There are several items in this newsletter:
- reflections on the last year
- Net Inclusion 2019 in Charlotte
- a writeup from Maryanna Milton on becoming a computer refurbisher
- a partner profile of San Diego Futures Foundation
Another Good Year
As we conclude our fourth year (our fiscal year ends in February), I want to thank all of our partners, affiliates, donors, and volunteers who have helped us make a difference in digital inclusion. As of this date, we have thirty-two partner agencies, almost 200 pages of content, and over 17,000 views. We look forward to adding more newsletters, white papers, partner profiles, and additional resources in the coming year. If you work with agencies that may be interested in partnering with PBDD, please let us know.
Net Inclusion 2019
We encourage all of our partners and those involved in digital inclusion to attend Net Inclusion 2019, being held in Charlotte, NC from April 1-3. Early registration ends February 14. The sponsor, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), is a member-based organization (basic membership is free) that provides a unified voice for broadband access, personal devices and local technology training and support programs.
Through a generous grant, PBDD is able to offer a limited number of scholarships to cover the cost of conference registration. If you are interested, please contact us. If you will be attending, please plan to join us for a PBDD Partners get-together, immediately following the reception on Monday, April 1.
Refurbishing reflections: How a Techie ‘wanna be’ Becomes a Computer Refurbisher
Our own Maryanna Milton describes her journey from a tech neophyte to a computer refurbisher, and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. The full write-up is on our website, but here’s an excerpt:
Before October of 2018, I had never voluntarily opened a computer to look at the hardware inside. I had spent 14 years working in an adult Literacy Program at a non-profit with a successful computer refurbishing and training program. The ‘Techie Wonders’ took care of ‘everything with a plug’ and a shout down the hall quickly solved my tech problems. I didn’t do much more than clean crumbs out of my keyboard before they arrived (and make sure it was plugged in, of course). All that changed when I moved out of state two years ago. Suddenly I was in charge of all my things with a plug. Clearly some extensive learning was needed. I signed up to volunteer at a local computer refurbishing non-profit. I thought I might teach a basic computer literacy class. Tom Mehlert told me to come learn about their program on Tuesday with another group learning about computers. What could I say?
The first day I started volunteering at AriZona STudents Recyling Used Technology (AZStRUT), I gulped when our group leader announced, “Let’s get started replacing the hard drives in these Dell desktops.” Continue reading.
Partner Profile: San Diego Futures Foundation
San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF) provides technology equipment, training, support, IT outsourcing, electronics recycling and digital media services to nonprofit organizations, disadvantaged small businesses, low-income households, people with disabilities, and seniors in San Diego County. It was started in 1999 as the County of San Diego moved IT and telecommunications services online. Barry and Katherine met with Gary Knight, the Executive Director on a recent trip to San Diego. We had visited him almost a year ago, and had also talked with Gary at the 2018 NDIA Net Inclusion conference, which we had recommended to him. Of special interest to our partners may be SDFF’s work with the visually impaired, their excellent writeup of volunteer positions, and their coding boot camps.
Click here for our full partner profile of SDFF.
-Barry, President PBDD
