Waite House

Technology Literacy Coordinator

Position: CTEP Economic Empowerment Member

Program:  Community Technology Empowerment Project

Partner Agency: Pillsbury United Communities, Waite House Center

Location(s): 2529 13th Av S, Minneapolis, MN

Name of Site Supervisor and Title: John Richard, Adult Education and Employment Coordinator

CTEP Program Description

The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Join AmeriCorps CTEP and help make the information age accessible to all.  CTEP is a project of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network.

Site History and Mission

Waite House is a neighborhood center of Pillsbury United Communities (PUC.) PUC is a century old social service provider, established to address the root causes of poverty in Minneapolis. PUC’s mission is creating change, choice and connection. Waite House is in the Phillips Neighborhood of South Minneapolis. Phillips is one of the lowest income communities in the state of Minnesota, and one of the most of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in the country.

Waite House has developed a Community Technology Center (CTC), used by the community for job search purposes, homework, and access to the Internet. Activity in these CTCs is often linked with other PUC programs, such as Employment and Housing Assistance. The CTC is dedicated to teaching participants 21st Century technical skills, with an emphasis on skills leading to economic self-sufficiency, employment and career advancement. Waite House’s CTCs are equipped with assistive technology software and peripherals, making them assessable to users with a wide variety of abilities.

Staff, volunteers and AmeriCorps members from Waite House have taken a leadership role in addressing Digital Divide issues locally. Waite House was one of the original founders of the Technology Literacy Collaborative. Past CTEP workers have assisted in projects to promote computer access and education to people from groups with lower rates of Digital Inclusion, such as our LapTops for Learning project and computer classes for the Latina Women’s Leadership Group.

Preferred Site Schedule for Member

The member will work 9:30 to 4:30 Mondays thru Thursdays, and alternate Fridays. Occasional weekend or evening work may be required for special programing events. There may be some flexibilty in the schedule, particularly in the afternoons.

In addition, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills.  These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory.  Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.

Specific Site Responsibilities

  • Assist users in Community Technology Center
  • Assist adult job search participants learning skills such as resume development, Internet job search etc. Typical participants are low income with minimal computer skills; approximately half use Spanish as their primary language.
  • Assist with tracking follow-ups for successful job participants.
  • Assist with Work Readiness Certificate Program.
  • Teach small groups and workshops.
  • Assist leaders of Mujeres en Liderazgo (Women’s Leadership Group) in identifying technology needs related to community organizing strategies and providing education and access to meet these needs.
  • Promote use of assistive technology equipment
  • Assist in program outreach, including specific outreach to people living with disabilities
  • Participate in Technology Literacy Collaborative efforts
  • Attend staff meetings
  • Assist with registration for Toys for Tots drive
  • Monitor technical performance of CTC, and communicate with Network Provider

Preferred Qualifications Sought

  • Bilingual in Spanish and English

Site Environment

Waite House is a community center in a residential neighborhood in South Minneapolis. It is an active community center, with many visitors daily using a variety of service, such as a food shelf and the afternoon youth program. The position requires someone with good communication skills, and the ability to respond quickly to paritipant requests. Basic computer skills are required. The site is fully  accesible to differently abled people.

Waite House is planning to move to a new facility in the spring of 2011. The proposed new site is two blocks form the current location. We expect to provide the same services to the same clients in the new site. The new site will provide more space for Waite House programming.

How to Apply

Apply online at my.americorps.gov and click on “Apply to Serve” (be sure to enter 06ACHMN0010008-0 as the “Program Listing ID,” or search for the Community Technology Empowerment Project).  Contact: Joel Krogstad, joel@technologypower.org, 651.556.1384

We are committed to recruiting and engaging individuals without regard to disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.  Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.  Alternative formats of this document are also available.