The Smarmy Carny

One Economy Corporation's Digital Connectors program has young people helping their community through technology. Here are two brothers who worked in the program:

Jeremy and Justin Smith have enjoyed working with computers for years. Now the 16-year-old twins from south Chicago are learning enough to teach others – thanks to One Economy’s Digital Connectors program. In the fall of 2005, the engaging teenagers enrolled in the One Economy Digital Connectors course to prepare them for A+ certification in computer set-up and troubleshooting. Participants in the program received a small stipend and One Economy paid the fee for taking the A+ certification test.
Jeremy and Justin are already using their skills to help others – friends in the neighborhood, teachers at their school and even an occasional paying client who needs assistance with a computer problem.
“The Digital Connectors program is really great,” says Jeremy. “It gets kids involved with the community. I like giving back and this program gives me an opportunity to do that.”
Adds Justin: “It gives kids alternatives to just standing around on the street. It teaches them something that will be useful to their futures.” Despite a busy schedule that includes the computer training, coaching a little league team and participating in a robotics competition, the twins are already thinking about their future. Both are taking a course at a nearby college and they’re making plans for the computer business they hope to open someday. Also in the boys’ plans: a community center in Chicago to offer technology training to people in the area. “It’s something we really want to make happen,” says Jeremy.
One Economy’s work in Chicago has been generously supported by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

There are dozens of stories like this that come out of the Digital Connectors program. When you help kids to learn to help others, it's always a win-win situation.

One Economy's The Beehive offers low-income people and families plenty of information on various categories. One of those categories is Money.

Since this is a fairly large section, The Beehive's Money category is split out into a quite a few various subsections:

• Taxes
• Saving & Investing
• Banks & Credit Unions
• Budgeting
• Loans
• Credit & Debt
• 401Ks and Retirement
• Sending Money
• Paying Bills
• Child Support
• Becoming a Homeowner

The Money section of The Beehive will show low-income users how to create a budget, open a checking account, send money to people, pay bills, collect child support, and obtain a credit report. One entire section explains how to make sure you are getting all the credits you qualify for on your taxes and even allows those earning under $40,000 a year to file their taxes online for free. The Beehive will also explain the process of how to buy a home or get a loan.

This section really does cover a wealth of information. (Yes, pun intended.)

One Economy's The Beehive offers low-income people and families plenty of information on various categories. One of those categories is titled Jobs and Careers. Subsections in the Jobs and Careers section are:

• Find a Job
• How to Apply for a Job
• Plan a Career
• Starting a New Job
• Getting Training and Education
• Make More Money
• Unemployment Benefits

The Beehive has information on how to perform a job search online and offline, write a resume, and how to interview for a job. There are also articles about pursuing further education and getting a GED. The site also features articles on how to increase your earnings along with an "interest inventory quiz", much like the one guidance counselors gave in high school, that matches your personal interests with careers. After all, if you like what you do, then you'll do a better job at it.

The site also has information on unemployment benefits — how to know if you qualify and how to get them.

One Economy Corporation's Digital Access Fund program began work in Baltimore in 2005, and it is now active in communities around the country. The Digital Access Fund provids low-interest loans to bring computers into the homes of low-income families. One Economy teams up with banks to obtain these low-interest loans.

One family was able to purchase a computer and repay the loan in small, manageable installments over 18 months. When this is the only option, it helps school age children can get their assignments done on time without having to leave the house to use a computer.

As I've mentioned, One Economy doesn't stop at helping low-income people to get the computer. Once they have the computer, Digital Connectors also help the families get their computers installed and set up for use.

Up to this point, I have posted seven posts about One Economy Corporation and six installments of Grating Ratings.

Instead, I'll appeal to you now to help One Economy with their programs. I have written about most of One Economy's major programs already, so please look back and see what they are doing to help low-income individuals and families. I think they're really onto something and deserve your money. In case you missed those posts, you can read all my posts regarding One Economy Corporation.

The nicest way to donate is by sponsoring me and my Blogathon efforts as I blog every 30 minutes for 24 hours straight. For more information on how to sponsor me, check out my Blogathon page, or you can just sponsor me now! Don't worry — you send your money straight to One Economy Corporation, not to me!

Sponsorship update: 5 pledges for $70.00

Bookmark this now, because One Economy's upcoming site ZipRoad is scheduled to go live by mid-August 2007!

ZipRoad is an education-related website designed to enable parents and caregivers to make informed decisions about their children's education and learning. It localizes information and content based on zip code, informing parents about educational resources in their immediate area. Through technology, these users will have access to content through a virtual network of information compiled in a user-friendly manner, thus ensuring they do not remain isolated from important education information.

ZipRoad content is created and designed for the low-income/low-literacy parent as it is produced at a sixth grade reading level and written in both English and Spanish. Each section provides information about schools, programs, and organizations, as well as support content providing information about how to evaluate and use the data. Parents are able to rate and review all of the content on ZipRoad, allowing users to create an online discussion about resources and further helping them make informed decisions.

ZipRoad is an efficient, scalable way to support students both in and outside of schools. Technology and the Internet can bridge the achievement gap by efficiently delivering information, products and services to students left behind.

Bookmark ZipRoad today and don't forget to check back at the end of August!

One Economy's 24/7Townhall is the first social website focused on helping technologically-isolated Internet users increase their awareness of and engagement in important social, political, and economic issues. One Economy believes that technology can be the means for a new brand of civic engagement that can transform communities and make agencies accountable by distributing information and allowing people to speak out.

24/7Townhall provides tools and support for people to help shape the way their communities learn, think, and act. 24/7Townhall trains, equips, and guides "citizen journalists" on their path to producing quality, yet raw, content for their communities. This is accomplished by allowing users to participate in various ways:

• Record their thoughts on the site via cutting-edge audio recording tools.
• Rate and discuss all the content on the site.
• Moderate their own discussions and decide for themselves the norms of their online communities.
• Participate in livability assessments.
• Hold social service providers accountable by speaking out and assessing their effectiveness.

Much like The Beehive, you can choose National or local versions of the site. Unfortunately, the only local version on 24/7Townhall is for Portland, OR.