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Building Skills, Volunteerism and Civic Capacity:
The Colorado Internet Masters Program
Prepared for:E-Commerce, Impacting the Way We Do Business
Professional Development ConferenceNashville, TN, October 2001
By:Sheila Knop & Diana LaughlinCenter for Rural Assistance
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
1¼ hour session with mini-presentations, discussion and hand-out materials
Objectives:
Participants will have opportunity to: Offer thoughts on Internet status, effects &
prospects, esp. for rural areas & people Consider Internet-related activities that build
human, social, economic, other capital Learn about the Colorado Internet Masters
Program’s Partners-participants & major components Course & Trainer Workshop curriculum
Session Objectives (cont’d)
Participants also will have opportunity to: Learn about the Colorado Internet Masters
Program’s Operations & cost-sharing E-community, e-commerce aspects Contribution to several types of capital,
multiple goals Availability beyond Colorado
Gain contacts for more information
Let’s think about the Internet Jot descriptors about the Internet’s:
Local - GlobalFor RuralPlaces, People
Current status?
Impacts?
Futureprospects?
Let’s consider types of “capital” What are examples of these types?
Financ./Econ. Social Human
Natural Environment Constructed Environment
Importance of capital? Resources invested to create new resources
Internet-related activity to build different types?
(ref.: Cornelia Flora/NCRDC & others)
We’ll return to ideas about capital formation later.
Let’s look at the Colorado Internet Masters
Program now . . .
Internet Masters:Program, Course,
Volunteerism
Internet MastersT rainer
Volunteers
Internet MastersC iv ic
Volunteers
Internet MastersC ourse
C O LO R AD OInternet Masters
Program
Program Sponsors
The Colorado Internet Masters Program is an educational and civic volunteer program of
Colorado Rural Development Council,
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension,
Small Business Development Centers,
Colorado Rural Technology Academy
and partners.
Why the Colorado Internet Masters Program?
Strong rural interest in Internet training. Limited staff in schools, university outreach
and extension. Multi-agency commitment to making access
to training available. Help provide access and understanding for
more people. Work to bring rural communities
“up to speed!”
How does the program work? Patterned after Extension’s master gardeners
program -- “Learn a skill to benefit self and community.”
Modeled, in part, after the University of Missouri’s Internet Master Program.
Participants receive 30 hours of instruction, including lab time.
Participants volunteer 30 hours to help advance community understanding of the Internet, OR become a volunteer Trainer.
Program Partners-Participants
Participants from diverse backgrounds who: Can navigate in Windows, want Internet skills Commit to civic or trainer volunteerism Complete Course & other requirements
State leadership team members Local organizing committees (LOCs) More groups that offer lab-space, local cost-
share
A Design to BenefitIndividuals and Communities Through Personal Learning
and Civic or Trainer Volunteerism
(see handout, detailed flow chart)
Colorado Internet Masters Program
Internet Masters Civic Volunteers
Complete the 30 hour Internet Masters Course.
Complete 30 hours of volunteer work in community using newly acquired skills from Internet Masters Course. Half the volunteer hours must be in a group
setting.
Submit a list of completed, verifiable volunteer activities.
Internet Masters Volunteer Trainers
Complete the 30 hour Internet Masters Course
Attend a 12 hour workshop on how to teach an Internet Masters Course
Team-teach 2 Internet Masters Courses and complete 1 additional approved activity within 18 months
Are not asked to commit to 30 hours of civic volunteerism
Certification?
When requirements for volunteerism
are completed:
Civic volunteer certified as Internet Master Trainer volunteer certified as Internet Master
Trainer Some volunteers continue work in local
areas & for Program
About the Internet Masters Course
30 hours of slide-lectures, dialogue, lab work Co-teaching team of 3 volunteer Trainers Extensive 10-Session Course curriculum Commercial textbook Participants pay a fee for the Course, reduced
fee if commit to volunteerism @ regist. time
Content of the Course?
Program orientation Learning styles Volunteerism planning Internet & WWW
concepts, connections Browsers Evaluating WWW info. Searching
E-mail, mail Lists… File management, virus
protection Attachments, Internet
files, finding software Web page development E-commerce, online
marketing for bus./consumers/orgs.
How are the sessions structured?
Purpose Objectives Timeline Content: slide lectures, class dialogue Resources for further inquiry Assignments and practice Suggested readings from commercial text
What Does the Course Registration Fee Include?
10-session Course curric. plus textbook 30 hrs. instr. & lab work w/ 3 vol. Trainers Listserv for Course completers doing civic
vol. work, resource people to assist w/?’s Program/Course evaluations & more
feedback opportunities Pstg/hdlg. charges: for Course materials,
post-Course mail
Local Course Scheduling, Timing and Size
4-6 months lead-time required for: Local arrgmts., date choice, pblcty. & rgstr. Program’s recruiting of co-Trainers
LOCs set 30-hrs. of time w/Prog. advice Prog. shares prototype schdl., timed agenda Prefer, dep. on location of Course & trainers:
over 2-3 days ea. of 2 weeks (2 wks. betw.)
