Australia
The Smith Family
The Smith Family is a well-respected nonprofit community organization focused on education for disadvantaged children and their families. Building on a strong existing relationship Microsoft Australia, the Smith Family will initially establish 33 Unlimited Potential Community Technology Learning Centers (UP CTLCs) to serve disadvantaged Australians. In the partnership, the Smith Family will harness its community networks and presence in 50 communities nationally to coordinate the establishment of UP CTLCs around Australia. In conjunction with Microsoft and other community partners, such as WorkVentures and Inspire Foundation, this program will expand to accommodate more than 100 centers, reaching a broad range of disadvantaged communities. The Smith Family will be able to direct disadvantaged Australians to receive assistance from the UP CTLCs through 100 on-the-ground support workers nationally, beginning with 35,000 disadvantaged Australians who already participate in the Smith Family's programs.
China
Beijing Xicheng District Library
Microsoft will collaborate with Beijing Xicheng District Library, Beijing Xicheng District Youth League, and Beijing Youth League to set up the first community Technology learning center (CTLC) in Beijing. The CTLC will provide migrant workers, disadvantaged groups, and the general public in the community with access to information technology and opportunities to receive IT skills training. The UP grant will be used to upgrade the existing infrastructure of the library and provide curriculum and training for trainers and disadvantaged groups. The program, implemented over three years, is projected to reach 13,055 learners in the first year alone.
PlaNET Finance
PlaNEt Finance China is a not-for-profit organization established in September 2002 in Beijing. Its mission is to support and promote microfinance programs in China and to use ICT in the process. By bringing ICT training and technical support to local microfinance institutions (MFIs), the organization enables MFIs to bring finance and information to poor and low-income rural and urban Chinese people, reducing poverty and encouraging entrepreneurship. The purpose of this project is to establish CTLCs for economically appropriate and publicly accessible IT training for disadvantaged communities in rural China. These CTLCs will be physically linked to pre-existing microfinance institutions (MFIs) and will become actively linked to community members at large through facilitation by trained trainers.
Hong Kong
CyberSenior Network Development Association Limited
In response to the desire of seniors to use computers as a vital communications tool, the association will conduct 24 Internet communications courses of eight sessions each. Participants will learn to use online communication services such as Web-based e-mail and MSN Messenger, as well as basic Chinese word processing programs. Approximately 240 seniors are expected to participate. Participants will be screened by the association, will participate in a graduation ceremony, and upon graduation will be encouraged to become IT volunteers to teach others in the CyberSenior centers. Improved communication by seniors will help them keep abreast of society's advancement, get better support from their family and friends, seek help if needed, and maintain a happier outlook on life.
Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG)
Established in 1960, HKFYG is an NGO specializing in youth services and offering support and learning opportunities for young people ages 6 to 35. Under the Unlimited Potential program, Microsoft cooperated with HKFYG in October 2003 to set up the first CTLC in the Tsuen Wan S.P.O.T. (Space for Participation, Opportunities and Learning) Center. This center has received very positive feedback, especially in the area of easing youth unemployment. This grant will expand the CTLC setup to reach another 17 HKFYG S.P.O.T. centers located in different parts of Hong Kong. There are three phases, targeted to train more than 10,000 young people in phase one and two and cumulatively more than 38,000 young people in all three phases over a period of three years.
India
Development Alternatives
Development Alternatives is a noted nonprofit in India working to create sustainable livelihood and development in rural and underserved communities. It runs a very successful program called TARAhaat ; TARA stands for Technology and Action for Rural Advancement. TARAhaat is a network of franchised telecenters in rural districts around Jhansi , Budelkhand. These telecenters are connected to deliver customized local services using ICTs to underserved populations residing in these areas. The UP grants will be used to provide training in ICT skills to women coming to these centers. The training, based on the UP curriculum, will build the capacities of these underserved women and help them access information and training in critical areas such as health, nutrition, legal rights, and livelihood opportunities. It will also provide a platform for community support. The program will reach out to 1,350 women across 30 TARAkendras and will develop 45 Master Trainers.
