Summer 2012 Issue

I N T H I S I S S U E :

Cover Story: Byte Back’s Winter Graduation

1

Director’s Corner 3

Computer Classes in American Sign Language

3

Big News 4

Student Spotlight: Misty Chin

4

Byte Back Certification Programs

5

Byte Back Success Story

5

Volunteer Of The Quarter

5

Byte Back Keeps You Informed

6

Some Words From Our Students

7

Student Survey Results

7

Byte Back’s 2012 Cheers Our Volunteers Event

8

National Volunteer Week

8

Volunteers 9

Partner Sites 10

Partner Spotlight 11

A Quarterly Newsletter

Summer 2012

INFO-BYTES Mayor Gray Attends

Byte Back’s Trilingual Graduation

By: Rebecca Stewart (Articles excerpted from January– April

E-Newsletters)

On April 5th, 2012 - Mayor Gray attended Byte Back’s first trilingual graduation ceremony at the Luke C. Moore Academy. Speakers addressed attendees in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Over 100 students and their guests attended the event to celebrate the accomplishments of the IC3 (Internet Computing Core Certification), A+ Certification and Office Track (job readiness and Microsoft Office) students. Mayor Gray was joined by key representatives from his administration, including Lisa Mallory, director of the DC Department of Employment Services; Roxana Olivas, director of the DC Office on Latino Affairs; Charles Thornton, director of the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs; Chris Tonjes, director of Information Technology at DC Government, who also made remarks Students also heard from guest speaker Leah Katz Hernandez, who addressed the attendees in American Sign Language and explained the importance of giving back to the community through public service. Rebecca Barge, Director of Education at The Family Place, delivered a speech in English and Spanish, about the value of the educational opportunities Byte Back has provided for the community. In addi-tion, she shared that several staff members at The Family Place have taken computer classes at Byte Back and she has seen firsthand how much it has improved their skills and productivity as employees. Office Track graduate Vanessa Hawkins impressed the audience with her creativity and presented her resume in a PowerPoint presentation. Iris Gomez, student speaker, spoke of her Byte Back experience and Barbara Moore, founder of Jubilee Housing cele-brated the strong, mutual partnership between Byte Back and Jubilee Housing.

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Summer 2012 Issue

Byte Back’s Spring Graduation (Continued)

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Candid Photos from Byte Back’s Winter Graduation

The icing on the cake was the special guest appearance of Mayor Vincent Gray. He delivered the keynote speech, con-gratulated students on their achievements, and then distributed graduation certificates. Mayor Gray spoke about the im-portance of computer literacy and giving all individuals an equal opportunity to succeed. One City One Hire is his latest initiative aimed at easing the hiring process for employers by partnering with the Department of Employment Services (DOES) and putting Washington, D.C. residents back to work. Mayor Gray’s speech was especially moving and left the audience inspired to face challenges they may encounter while seeking employment. The evening ended with a reception in the cafeteria complete with catered appetizers and plenty of room to mingle and celebrate students and their success. Congratulations to our graduates!

Instructors Young Choi, Carolyn Kraemer and Cristina Moscoso pose with students from the Office Track class in Spanish

Keynote Speaker, Mayor Vincent Gray

Leah Katz Hernandez, Ameri-can Association of People with Disabilities, Youth Transitions

Fellow

Lisa Mallory, Director, DC Department of Employment

Services

Charles Thornton, Director, DC Office on Returning Citizen

Affairs

Roxana Olivas, Director, DC Office on Latino Affairs

Young Choi, Volunteer Instructor

Barbara Moore, Jubilee Housing Founder

Chris Tonjes, Director of Information Technology, DC Government

Summer 2012 Issue

Much has been written in the past few years about the cur-rent and future shortage of nonprofit executive directors, and thankfully, many foundations and agencies have taken action to address this concern, creating ways to honor the

work done by executive directors, such as The Meyer Foundation’s Exponent Award and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s Excel Award. The MARPAT Foundation initiated a peer coaching pro-gram in which executive directors learn to support one another at small monthly gatherings. Some foundations have even funded sabbaticals to enable executive directors to take a much-needed break from the sometimes crushing responsibility of the job. Running a nonprofit organization is a challenging task in the best of circumstances, but it can be particularly burdensome in the midst of