Lab space determines course size (10-20)
Local Organization
Local Organizing Committee may include: Local Internet Masters and Trainers Colorado Rural Development Council (CRDC)
members CSU Cooperative Extension staff Small Business Development Center staff Resource Conservation and Development Community Colleges Chambers of Commerce Local Internet Service Providers
Responsibilities of Local Organizing Committee
Meet with at least 3 partners Determine computer lab and lecture site
availability and select two sets of dates and times Explore availability of Internet Master
Trainers through CRDC Secure local sponsors Market the Program Identify participants/collect course fees Order Course materials
Resources That Local Organizers - Sponsors Provide?
Computer lab + classrm, eqpmt. (in-kind) Local publicity, mailings Mileage, meals, lodging for co-trainers Binders for Course curriculum Name tags & 1st session refreshments Options: scholarships, group meals Civic volunteerism ideas
Support the Partnership Program Provides?
Course & TW curric. developmt. (+CDs, OHs) Related publishing, printing, shipping Logistical support
Materials for LOCs, on-site mtg./conference call Conference calls w/co-Trainers 3 diff. interactive listservs, public website Prog. mktg., local mktg. mat’s, communications
Program design, policy guidance Sponsors’ org’l resources, state team time
The Trainer Workshop: Who & What’s Involved?
TW led by CSU-CE & CRDC staff Experienced volunteer Trainers, other
state team members help too New Trainer-elects:
Join in 12+ hrs. interactive instr., practice Get TW curriculum, Course CD & updates Pay travel, small regis. fee Gain more support via Trainer listserv
The Trainer Workshop: What’s Covered?
Program updates, plans Factors in learning-teaching, working w/adults Communication, & cultural considerations Effective teamwork in lectures, labs PowerPoint use & computer projection Planning & co-teaching demonstrations w/peer
feedback Roles-resps. of tchg. teams, LOC’s, the Prog. Tips from exp’d Trainers & Program leaders
Trainer Affiliations?
Some examples: CRDC, CSU-CE, SBDCs, CRTA Community colleges Private technology groups Public libraries & arts council representatives Econ. developmt. & historic preserv. groups Retired university faculty/staff
Program Numbers (Winter/Spring ’00 - July ’01):
130 Course completers, from 10 Courses 112 committed to civic or Trainer volunteerism
12 civic vol’s certified as Masters (+some state team) Often devoted >30 hrs; more certif’s soon
30 became active Trainers 10 certified as Master Trainers (+some state
team) Often devote > 120 hrs; more certif’s soon
How Do Civic Volunteers Multiply the Effort? Stories of Skill-Building, Webwork & More, with:
Senior citizens & centers, RSVP Local business (garage, banks, aviation) Housing staff, entrepreneurial loan program Library users & staffs City/county government units’ staffs Medical & sheriff dept. personnel Kids’ groups, elem. & high school classes
Let’s return to ideas about types of capital, introduced earlier . . .
Program Contributions to Capital Formation?
The small, intensive Program of informal education, civic & trainer volunteerism is yielding:
Human Internet knowledge-skills for pers., occ., civic use Job vita items for Course completions, certifications Deeper learnings through vol. tchg., helping others Team-tch. abilities, apprec. of complementarity Consumer savvy
Program’s Contributions to Capital Formation? (cont’d)
Social Interaction, communicat’s & friendship networks Joint-work, local & state partnerships Trust-building, resource info. exchange Multiplier effects of volunteerism Feeder for cont’g educ. & collegiate programs Secure uses of Internet, youth protection Community organizations’ savvy
Program’s Contributionsto Capital Formation? (cont’d)
Financial/Economic Resource-sharing investments Donations, local mini-grants Business savvy
Constructed Rural-institutional-global Internet networking Rural attention: Internet infrastructure needs
Additional Thoughts, Capital Formation
(1) Per definition of capital, early Program investments in various types of capital expected to yield new resources & more benefits over time;
(2) Community social capital contributes to other types of capital;
(3) Program’s Internet-related contributions also are saving resources like petrol, travel time & stress.
Program AvailabilityOutside Colorado?
Designed & operating without grant support, the Colorado Internet Masters Program contributes to public good. We encourage its replication/adaptation outside Colorado.
Available to other states, regions, nations: Course & Trainer Workshop curriculum, more materials & insights from our experience. An initial use rights fee is charged.
The Colorado Internet Masters Program is an educational and civic volunteer program of Colorado Rural Development Council, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Small Business Development Centers, Colorado Rural Technology Academy and partners. All rights reserved.
Want More Information?
Visit Colorado Internet Masters Program Website www.internetmasters.org
At Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Sheila Knop, Center for Rural Assistance (970/491-3688;
The Program ‘s Communicator, at Colorado Rural Development Council Margaret Bowes (970/262-2073; mbowes@ruralcolorado
.org)
