Community Technology and the Digital Divide

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community technology and the digital divide

From 1996 through 1999, Josh Senyak helped to manage Computers in Our Future, a $6 million project to develop open access “community computing centers” in eleven low-income neighborhoods in California. This ambitious project, initiated and funded by the California Wellness Foundation, was an important early experiment in using a “community technology” approach to address disparities in technology access. In five years of operation, CIOF served over 22,000 low-income residents. Over 80% of the users were people of color, most of them 24 or younger.

In 2000, Josh summed up some of the lessons he learned in these articles, co-written with fellow CIOF veteran Albert Fong. These articles are still much quoted in discussions on the ‘Digital Divide.’

One More River to Cross: Why Bridging the Digital Divide Won’t Save the World (and Why it’s Still Worth the Fight). An examination of assumptions, realities and opportunities associated with equity and technology access.
Into the Mix: Ten Thoughts for your New Community Technology Center. Tips for developing a exceptional Community Technology Center.

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February 2007: Quicksilver releases Sparrow 3.12, a free HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) database application

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