Home > One Economy

One Economy

Connected Communities: An initiative of One Economy and Delray Beach, Florida

http://www.one-economy.com
http://www.one-economy.com/ourwork (video)

This period in economic history has been dubbed the “information age” – a time when access to information and technology is the key to functioning locally and globally.  As governments are beginning to understand the importance of technology to society, the information age is already redefining many aspects of our lives.  How we learn, earn, bank, shop, and play have all been influenced by technology.  As an integral part of today’s society, the Internet is not just a vital tool for global communication but also an engine of economic growth.  The need for broadband Internet access, coupled with scalable computer acquisition programs and online content that facilitates success are critical to the residents, businesses and schools that are striving to rebuild their infrastructure and become full-fledged participants in the economy.

Households earning less than $15,000 annually in Delray Beach are far less likely than more affluent households to have a computer and broadband Internet connection at home – a reality born of economics, not culture.  The Internet can connect people to needed self-help and educational resources.  Lower-income individuals are more likely than higher income individuals to look online for information about a job – 50% of individuals earning less than $30,000 have used the Internet to find information about jobs[i]. 

Online tools can also transform how governments engage local citizens with public benefits by encouraging online versus in line interactions.  Conventional methods of contacting the government require government patrons to invest large amounts of time.  While time constraints affect all populations, they are particularly discouraging for people who must depend on government agencies in part for support.  Conversely, once conversant in its workings, the Internet provides a source of hassle-free contact.

Often, when low-income families do find public access to the Internet, it is difficult to find online content that is accessible and relevant for them to conduct private transactions that help fulfill basic human needs, such as work and educational supports, child care resources, and health insurance for children.  Content barriers, such as the lack of local content and literacy, language, and cultural diversity barriers, prevent users from finding, reading, and understanding the wealth of information that exists on the World Wide Web.[ii]   These barriers restrict opportunities for low-income individuals, but they can be lifted with the appropriate use of technology.

Delray Beach

The City of Delray Beach understands the importance of providing broadband access to all of its residents. Emerging as a leader among American cities, Delray Beach demonstrates a consistent commitment to promoting policies of digital inclusion, which earned it a national commendation by the Digital Cities Survey awards two years in a row.

The current work of AccessDelray.org highlights the city’s continued dedication to ensuring access to technology for all Delray Beach’s citizens. AccessDelray.org aims at establishing a digital community that encompasses all of Delray Beach—providing access and information to all of its residents. Through this project, Delray Beach has made great strides in launching a high speed city-wide broadband wireless network that mutually benefits local resident, business, and municipal services.

In order for AccessDelray.org’s endeavors remain successful, the established digital community must be able to retain a high level of self-sustainability. To that end, One Economy can help.

One Economy Background

One Economy, founded in 2000, is the world’s leading technology focused nonprofit organization.  Our mission is to connect low-income people and communities to the 21^st century economy by catalyzing wide-scale access to broadband, computers, and online educational content.  We have helped bring broadband into the homes of over 300,000 low-income people, and our Beehive website has been visited over 14 million times.

No organization has more experience harnessing the power of technology to help low-income, working Americans than One Economy Corporation. One Economy has successfully demonstrated that low-income people can and will use the Internet to receive information and resources and that they will make decisions in their self-interest based on that information. 

A study by the Knight Foundation confirmed that One Economy’s programs help low-income individuals become more informed and engaged. Over a two-year period, an independent evaluator, SRI International, conducted a study to measure the impact of One Economy’s programs in Miami and San Jose. The research found that One Economy program participants were more likely than the national sample to make technology a part of their lives.  They reported higher rates of improved job performance, health outcomes, and community connections because of their Internet use.

Since our creation, One Economy’s work has centered on the following areas:

Access.  One Economy works with top-of-market partners, such as Progressive Redevelopment, Inc., to facilitate the deployment of broadband into the homes of low-income families. We focus on creating affordable options so that low-income families can acquire the connectivity and hardware they need to be part of the digital age. Toward that end, One Economy has successfully worked to amend housing policies in 42 states and brought broadband Internet access into the homes of 300,000 low-income Americans. We have also provided technical assistance to hundreds of community-based, nonprofit housing developers to increase their capacity to deploy broadband in all of their housing developments and to maximize its uses on behalf of residents.

On-the-Ground.  One Economy supports youth and on-the-ground outreach programs designed to support a culture of technology use in cities throughout the United States. We work with local partners in these ‘Digital Communities’ to create environments that foster learning and demonstrate the full benefits of technology to low-income people through training, affordable PC acquisition programs and use of the Beehive. Our Digital Communities have demonstrated how technology can enhance the interaction between low-income people, nonprofits, local government, and the private sector. 

In addition, to help foster a culture of technology use and understanding, One Economy leverages the natural affinity that young people have for technology. One Economy’s Digital Connectors is a youth development model that identifies talented young people, immerses them in technology training, and provides them valuable workforce and leadership skills in preparation for participation in the new economy.  Using a combination of structured lessons, experiential learning, and on-the-job experiences, the Digital Connectors program trains and employs young people, between the ages of 14 and 21 who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, to promote and support the adoption and use of technology among families and individuals in their respective communities. To date, 600 youth in our Digital Connectors program have delivered over 25,000 hours of service to approximately 7,000 families across twelve cities.

