Professional Documents
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Open Access Philly
Open Access Philly
Philadelphians working at the intersection of technology, civic innovation/participation that launched in August 2010. Participation is diverse, with people coming from large and small companies, non-profits, grant making foundations, city government and from outside Philadelphia.
what is
Digital Inclusion
ProvidingPhiladelphianswiththedata, informationandapplicationstheyneed toadvancemeaningfulchangeintheir communities Identifyingandfulfillinginfrastructure,connectivity,andcontentneedssothatall Philadelphianshavetheopportunitytoconnecttoourdigitalfuture TheCity'sapproachtoDigitalInclusionconsidersbothaccessandadoptionascritical elements.OurlargestDigitalInclusioninitiative,TheFreedomRingsPartnership,isa collaborativeconsortiumofnonprofits,universities,andCityagenciesworkingto providephysicalinfrastructuresothatcitizenscanaccesstechnology,butalsodevelop contentandtrainingprogramssothatcitizenscanadopttechnologyaspartoftheir dailylives. Inacitywhereanestimated41%ofresidentslackInternetaccess,thedigitaldivide impactsfamiliesandcommunitiesbylimitingaccesstoeducational,economicandcivic resources.Onlythroughthiscomprehensive,stakeholderdriveneffortcanweconnect Philadelphianstoadigitalfuture. TheCityofPhiladelphiaandtheUrbanAffairsCoalitionleadtheFreedomRings Partnership.ThroughitsPublicComputingCenterandSustainableBroadbandAdoption grantinitiatives,theFreedomRingsPartnershipwill: Reachover100,000Philadelphianswithinformationabouttheimportanceof broadbandtotheirdailylives. ProvidefreeInternetaccessat77PublicComputerCentersthroughouttheCity Deliverhandsontrainingtoover15,000people FreedomRingsPartnershipAccess SixtyeightoftheseventysevenplannedPublicComputerCentersitesarenow operatingthroughoutthecity.SofartheFreedomRingsPartnershiphasoffered 153,985hoursoftrainingandopenaccesslabhoursattheselocations.Intotal,the FreedomRingsPartnershiphasserved24,620Philadelphians. FreedomRingsPartnershipAdoption InordertohelpallPhiladelphianscompeteinthisdigitalinformationage,theFreedom RingsPartnershipisalsocommittedtoaffordableinhomeInternetaccess.Inaneffort tofulfillthisvision,theFreedomRingsPartnershiphas"graduated"580students throughaPHAtrainingprogram.ThesegraduatesearnedaNetbookaftercompleting an8hourtrainingprogram.Intotal,5,000PHAresidentswillbeeligibleforaNetbook.