World Links
World Links in India has successfully trained 10,000 teachers, students, and community members, including women from rural, underserved communities. Its key skills are in the areas of providing professional teacher-training programs and developing local micro-enterprise using ICT. The UP program in India is focused on empowering women through CTLCs in rural India. This program will address ICT learning skills and capacity building for 44,000 women drawn from the Aganwadi network in districts in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and will create a sustainable model of development.
Indonesia
Yayasan Mitra Mandiri (YMM)
Funding will support five farmer cooperatives in different parts of the country. Cooperatives will train members and their neighbors in basic IT skills, encouraging them to use these skills to better manage crop production and marketing. Improved access to technology will encourage participants to choose alternatives to the plants that they have cultivated and to find tips on how they can process their agricultural yield to get a higher price, thereby increasing their income. Up to 3,000 persons are expected to participate through the five CTLCs.
Yayasan Mitra Netra
Established in 1991, Yayasan Mitra Netra (Partners of the Blind and Visually Impaired) promotes independence and the integration of the visually impaired into the community through rehabilitation, learning, and training programs, as well as through the creation of a broad range of employment opportunities and the availability of facilities and services that meet the specific requirements of the visually impaired. Yayasan Mitra Netra has partnered with Microsoft on serveral programs since 1998. This year, through UP, Microsoft will support Yayasan Mitra Netra in setting up CTLCs for the visually impaired community in four cities: Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, and Makasar.
Japan
e-elder
This grant builds on the successful senior project launched in Oita Prefecture last year and rolls out the effort to two additional locations: Tokushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture.
In Tokushima Prefecture, JCI Teleworker's Network is a new partner of the Unlimited Potential (UP) program. Under this partnership, IT training will be provided for people with disabilities to help improve their IT skills and support their employment efforts. Other NPOs in Tokushima that focused on community development will be encouraged to employ the elderly and people with disabilities who have been trained through the UP program. Approximately 800 people (including trainers) will be trained at several UP centers (CTLCs) in the prefecture.
In Miyagi Prefecture, Senior Net Sendai (NPO) is a new partner of the UP program, along with the Miyagi prefectural government. Senior Net Sendai has rich experience in providing IT training to seniors and in helping them use IT as a tool in their lives. Using the experience of other UP programs such as Oita and Tokushima, we intend to provide IT training not only to seniors but also to people with disabilities. Approximately 800 people will be trained at the various UP centers (CTLCs) in the prefecture.
In each of these locations, e-elder acts as a coordinator for the UP program by providing their experience in e-learning programs, train-the-trainer programs, and other training curriculum in order to effectively organize IT training courses.
Wing 21
Launched in April 2002, the IT Volunteer Program for Battered Women has provided basic IT skills training to women who are living in shelters around Tokyo. The program aids them in finding employment opportunities. During two years of operation, more than 600 people participated in basic IT skills training courses, more than 40 people successfully got jobs, and five people received MOUS certification. Initial support from Microsoft Japan included cash, mouse devices, and Microsoft Office XP software. This year's grant supports enhanced goals and a new NPO partner, Wing 21, whose expertise is providing IT skills training to increase job opportunities and providing consulting on how to effectively find a job. The project will reach approximately 400 underserved women, including DV victims, in two years.
Korea
Korean Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion (KADO)
KADO was established in 1984 to reduce the national information gap and build a digital welfare country by putting the benefits of IT at everyone's fingertips. The objectives of the Silver UP program with KADO are to bridge the most serious digital divide between the young and the older generation in Korea. The program provides IT training for seniors and creates digital opportunity for re-participation in society. The program is projected to reach 100,000 seniors in five years by increasing KADO's current Silvers program to 20 additional CTLCs. In addition, the grant will support several teams of KADO's IT volunteers, who will be deployed to assist CTLCs in developing countries.
Laos
Lao-American College (LAC)
LAC was founded in 1993. The mission of the college is to work cooperatively to develop Lao human-resource potential by providing quality education and innovative activities. The Windows of Opportunity project will establish a CTLC at LAC's campus that will be open five and a half days a week. Although the target audience is people 17 to 19 years old, the CTLC and its courses will be open to all community members. The project funding will enable LAC to train the trainers, translate the UP curriculum into Lao, and roll out the course offerings. An outreach component, taking IT to other parts of Vientiane and nearby villages using laptops and basic orientation courses, will make the broader community aware of the program. This IT skills training will empower youth, women, school dropouts, the unemployed, and the underemployed through opportunities not presently available. This empowerment will enable access to more viable work opportunities in the new world economy.