Our national affiliate program supports programs across the United States by providing curriculum in seven areas which develops youth in three critical areas of personal development, workforce readiness, and technology.

§         Digital Arts and Youth Media

§         Community Broadband Deployment

§         Computer and Internet Training

§         Civic Journalism

§         Computer Distribution

§         Entrepreneurship

§         Community Asset Mapping & Marketing

§         Leadership Development

Online Resources.  While One Economy has helped to bring technology into affordable housing and communities around the country, we believe that access is only a means to an end; it is less relevant if people cannot use it to access content that they can use to raise their standard of living and connect to the economic mainstream.  In October of 2001, One Economy launched a multilingual, self-sufficiency web portal called The Beehive.  Since the launch of the Beehive, the site has been visited more than 14 million times, connecting people to vital information and resources in areas including money, health, jobs, school and entrepreneurship. The Beehive now helps several hundred thousand people every month, more than 70% of whom live in zip codes in the lowest income census tracts. We have more than 50 localized versions which provide area-specific information and resources.

Through the Beehive:

·        Over 309,000 high schoolers have gotten help on their homework

·        Over 80,000 people have learned how to achieve their GED

·        350,000 people have learned about Medicaid

·        500,000 have learned about filing for unemployment benefits

·        235,000 people have learned about creating a family budget

Our Proposal

One Economy recommends that the City of Delray Beach support a planning process for the West Atlantic, Pompey Park community specifically and the Delray Beach community at large.  This effort will take 1– 3 months to complete.

Digital Access Plan and Blueprint for Delray Beach, FL

The Digital Access Plan and Blueprint will allow us to evaluate the access solutions and potential deployment of a wireless internet solution and the readiness of the community to participate and sustain the digital inclusion programs that are needed to create a culture of use. At the end of the initial engagement, One Economy will produce a comprehensive access plan including technology recommendations and potential business models to support the deployment of the network to the entire Delray Beach community.  The blueprint will provide a comprehensive environmental scan which inventories local access, connectivity, content and training opportunities; an assessment of social service agencies’ capacity for program participation; a digital access plan and business model and a blueprint all to support implementing a 21^st Connected Community.

Outlined below is the scope of work One Economy will provide The City of Delray Beach.

Technology Assessment:

·        Determine boundaries of relevant community. Site survey of the community.

·        Recommend a pilot and surrounding area.

·        Identify the pilot project if needed.

·        Develop Canopy Strategy.

·        Develop Wireless Mesh Strategy.

·        Through interviews, determine relevant stakeholders (Churches, schools systems, municipalities, ISPs, etc) their capacities, their plans or requirements, and their preferred approach to a subsidized high-speed Internet access program for low-income households in the designated areas

·        Evaluate current cabled and wireless telecommunications infrastructure in each community

·        Identify and screen prospective ISP venders

·        Work with prospective partners to perform on-site, inside and outside survey for wireless signal reception, coverage areas, environmental issues, and vertical assets for wireless network infrastructure linked to educational institutions

·        Prioritize functional, business, and technical requirements of key stakeholders

·        Identify gaps and shortfalls in the telecommunications infrastructure in terms of capital , ISP coverage, ongoing maintenance, and capacity to support a subsidized Internet access program for low-income households

·        Review alternative technology solutions.

Adoption Assessment

·        Identify gaps and shortfalls in the community services infrastructure for the community to deliver training, equipment and technology resources to residents

·        Identify public access possibilities to support the learning

·        Develop Technical Youth Deployment Strategy.

·        Develop Hardware Deployment Strategy

·        Develop Adoption Strategies that will encourage a culture of use among residents and community organizations.

Recommendations:

·        Develop the access recommendation and digital inclusion program

·        Estimate cost for wireless installation for Delray Beach, if required provide recommendations that will launch the program in phases

·        Estimate ongoing operating costs for ISP and network maintenance

·        Recommend network ownership structure and operating plan, with models for pricing, subsidy for low-income households, billing, maintenance and revenue generation

·        Recommend preferred and alternative methods to subsidize the cost of high-speed Internet access for low-income households

·        Detail a model for providing affordable hardware to low income residents, including computers and any customer premise equipment to connect to the Internet

·        Identify all of the community partners that will assist and sustain the residents in the adoption of the technology initiative

§         Computer training

§         Technical Assistance

§         Youth Technology Initiatives

§         Marketing and Outreach

§         Relevant Local Content

·        Create a community Digital Inclusion Advisory Board which will support the activities and provide the oversight to the pilot project

·        Provide written Digital Access and Blueprint which will include all of the above recommendations, requirements, and estimates, and map of proposed  ISP infrastructure, along with a comprehensive outline of the proposed digital inclusion programs that will support community adoption

We look forward to your favorable consideration of this proposal.  If you have questions please feel free to contact us.

Sonja Murray

Senior Vice President

One Economy Corporation