tough economic times. When “life happens,” such as when an executive director is facing a serious illness or injury, or must handle the death of a close family member, it is often next to impossible to take the time off to properly handle these crises. However, with the pain of leadership comes the glory as well. Yet every week, day in and day out, it is the nearly-anonymous staff that do the hands-on work of changing lives, giving so much of themselves to accomplish the mission of their organization. They make financial sacrifices, not only because they earn far less than they could make in the corporate world, but often by making purchases, small and large, to bene-fit the clients they care so much about. It is common for them to work erratic and irregular hours that would make a wait-ress’ schedule look predictable, sometimes sacrificing major aspects of their private lives to do so. The staff at most non-profits must handle uncertainty as a way of life. As funds get tight, employees worry about furloughs and layoffs. As budgets rise or fall, and as staff turnover inevitably happens, they pick up the slack. If an organization is growing, staff are often doing the job of two positions before someone is hired to fill the second position. If an organization is downsiz-ing, the size of the staff often shrinks much faster than the amount of work. When organizations are short-staffed and under-funded, this also means that an employee is lacking the resources needed to get the job done well. For bright, talented individuals, this can be very frustrating. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice that nonprofit employees make involves the risks they take with their hearts. They make the choice every day to come into work, to listen to the heart-wrenching stories of the people they serve, and to offer hope and opportunity. This takes enormous emotional strength and fortitude. The staff of nonprofits are so special be-cause they are able to endure so much. They do this because they believe in the mission of their organization and sin-cerely want to serve their community. They do this work because it brings the kind of richness and meaning that can only come from doing work for others, and a lot of good things happen as a result of all their dedication. For all the sacrifices staff members make, the hard work they do and more, I would like to say thank you to the staff at Byte Back, and to those that serve at other nonprofits across the city. They are our future executive directors.

Kelley Ellsworth, Executive Director

Director’s Corner

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End of Course Student Survey Results Strongly

agree Agree

No opinion

Disagree Strongly

disagree Not applicable

I am more comfortable with a com-

puter. 62.9% 33.2% 0.9% 0.9% 0.4% 1.7%

I use the computer more fre-

quently. 49.6% 35.3% 6.9% 5.2% 0.4% 2.6%

I feel more confident with my com-

puter skills. 57.8% 35.3% 2.6% 1.3% 1.7% 1.3%

I understand the basic use of the

applications I've learned. 62.1% 34.1% 1.7% 0.9% 0.0% 1.3%

I feel I can apply what I've learned

outside the classroom. 63.8% 32.3% 3.0% 0.4% 0.4% 0.0%

I feel I am more skilled than when I

entered the course. 70.7% 28.0% 0.9% 0.4% 0.0% 0.0%

I will continue to take computer clas-

ses. 72.0% 24.1% 2.2% 0.4% 0.4% 0.9%

End of Course Student Survey Results

Summer 2012 Issue

Student Spotlight: Misty Chin By: Rebecca Stewart

Misty Chinn is a senior citizen who started taking Byte Back classes in the fall of 2011 to learn how to use the computer. Due to an on-the-job injury, Misty found herself on workers compensation trying to figure out what to do with her life when she stumbled upon a Byte Back flyer at the library. She started taking PC for Beginner Seniors and really enjoyed learning how to use the computer with her peers. Misty said, “Byte Back lets seniors know that they are still viable community members and this gives them dignity. Byte Back doesn’t discriminate; their doors and ears are open to senior citizens.”

After successfully completing PC for Beginner Seniors, Misty immediately enrolled in Office Track, a course that teaches students how to use key programs in Microsoft Office such as Word, Excel, Out-look, and PowerPoint, as well as job readiness skills. Misty wanted to continue learning new skills. She

attributes much of her success to her wonderful volunteer teacher, Katie Trizna. “Katie was a very patient teacher and was always there for me. If I needed help she would come in early or stay late after class. She felt more like a friend than a teacher. Katie was so helpful and never said no. When I got a good grade on a test she was so happy for me and made me feel like I mattered,” said Misty. Although she graduated from Office Track in December, she continues to cor-respond with Katie and considers her a friend.

