DigitalESL Collaborative

Mission of the DigitalESL Collaborative

The DigitalESL Collaborative sees digital technology as a means for empowering all East St. Louis metro area residents to build and sustain a healthy, livable community. We see a team of technology-savvy people who are well connected to each other and to different kinds of opportunities in the region and around the world. Through technology, all citizens will have easy access to learning opportunities, economic opportunities, and resources for better living. Information technology will become part of daily life and expand peoples’ thinking and their awareness of these possibilities.

Contact

To join the DigitalESL Collaborative or for more information, contact: Cathy Klump at the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center, 348R Collinsville Avenue, East St. Louis, IL 618-271-9605

Digital ESL Collaborative Sites and Photographs

Background of the DigitalESL Collaborative:

The DigitalESL Collaborative was formed in October, 2000. There are a number of exciting technology related efforts underway in the East St. Louis metro area. The DigitalESL Collaborative is a way to coordinate the efforts of all partners, maximize the shared resources and create a common vision for the impact technology can have on our community and on individuals. Our partners are committed to bringing the information age OPPORTUNITIES to RESIDENTS of the East St. Louis metro area.

Recent Accomplishments:

Each of the partners in the DigitalESL Collaborative has an impressive list of recent accomplishments. As a Collaborative, we have made the following progress since October, 2001:

• Enhanced the Mt. Calvary and New Beginning Out Reach Ministry by adding workstations to their existing systems. Their computers are now networked and the Internet is now an option.
• Installed community technology centers at the Bride of Christ Community Outreach Mission and Adventures in Motivation. All computers are networked and have access to the Internet.
• Submitted a $5 million proposal to the Hewlitt-Packard “Digital Village” program for technology funds. Although, the proposal was denied, the DigitalESL Collaborative did rank in the top twenty proposals out of over 800 applicants.
• Developed an email listserve so those partners in the DigitalESL Collaborative can regularly exchange information, share ideas and stay connected.
• Submitted proposals to the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois Community Technology Fund. If funded, the Collaborative would be able to provide low or no-cost Internet access throughout the community via community technology centers.

Goals of the DigitalESL Collaborative:

• Create community technology centers within walking distance of most people who live in the community. Equip these sites with state-of-the-art technology to enable residents to learn both applied and back-end technologies.
• Create an Internet point-of-presence in East St. Louis to deliver broadband wireless connectivity to community technology centers.
• Promote a system of household ownership of computers tied to incentives for upgrading skills and volunteers to support community technology.
• Create central capacity to manage the infrastructure, provide tech support, create training programs, and coordinate different programs.
• Create an information dissemination mechanism to share community technology resources.
• Connect the business community to the community technology efforts so that residents can access the economic opportunities of the region through employment and entrepreneurship.
• Create a number of attractive educational opportunities for alternative learning for all ages.
• Use computer clubhouses to cater to the needs of latchkey children that are based on play and learning using technology.
• Develop telemedicine systems that deliver preventive medicine health care information and monitoring for seniors, expecting mothers and young children.
• Develop systems for citizens to be more engaged with local government and to alter the way in which public information is dissemi-nated and used to make decisions.

Poster Showing Locations of Digital ESL Collaborative Sites (pdf file)

Last modified: 28 February 2001, Deanna Koenigs