4-page Case Study - Posted 11/7/2008

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City of Miami

City’s Digital Literacy Initiative Empowers Citizens with Knowledge and Access

Like many cities in the United States, Miami faces poverty and other challenges that make it difficult for its residents to become literate in digital technology. In an unprecedented public/private partnership called Elevate Miami, the City of Miami has been able to raise the level of digital literacy and access for its citizens through a four-pronged approach based on Microsoft® Digital Literacy curriculum. This partnership has helped hundreds of the city’s grade-school children become more technologically literate. It has improved the quality of life for hundreds of seniors and disadvantaged adults, and helped dozens of Miami’s small businesses become more competitive. Elevate Miami has received national recognition for providing an outstanding model that other municipalities can replicate.

Situation

The City of Miami, like many cities, is challenged by poverty, high school dropout rates, underfunded schools, and double-digit unemployment. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 32 percent of Miami’s population is poor, a greater percentage than in any other U.S. city of more than 250,000 people. In the city center, the poverty rate is higher than 50 percent in some neighborhoods, especially the Latino and African-American communities. Sixty percent of Miami’s population is made up of immigrants, more than any other city in North America; many of them are poor.

Poverty goes hand in hand with disenfranchisement and reduced access to resources. “You have members of communities that
are, for the most part, just simply locked out—economically, socially, politically, and lots of other ways,” says Dr. Rudy Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS).

Economic disenfranchisement starts early—in the underfunded schools. “We have a really serious gap in city schools compared to the suburban schools, which have had more focus from their school systems on infrastructure, computers, and all the other tools that give children a chance to compete,” says Miami Mayor Manny Díaz.

Children who lack digital literacy skills, Internet access, or computer resources are at a great disadvantage when they enter the workplace. “In this Internet age, it will be worse than it has ever been if you don't have technology skills because of the competitive advantage others will have,” says Díaz.

Other age groups of citizens also suffer without digital literacy skills and access. “As personal computers and the Internet become increasingly important in our society, many seniors are being left out—not because of too little interest, but because of too little access and too few opportunities to learn the necessary skills,” says Rob Sinclair, Director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. Seniors could benefit from using technology in many ways, such as communicating with far-flung family, researching social services, or finding volunteer opportunities.

More than 77,000 small businesses in the Miami area employ five or fewer people. Often, they are founded by recent immigrants with few resources. Without digital skill sets and tools, it’s harder for them to compete in the marketplace and contribute to the city’s economic well-being. “We don't have any large manufacturing locations or companies like a Procter & Gamble, a Kraft, or a Microsoft here, so the small businesses provide the economic engine for growth in our community,” says James Osteen, Assistant Director for Information Technology for the City of Miami.

“If you're not on the Web, you don't exist,” says John Thuneby, Senior Program Manager with Microsoft. “It's really important for your business to have a Web presence in order for you to attract new customers.”

Solution

These factors and more galvanized Mayor Díaz to tackle poverty and its causes head on. “The issue of twenty-first-century digital literacy must be addressed with urgency and creativity,” Díaz says. “Miami can become the gateway of opportunity where the impoverished can break the downward spiral of economic adversity and educational inequity, and all residents can pursue their hopes and dreams.”

We refuse to accept the growing technology gap between children who will compete in the global economy and those who, not by their choosing, will watch the world pass them by. Manny Díaz Mayor, City of Miami

Elevate Miami is targeted towards the city’s youth, economically or educationally disadvantaged residents, seniors, and small businesses.

A pillar of the program is Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum, which teaches and assesses basic computer concepts and skills. From using the Internet, to sending e-mail, to creating a résumé, the Digital Literacy Curriculum helps citizens develop essential computer technology skills. Based on Microsoft Office solutions—including Office Word, the Office Excel® spreadsheet software, and the Office PowerPoint® presentation graphics program—the curriculum is available in 22 languages and is designed to be replicated and scaled for any place in the world.

