economic development

Source:  Imperial Valley Press

Knowing how to use a computer and surf the Internet can be critical skills for families, Family Connections Program Coordinator Mark Peres said.

Computer use and familiarity can help with education, obtaining jobs and even bring families closer together, said Sunne Wright McPeak, California's Emerging Technology Fund president and chief executive officer.

Source: MissionLocal.org

The federal government turned down San Francisco’s application for $15 million in stimulus money that would have allowed the city to lay out its fiber network, making it cheaper to provide broadband connection to libraries and community centers.

Source: The South Los Angeles Report

A demure smile and a thin, black metal clip holding midnight black hair from covering her right eye define Laura Arguello’s face. Hers is also a face that could characterize California’s slimming digital divide.

The 21-year-old is the poster child for the closure of the state’s once magnanimous separation between people with and without access to computers, broadband Internet and the skills needed to use software and hardware in the workplace.

Source:  Redwood Times

The forum was sponsored by the Redwood Technology Consortium (RTC), Redwood Coast Rural Action, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC) and the California Center for Rural Policy (CCRP). Rollin Richmond, the president of Humboldt State University, opened the proceedings and Connie Stewart, Executive Director of CCRP was the moderator.

Source: Washington Post

The Commerce Department on Monday announced the last of its more than $4 billion in stimulus grants for the expansion of broadband Internet lines. The program, as part of the Recovery Act, was meant to jump-start the economy and provide the underlying technology needed for new business and economic growth.

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Source: The Bay Citizen

It's a Monday morning and five middle-aged Latino adults are gathered in the modest computer lab at the Nevin Community Center in Richmond. As they concentrate on their assignment, retyping an article from The New Yorker magazine, the room is quiet save for the hesitant tapping of computer keys. One woman leans forward intently, her eyes moving between screen and keyboard as she focuses on finding the right key.

Source: Imperial Valley News