UH collaborates on $2M grant for broadband outreach, training
A $2 million federal stimulus grant was awarded to fund an innovative broadband outreach and training program targeting Hispanic and minority populations throughout Texas. With major goals of community advancement and economic growth, the grant is a result of a partnership between the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston (MIGH) and the Texas Learning & Computation Center (TLC2) at the University of Houston (UH). MIGH matched the federal funds with an additional $596,000 contribution.
The award is part of a new round of disbursements from the federal government related to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. This is the only sustainable adoption grant to a Texas-based institution, and one of only four awards allocated in Texas.
"I'm excited that this funding enables UH to go into Hispanic communities throughout the region to provide technology education for residents who may not otherwise seek it or have access to it," said Lennart Johnsson, professor and director of TLC2. "We are pleased to be in a partnership with a well-known nonprofit that not only has an outstanding track record for the quality of their material and their teachers, but also the success of trainees who complete the program. It is a 'win-win' situation for everyone involved and opens the door to future work with these populations."
According to a 2009 Federal Communications Commission study, only 20 percent of primarily Spanish-speaking residents subscribe to broadband services in the home. Cost, lack of digital literacy and perceived content irrelevance were the main barriers cited. The project with MIGH, titled "Sustainable Broadband Adoption through Training for Hispanic Adults," will utilize MIGH's network of more than 100 community learning centers to conduct training sessions and provide Web-based tutorial assistance in Spanish. The courses comprise 100 hours of classroom instruction in basic digital literacy skills, including how to use e-mail, Microsoft Office and how to conduct Internet searches.
The project will eventually expand into other metropolitan areas of Texas to reach additional minority and English as Second Language (ESL) populations, as well as other economically and socially vulnerable citizens, building upon MIGH's longstanding tradition of success in reaching Hispanic parents through their children's schools.
As a subrecipient, TLC2 is receiving more than half a million dollars of the award to build a distance education portal and databases to use as the basis for the training, which will include online lessons, e-mail addresses for the trainees and a bulletin board with relevant employment opportunities. TLC2 is well suited for this initiative with its expertise in developing and managing educational content, using state-of-the-art technology. There also will be an evaluation component built in by TLC2 that shows the progress of trainees. The center, which is a core support services unit within UH, also will provide invaluable support to MIGH with its experience in administering large federal awards.
"In a globalized 21st century economy, when you don't have regular access to high-speed Internet, you don't have access to all the educational, business and employment opportunities it provides," said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who recently announced the BTOP awards in Washington, D.C. "These critical Recovery Act investments will create jobs and lay the groundwork for long-term sustainable economic growth in communities across America."
Adults who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion. The goal is to train 5,600 adults during a three-year period, with an expectation that at least 70 percent of trainees will remain active broadband subscribers. The project will create 75 new jobs and enhance the job skills of thousands of trainees. According to Carlos López, president and executive director of MIGH, family income is expected to increase by an estimated $6,300 per trainee annually. The economic multiplier effect of adding those dollars to the local economy would produce a positive economic impact of $40 million during the project's initial three-year term.
"This is one of many projects in which TLC2 engages to support its outreach goals and UH's commitment to community advancement," said Rosalinda Méndez, associate director of TLC2. "UH aims to fulfill regional and state workforce needs while becoming a primary engine of social, economic and intellectual development."
Provided by University of Houston