“Microsoft was a very strategic partner in helping us plan and lay out the curriculum, and deciding what types of software would be beneficial to the different programs,” says Osteen.

Elevate Miami incorporates the Digital Literacy Curriculum into four program segments: eParks, school-based Rites of Passage, eSeniors, and Small Businesses. Microsoft created special versions of the curriculum for each program segment.

eParks

The first Elevate Miami component, developed in 2004, the eParks program is based in community centers located within the public parks. It provides free computer and Internet access and open lab hours to all residents; multilingual training in basic technological skills, as well as training tailored to adults seeking jobs, young people, and seniors. The City of Miami provides the facilities with surplus computers—outdated but still with several years of life—that are equipped with the Windows® XP operating system, Microsoft Office programs, and the Microsoft Encarta® multimedia encyclopedia. As of 2008, 34 eParks with 239 computers serve Miami residents, with another 2 expected to open next year.

School Rites of Passage

In a unique partnership between the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Mayor Díaz and Superintendent Rudy Crew created a comprehensive Education Compact, a commitment to join forces to ensure that all students graduate ready for college or work. A key part of the Education Compact is Rites of Passage, a digital literacy and life-skills initiative in the schools that is part of their attempt to address the digital divide between those with Internet access and those without.

“We refuse to accept the growing technology gap between children who will compete in the global economy and those who, not by their choosing, will watch the world pass them by,” Díaz says. “So we invested in Elevate Miami.”

Rites of Passage rewards city sixth graders with free desktop computers upon completion of life-skills and technology coursework and attendance benchmarks. The students receive Dell computers with Windows XP Professional installed, purchased with funding from the City of Miami and grants from the Knight Foundation, Per Scholas, and Microsoft. AT&T provides free Internet access for one year.

For high school students, Rites of Passage focuses on internship opportunities and career paths. High school students are recruited to the eParks program to assist users, and may subsequently be hired for a paid internship, and may eventually be offered employment as Elevate Miami technology coaches.

eSeniors

The eSeniors program provides free computer literacy training and access to elderly residents in six eSenior technology learning centers (three in eParks and three in private eSenior centers). The program will expand to 10 centers by the end of this year.

“eSeniors aims to provide Miami seniors with technology tools and training that can empower them to improve their quality of life, simplify many everyday tasks, access community and government services more easily, and participate fully in our increasingly digital society,” says Díaz.

The eSeniors program also offers technology products for sale to seniors who want to purchase a desktop or notebook computer of their own, or to adult children who may want to buy a computer for them. The computers run the Windows Vista® operating system, which is available in a Spanish-language version. They come with a color printer and software applications designed to help seniors manage their household tasks, keep track of their prescriptions, and sharpen their memory with games. Seniors can also choose a larger keyboard for easier typing and pointing.

Small Business

For the Elevate Miami Small Business component, Microsoft is providing free Microsoft Office Accounting Express financial management software, Microsoft Office Live Small Business software, and Web site training to entrepreneurs. “We also assisted Miami with the training of trainers so that they can start setting up a whole community ecosystem,” says Thuneby.

I am very proud of these children’s accomplishments. When they have computers, it means their siblings and families also have a computer in the household. Dr. Rudy Crew Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Adds Osteen: “Empowering the 77,000 small businesses in the Miami area is very important to us. We want to provide them with the skill sets that empower them to become competitive in the global market.”

A Broad Partnership

A long-time partner of the City of Miami, Microsoft provided the operating systems, productivity software, and training for the program, as well as software licenses and substantial grants. “Since day one, Microsoft was involved with us, providing tangible items and advice, which we've valued greatly,” says Díaz.

Comments Maria Wynne, Senior Director with the Microsoft U.S. Public Sector area: “We have a really close relationship with the City [of Miami] that allows us to have a very open dialogue on the needs of the city at a high level. The City of Miami embraced our Digital Literacy Curriculum in an incredible way.”