Misty is currently enrolled in paralegal classes and hopes to work in a law firm after she completes her certification. She is grateful for the opportunity to have taken Byte Back classes because without them she would have felt overwhelmed in her paralegal studies. Byte Back not only taught Misty how to research online but also made it possible for her to earn her own computer from First Time Computers. Additionally, Misty took her Byte Back classes at the library and as a re-sult she was eligible to receive free internet for a year. She lives on a fixed income, and without the internet she would not be able to complete her paralegal homework. Misty noted that “rent is going up but my income isn’t. Byte Back helped open a brand new world to me with a free computer and Internet. I am so thankful for [Glenn Stein] who came up with the idea for Byte Back.”

Byte Back has made such a positive impact in Misty’s life that she has become a Byte Back advocate. “No matter where I go I tell everyone about Byte Back because I want other seniors to have the same opportunity that I had,” said Misty. “Byte Back has made it possible for people to continue their education and has put a spring in my step. I’m so thankful for a program like Byte Back.”

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Big News: Byte Back Wins One of Ten AARP Foundation

Grants Awarded Nationwide!

In February 2012, the AARP Foundation awarded a two-year, $160,000 grant to Byte Back. Funding from the AARP Foundation will allow Byte Back to retrain older work-ers to better compete in their previous careers or to obtain mid-level information tech-nology (IT) positions, which are plentiful and growing in the city.

Byte Back Executive Director Kelley Ellsworth said, “We are delighted to be in a position to help older workers gain the latest technological skills that in turn allow them new employment opportunities in fields that will pay a living wage.” As you may know, Byte Back offers eight different industry-recognized IT certification programs aimed at growing occupa-tions that pay a living wage. This grant is one of only ten Income Grants the AARP Foundation awarded to nonprofit organizations across the nation. “In these tough economic times, helping older Americans meet their basic needs is critical,” said AARP Foundation President Jo Ann Jenkins. “We look forward to working with our innovative grantees who share our goals so that togeth-er, we can seed hope for older Americans who are struggling,” added Phyllis L. Kim, AARP Foundation senior vice presi-dent, Office of Grants Administration. Byte Back offers a special PC for Beginners course for Senior Citizens, which is customized for the interests and learn-ing styles of seniors, and of course, seniors are welcome in any of our other courses as well! To view our upcoming courses, visit our website, www.byteback.org. For more information about the AARP Foundation’s grants program, visit www.aarp.org/foundationgrants. AARP Foun-dation is AARP’s affiliated charity.

Misty Chinn

Summer 2012 Issue

Byte Back Certification Programs: Gladys Shares Her Experience

“As a two-time student of Byte Back, I wanted to take a moment to express how much I’ve grown as a career-minded individual. I am now confident in myself, where before I felt de-feated. I believe that I can sustain my family and my household now. After taking Office Track, I realized that I have the potential to do greater things and I learned many valuable skills to be used in an office setting. In addition, I also learned how to present myself. I am very grateful for Byte Back and the MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) training that I am cur-rently taking.”

“Byte Back has made my decision to pursue a certification program the greatest learning experience of my life. Initially, because of my age and lack of higher education, I was threat-ened by what computer savvy youth had to offer in the job market. I just knew no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to compete with college graduates. I felt defeated

and doomed to work a job, and never launch a career, for the rest of my life. Now, I feel empowered as a single mother and grandmother to embark on a new and lucrative career path. The instructors, advisors and volunteer tutors have boosted my confidence tremendously. They encourage me to try harder; they have introduced me to resources that I never knew were available. They have had pa-tience and sincerity in explaining the curriculum step by step, often times repeatedly until I have mastered the task. Even when I got frustrated, they were there to push me until I could push myself. When I think of where I would be without Byte Back, it’s a very scary thought. I am a Byte Back success story in the making and I know the best of my life is yet to come. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! I am ready to conquer the world after being enrolled at Byte Back!!!”

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Byte Back would like to give a big congratulations to Security+ Students: James Scott, Cherise Graves, Teresa A. Talley and James Green for landing their first paid internship! The 4 students each interned for 60 hours with the SAINT Corporation, a software product development company that aims to make network security easy and affordable.