Malaysia
Pusat Internet Desa
Operational in December 2003, the Pusat Internet Desa (Rural Internet Centers) provide IT skills training to the rural community in Malaysia, including women, the elderly, and children without Internet access. These centers are set up by the government of Malaysia as part of its national program to bridge the digital divide, and the program is managed by the Ministry of Energy, Communications & Multimedia (MECM). The UP grant will be granted to a nonprofit organization that was one of the partners of the Malaysian government when it launched the program. The course content in the centers has been developed by their IT-trained center supervisors and their assistants. The UP grant for this round will be used to train the trainers in Microsoft Word, fundamentals of computer use, and the Internet. This will support and complement the training already provided to the existing trainers in the 42 centers. The program is projected to reach 40,000 learners a year. The Ministry is targeting to set up 240 centers by the year 2010, eventually reaching an estimated 2.8 million members of the rural communities in Malaysia.
New Zealand
Approach Employment and Training Programs
Since 1987, Approach has operated an Adult Learning Centre in South Dunedin that aims to provide opportunities for people who face barriers
to
successful
participation
in
community
life
and
to
employment. Its activities provide targeted learning opportunities for disadvantaged people. There has been increasing demand for and a focus on enabling barriers to successful participation in community life and to employment. people to gain skills in communication and information technology. The UP grant will enable Approach to expand its IT skills training capacity by helping the organization add more computers and hire a dedicated trainer.
Approach intends to target unemployed and low-income people, single parents, and older people, with the goal of helping them to gain well-paying employment and the confidence to pursue further qualifications, as well as to more fully participate in the community. Based on its experience, Approach believes that at least 10 percent of the training participants will find employment or do more advanced training as a result of the skills and confidence they will gain from its training.
Te Awaroa Youth Club
Established in 2002, Te Awaroa Youth Club offers young people opportunities to develop skills, socialize in a friendly and safe environment, and take part in recreational activities and events. The club has strong support from the local community and local and central government. With the assistance of the UP grant, the club will now be able to offer basic IT skills training modules to the youth, as well as to extend this offering to the broader community. The program is seen as a way to help bridge the gap between youth and the elderly, as well as to bridge the digital divide.
Philippines
Learn.ph
This program will provide technology training to Amerasian youth who are displaced, out of school, and victims of discrimination, particularly since the removal of U.S. bases in the country. The goal is to give these youth better employment opportunities. Learn.ph will work with two local NGOs at two project sites: People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation Center near Subic Freeport Zone, and the Manpower Skills and Training Center Don Bosco near Clark Development and Economic Zone. Approximately 800 people will receive basic computer literacy training; 30 will receive more comprehensive training and certification.
Department of Labor and Employment
Foreign Workers Resource Center (FWRC)
Filipino Overseas Workers Singapore (FOWS)
Tulay (Bridge in Tagalog) aims to provide basic IT skills training to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families. This will help OFWs and their families expand their horizons, gain better employment opportunities, and gain access to technology to be able to communicate with family members.
Tulay will initially utilize three community centers in different parts of Asia. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Center in Pasay City in the Philippines will train departing and returning OFWs as well as their immediate dependents (husband, children, siblings, parents), with a target of 3,600 trainees annually. The Bayanihan Centre of the Filipino Overseas Workers in Singapore will train 150 OFWs in basic and advanced computing. Training will be conducted every Sunday (the usual day off for OFWs) by Filipino volunteers who currently work in Singapore. Three PCs will also be placed in the Philippine embassy for use by OFWs (on weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays, when the Bayanihan Center is not open). The Filipino Workers Resource Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, uses the same training model. It will train 165 OFWs a year and will also place three PCs in the embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
This grant will engage local students from the Institute of Technical Education as trainers for the people with intellectual disabilities. The students will teach MINDS clients basic IT skills and also provide IT technical support to the schools and centers run by MINDS. By reaching out to people with intellectual disabilities and their families, these efforts will help people attain quality of life and overcome challenges of social integration.
