Technology For All is a nonprofit organization based in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Developed in 1997 by local entrepreneurs, Technology For All services community-based organizations (such as development centers, YMCAs, and local schools) with computer technology, training, and other digital incentives “to empower under-resourced communities through the tools of technology.” Through the

National Telecommunications and Information Administration The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' ec ...

's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant, Technology For All (TFA) currently hosts 19 public computer centers.

History

Technology For All was formed in 1997 as a response to a perceived lack of

digital inclusion Digital inclusion involves the activities necessary to ensure equitable access to and use of Information and communications technology, information and communication technologies for participation in social and economic life including for education ...

for historically low-income areas. In 1998, it received M.D Anderson Foundation's first $50,000 grant to help build a

community technology center A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...

at the M.D. Anderson

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. According to their website, TFA has created 180 community technology centers in the United States since its inception, all partnered with community-serving organizations. When the

Reliant Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houst ...

sheltered

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

refugees in 2005, TFA coordinated a lab with 40 computers and other free supplies.

Community development

Technology For All divides its goals into three priorities: community technology center support and development, technology research and innovation, and technology services.

TFA-Wireless

TFA and

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

operate the TFA-Wireless project, which provides free high-speed wireless Internet to Pecan Park, Houston. In 2011, they installed the first residential deployment of

Super Wi-Fi Super Wi-Fi refers to IEEE 802.11g/ n/ ac/ ax Wi-Fi implementations over unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands but with performance enhancements for antenna control, multiple path beam selection, advance control for best path, and applied intelligen ...

, which uses longer wavelengths to penetrate typical wireless barriers.

Texas Connects Coalition

Texas Connects Coalition (TXC2) is a partnership between TFA,

Austin FreeNet Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

(AFN), and the Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN). It was recently awarded a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant valued at over nine million dollars. The grant is provided by the

and funded by the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...

. The coalition is summarized as a “comprehensive … initiative significantly expanding broadband public computer center capacity ... across Texas.” With the grant, TXC2 plans to install and maintain 70 public computer centers throughout

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, and the

Brazos Valley Brazos Valley ( ) is a region of the U.S. state of Texas comprising the following 7 counties in Central Texas: Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson (which collectively comprise the Bryan–College Station metropolitan area), and the neighboring cou ...

to "provide computer access, technical support, digital literacy, workforce development and other services to low-income and vulnerable populations."

Public computer centers

Through the BTOP grant, TFA aims to extend its network of public computer centers to 19. Each lab is partnered with organizations in historically underprivileged neighborhoods, such as Eastside University Village Community Learning Center in Third Ward and the Spring Branch Family Development Center. Each center provides public computers, printers, and Internet access, plus a trainer to manage the center and teach various computer literacy courses. According to their website, TFA operates open labs in these community spaces, located in the following super neighborhoods: * Bethel's Place (

Westbury, Houston Westbury is a neighborhood in the Brays Oaks district of Southwest Houston, Texas, United States. It is located east of Bob White Road, north of U.S. Highway 90 Alternate (South Main Street), and west of South Post Oak Road, adjacent to the Fon ...

/ Brays Oaks) * Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center (

Denver Harbor Denver Harbor was an American alternative rock band, based in San Diego, California. The band was formed in 2002 by former Fenix TX members Will Salazar and Chris Lewis, along with F.O.N. members Aaron Rubin and Ilan Rubin. After self-releasing ...

) * Eastside University Village Community Learning Center ( Third Ward) * Elevation Station ( Spring Branch) * Gulf Coast Arms (Trinity/ Houston Gardens) * Haverstock Apartments (Airport) * Impact Youth Development Center (Trinity/ Houston Gardens) * Magnolia Multi-Service Center (

Magnolia Park, Houston Magnolia Park is an area of the East End,Map
." East End Management District. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.

) * M.D. Anderson YMCA (Northside Village/

Kashmere Gardens Kashmere Gardens is a historically African-American neighborhood in the northern 610 Loop area in Houston, Texas, United States. A group of single-family houses, many of which have large lots, Kashmere Gardens is between an industrial area and a rai ...

) * Mission Milby Community Development Center (

Pecan Park Pecan Park is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas. Pecan Park is located approximately south of downtown Houston inside Interstate 610, known as "The Loop", to the east of Interstate 45 in the East End, Houston area. The name Pecan Park generally ...

) * New Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church (Trinity/ Houston Gardens) * The REACH Center (

) * SHAPE Community Center (

Midtown, Houston Midtown is a central neighborhood of Houston, located west-southwest of Downtown. Separated from Downtown by an elevated section of Interstate 45 (the Pierce Elevated), Midtown is characterized by a continuation of Downtown's square grid street ...

) * Settegast Heights Village (

Settegast, Houston Settegast is a neighborhood in northeast Houston; it has an average population density between one and five. The community is bordered by the 610 Loop, the Union Pacific Railroad Settegast Yard, and the old Beaumont Highway. The community has many ...

) * Sharpstown Learning Center (

Sharpstown, Houston Sharpstown is a master-planned community in the Southwest Management District (formerly Greater Sharpstown), Southwest Houston, Texas.Fairbanks, Houston Fairbanks is a community along U.S. Highway 290 and the Southern Pacific Railroad in Western Houston, Texas, United States. At one point it was a distinct unincorporated area within Harris County. History The community, named after its founder, ...

) TFA also has rural sites and sites in San Antonio which it manages under the name TFA-Rural Texas San Antonio (TFA-RTSA), listed on the TXC2 website url=http://txc2.org/?page_id=100 TXC2 is a coalition including TFA, TFA-RTSA and Austin FreeNet. The TFA-RTSA sites include: * Albert Benavidez Learning Center (San Antonio) * Bastrop Public Library * Benavides Library * Blanco Library * Blinn A. W. Hodde Jr. Technical Education Center (Brenham) * Bob and Jean Billa Community Initiatives Learning Center (San Antonio) * Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library (Brenham) * Brenham Workforce Office * Bryan Public Library * Bryan Workforce Center * Spring Branch Library (Bulverde) * Caldwell Workforce Center * Centerville Workforce Center * Columbia Heights Family Learning Center (San Antonio) * Freer Library * Johnson City Library * Fayette County Library (La Grange) * Dr. Eugene Clark Library (Lockhart) * Lockhart Technology Center * Madison County Library (Madisonville) * Madisonville Workforce Center * Margarita Huantes Family Learning Center (San Antonio) * Navasota Library * Navasota Workforce Center * Larry J. Ringer Library (College Station) * Robertson County Carnegie Library (Franklin) * San Diego Library * Smithville satellite office for Technology For all – Rural Texas and San Antonio * Smithville Community Network (Smithville Recreation Center) * Smith-Welch Library (Hearne) * St. Mary’s Family Learning Center (San Antonio) * Victor Farrari Family Learning Center (San Antonio) * Ward Memorial Library (Centerville)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Technology For All

Texas Connects Coalition
Information technology charities Wireless networking Non-profit organizations based in Houston