions

What is a community technology initiative?
A community technology initiative is a locally-based, locally-driven effort to use technology to improve a neighborhood, town, city, or other geographic community. Community technology initiatives improve their communities in many ways, including:

• By providing technology access to community members who can't afford home computers or home internet service. Browse these directories to see examples of how Community Technology Centers and public libraries provide technology access.

• By providing training and instruction to community members and students. The Community Connector collects training and instruction resources to help organizations teach people how to use technology. For instructors at the university level, the Community Connector collects curriculum ideas for integrating technology, community service, and community information into students' education.

• By hosting technology-related activities that build community and showcase the benefits of technology to the community. These can include job-training workshops, conferences, or picnics organized through neighborhood email lists! To learn why community-building activities are important, check out our Reading Room articles on social capital and community involvement.

• By using the internet to provide community information or information that helps people meet their everyday information needs (Examples: local job listings, resources for local activists, etc.). If you are building a website for your community, here are some good sites you can link to, or where you can find information to pass on. And here are best practices: good examples of what's available in other communities.

 

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