Federal grant to fund computer access for Rainier Vista families

$250,000 will provide computers and expert staffing

SEATTLE—October 22, 2004—Families at Rainier Vista will have access to up-to-date computer technology thanks to a $250,000 federal grant awarded to Seattle Housing Authority for high-tech programs that will be operated by Neighborhood House and the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the three-year grant to establish the Rainier Vista Technology Network. An additional $270,000 will be contributed from partner agencies to complete the program, which will start in January.

“We are very excited at the possibilities this grant opens up,” said Seattle Housing Authority Executive Director Tom Tierney. “This will help to erase the ‘digital divide’ that separates low-income residents from the information resources that more affluent people now take for granted.”

The nonprofit agency Neighborhood House will operate the network at Rainier Vista Technology Center, which will be geared toward adults and initially located in the Jobs Resource Center on the east side of the existing Rainier Vista community. The center will move into Neighborhood House’s new on-site facility, now under construction, in July 2005. 

“We see the computer lab as a real focal point for our new Rainier Vista Center,” said Mark Okazaki, executive director of Neighborhood House. “In today’s world, everyone relies on computing tools, on-going technology education and on-line resources. This lab will play a crucial role in keeping the community connected.”

Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club will operate a computer lab for youth, called Club Tech. With two labs at Rainier Vista, more people will be able to get online during peak hours and programs can be targeted to different age groups.

Residents of Rainier Vista and the surrounding community will be able to use the centers to access the internet, write school reports or resumes, apply for jobs online, and learn to use software programs. Residents also will be able to learn English as a second language and improve their overall literacy. This was especially important to the Rainier Vista Leadership Team. “In particular, we wanted to make it possible for our non-English speaking residents to focus on their ESL studies and continue their education,” said Chair Sandra Borders.

Funding will be used primarily to staff the centers with knowledgeable technology professionals who can  help users make the most of the labs. Funds will also help to equip the labs with the latest computers and software.

The goals of the Rainier Vista Technology Network go far beyond simple access to technology. They include increasing economic self-sufficiency for families living in and around Rainier Vista, reducing the specific barriers that residents face in reaching their goals, and increasing the academic success of low-income youth.

In addition to Neighborhood House and the Boys and Girls Club, the Technology Network partners include Horn of Africa Services, the Seattle Literacy Council, Deloitte Tax LLP, the Rainier Vista Leadership Team, Puget Sound Alliance for Community Technology and the City of Seattle Community Technology Program.  Also, SHA’s on-site employment services program JobsPlus will work closely with the Technology Network to help clients take full advantage of the lab’s resources and to enroll residents in employment services.