South West Community Development Council (CDC)
The South West Community Development Council was set up to administer social assistance and to run social facilities and programs for the South West District community. Among other goals, it aims to build a self-reliant community, bridge social and cultural divides, and promote active citizenry. The South West District covers a third of Singapore's land area and has about 252,000 households with about 700,000 residents. Under the program, South West CDC aims to provide IT knowledge and skills training to the underprivileged, housewives, and the elderly. It also hopes to enhance employability by equipping individuals with infocom skills. It will be working with the voluntary welfare organizations, primary and secondary schools, and tertiary institutions within the South West District to refer underprivileged people to IT training at the two proposed CTLCs.
Sri Lanka
Lanka Jatika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya
Established in 1958, Sarvodaya is Sri Lanka's largest people's movement. For more than four decades, it has delivered civic awareness and an economic and social welfare infrastructure to more than 15,000 underprivileged village and urban communities throughout the country. As Sri Lanka's largest NGO, last year it involved nearly 1.7 million people in social, economic, and technological empowerment programs. Sarvodaya has begun a program of multipurpose community telecenters (MCTs) that offer IT training at the district and village level. This project will enhance the Sarvodaya IT training program, upgrading the existing program and expanding from the current 7 district centers to a total of 13. More than 2,000 people, primarily youth, will be direct participants in the IT skills training programs, and 2.5 million rural Sri Lankans will be indirect beneficiaries.
Taiwan
Frontier Foundation
This project builds on Microsoft Taiwan's long-standing support for e-learning centers and its commitment to decrease the digital gap between developed city and remote districts. Run by the Frontier Foundation, the project targets the e-learning centers in six remote aboriginal communities. It will train approximately 500 participants and 60 trainers in e-commerce skills, including the development of e-commerce Web sites. Through this effort, aboriginals can improve their lives, their communities, their economic situation, and their competitive position in society.
Institute for Information Industry (III)
Microsoft Taiwan will cooperate with III to establish a CTLC in Nan Tou County, a 921 Earthquake Disaster Area. Following the establishment of a CTLC, III and Microsoft will offer IT training courses for the community. Approximately 1,000 participants are expected. This program will enable the residents of Nan Tou County to develop valuable computer skills that will in turn increase job opportunities for them and their community.
Thailand
Duang Prateep Foundation
Duang Prateep Foundation, established 1978, works in Bangkok's disadvantaged areas. The foundation has equipped a computer training facility and has 10 staff who are capable of computer training. The foundation works with cooperatives and has targeted subdistrict cooperative members for the initial project. The cooperative network is extensive and is organized sufficiently to sustain an extensive multiyear training project. The pilot audience is cooperative leaders (ages 25 to 40) and the second generation (ages 15 to 25) for training under Unlimited Potential. A unique characteristic of the project is the requirement that two generations in the enterprise be trained. The goal is to strengthen family businesses and to create new economic opportunities. The program is projected to reach 200 learners in its first year.
Kenan Asia Foundation (KIAsia)
This project will establish two CTLCs at Mae Hong Sorn Community College (northern Thailand) and Sa Kaew Community College (eastern Thailand). In addition to basic IT skills training, the project will provide more specific IT training that is related to entrepreneurship and new-business creation in the community, because new businesses create jobs and wealth for their communities and develop innovations that make people's lives better. In Thailand, SMEs and most family business still make up 90 percent of all businesses and are the main driving force of the country's economy. Effective training on IT for business will equip both existing and new Thai entrepreneurs as well as the existing work force with skills that will help them succeed in their business and contribute fully to Thailand's economic growth. The program is projected to reach 1,000 learners in its first year.
Vietnam
Fund for Children of Quang Ngai Province (FCQN)
FCQN will undertake a project called Get IT for the Future, which will equip disadvantaged youth with necessary IT skills to enable them to reach their full potential, thus helping them improve life for themselves and their families. FCQN will cooperate with the Vocational Center of Tu Nghia district, Quang Ngai, to organize training activities. This center has well-qualified staff for teaching IT. Over three years, the project will train 1,512 learners. After the training courses, the participants will have IT skills and will know how to use the Internet and English for their future studies or to look for good jobs. By enabling these disadvantaged children to reach their full potential in life, the program can greatly help change their destiny.
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