The private sector has supported other vital elements of Elevate Miami’s infrastructure. Comcast provided broadband Internet connectivity for all of Miami’s ePark facilities. AT&T supported the eSenior senior centers with broadband access. Other corporate partners include Intel, Dell, and McAfee.

Benefits

Elevate Miami has demonstrated how digital literacy and access can help improve the fabric of a city. “Elevate Miami touches the lives of thousands of children, seniors, low-income residents, and small businesses, turning parks, schools, and senior and government centers into free access points to the world,” says Díaz.

More Digitally Literate Children

In April 2008, 551 sixth-grade students from 12 participating Miami schools were recognized for completing the Elevate Miami Rites of Passage program and received their free computers. The AT&T Foundation has provided funding to support connecting each student’s earned computer to a DSL Light connection free for one year.

“I am very proud of these children’s accomplishments,” Crew says. “When they have computers, it means their siblings and families also have a computer in the household. They can seek out knowledge, research a homework project—and have that opportunity consistently. The city gets better when these 600 kids are graduating from high school and are fluent in the technological ways of the world.” Another 2,100 sixth-grade students will be eligible to participate in this-coming school year’s program.

The program helps give children a broader perspective. “It’s so important for children to be exposed to these opportunities, so they can understand that the world has more to offer them than the block that they live on,” says Lisa Martinez, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Grants Administration for MDCPS. “They start to get an understanding of what you need to be able to do as an individual within a community and a workforce.”

“They took home a lot more than computers,” Díaz says. “They and their families got connected to an unbelievable wealth of knowledge and information, bringing the world into their homes. And in so doing, a greater number of our children from all walks of life will be able to compete, become conversant in the language of information, and be ready to assume the knowledge jobs of tomorrow.”
The City of Miami and the MDCPS plan to continue this program for every student as they enter the sixth grade in future years.

Improved Quality of Life for Adults and Seniors

Through the Microsoft Unlimited Potential program, 150 working-age adults have received technology training to help improve their employability skills since the first classes began in April 2008 at four ePark locations. Over 700 hours of monitored computer lab usage have been logged since that time.

And more than 330 seniors have participated in eSenior classes since the first class was offered in June 2007, with 500 expected to be served by 2009. “We were all surprised by the incredible reaction we had from seniors, and the enthusiasm with which they have learned and used the technology,” says Wynne.

Manuel Delvalle is the Project Director for Sisters and Brothers, a community service agency for the elderly that provides daily computer classes. “It's opened up a new world for them,” Delvalle says. “Elevate Miami has shown our participants how to use the computer to search for jobs, how to communicate with relatives who are abroad, how to pay their bills online, how to search for social services,” adds Delvalle. “It makes life easier for them.”

More Competitive Small Businesses

The Elevate Miami program has reached 50 small businesses in the metro-Dade area thus far, with 30 of them creating Web sites using the Microsoft Office Live program.

The skill sets provided by the program help small businesses become more effective and successful. “We can help accelerate their ability to reach their customers, thereby bringing in revenues quicker,” says Wynn.

The City expects to continue to reach over 100 businesses every four to six months by expanding its Web development/student internship program. It is also planning to offer another internship program in 2009 that will train small businesses in using the Microsoft Office Accounting Express software.

An Award-Winning National Model

Elevate Miami is a unique yet highly replicable model which builds on structures that most cities have. “We make it very easy for cities to take our curriculum and version it to the relevant skills needed by each particular community,” says Wynne.

In June 2007, Mayor Díaz received the prestigious City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors in recognition of Elevate Miami’s innovative approach to reducing poverty, a cornerstone of which is digital inclusion.

In the end, Elevate Miami helps address the roots of income inequality. “This program can be really one of the great equalizers in life,” says Díaz. “It's really about giving the people that you represent the ability to be a part of the world that we live in. And if you don't do that, then the world is passing your city by.”

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: 
www.microsoft.com

For more information about the City of Miami, call (888) 31-3233 or visit the Web site at: 
www.miamigov.com