Byte Back Success Story: New Beginnings

Born in St. Paul Minnesota, Janna Sue came into the world 2.5 months early. It is thought that be-cause of her premature arrival she was born deaf. Janna attended the Minnesota State School for the deaf where she excelled in sports and till this day she continues to be a “sports fanatic”. After high school Janna decided to attend Gallaudet University for communication studies. Gallaudet University is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accom-modate deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Janna is now a DC resident spending most of her days keeping fit and volunteering. Janna has been volunteering at Byte Back since the fall of 2011 as an assistant instructor for Byte Back’s PC for Be-ginners and Office Track classes in American Sign Language. At first, Janna says that she was very nervous, but now she enjoys every moment of volunteering her time and knowledge. Janna’s suc-cess as an assistant instructor has a lot to do with how she views her students; she believes they are

all individuals that require different attention. Each student in the PC for Beginners and Office Track classes taught in ASL requires tailored attention and communication. She transitions from communicating with one student who is deaf and blind to another that speaks Ethiopian (not American) Sign Language. Her tenacity and dedication has helped more than 20 students better their computer skills.

Janna says that being an assistant instructor has given her greater confidence and has inspired her to continue to help people in the future. She believes that despite all odds, her greatest accomplishment has been getting over the fear of teaching. Thank you, Janna Sue!

Volunteer of the Quarter: Janna Sue

Summer 2012 Issue

Byte Back Keeps You Informed: SOPA and PIPA By Andrew Quilpa

You may have heard the terms SOPA and PIPA on the news and wondered what the discussion was all about. SOPA stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act (House Bill 3261) and PIPA stands for the Protect IP Act (Senate Bill 968). PIPA, introduced to the Senate on May 12, 2011 by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and SOPA, introduced to the House in October 26, 2011 by Lamar Smith (R-TX) were proposed to combat overseas internet piracy. Both bills are rooted in the ongoing struggle between intellectual property hold-ers and the individuals and organizations distributing pirated material. The bills are being pushed by the powerful lobbying arms of the movie and music indus-tries, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry As-sociation of America (RIAA), to target individuals who are illegally sharing materials that

are copyrighted. The proponents of the legislation assert that current copyright laws are not strong enough to protect intellectual property on the internet, especially content on foreign websites. An example would be the recent seizure of web domains like Megaupload, as well as constant removal of copyrighted content from sites like Youtube. In the past, media advocacy organizations like the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Re-cording Industry Association of America (RIAA) dealt with piracy in a variety of ways like taking legal action against individuals or shutting down domains hosting copyrighted material. Such actions have so far been lim-ited to copyright infringements within the United States; however, a sizable amount of copyright infringement now occurs overseas by sites like The Pirate Bay in Sweden. While most people agree that there is nothing wrong with protecting movies and music from being pirated, SOPA and PIPA have been heavily criticized for their approach to combatting piracy. Prominent websites and technology companies, such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, eBay, and Wikipedia, have shown opposition against the legislation, claiming that its provisions are overbroad and stifle free speech and innovation. They charge that the legislation, which would give law enforcement extraordinarily broad authority to target web-sites suspected of piracy, imposes unreasonable burdens on lawful websites and grants the government too much power over technology. SOPA and PIPA have created an unprecedented wave of criticism. Some be-lieve that Congress is overreaching and harming future technological development at the command of power-ful and wealthy corporations. Legislation for both of the bills hit a snag on January 18, 2012 when several high profile Internet companies took steps to urge web users to oppose the bills. Websites like Wikipedia purposefully shut down their web-sites in protest, while others like Google modified their banners to include anti-SOPA messages. In a statement before the US House of Representatives Maria A. Pallante, the current United States Register of Copyrights, said, “The premise of copyright law is that the author of a creative work owns and can license to others certain exclusive rights.” Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution states that Congress has the power “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Pfizer, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Governor’s Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are some of the biggest supporters of PIPA and SOPA. Progress on SOPA and PIPA has slowed in the wake of criticism, but the bills remain in consideration and could still be passed during a quiet moment. Although the legislation has been fiercely criticized, the MPAA and RIAA are well-financed forces and continue to work to make these bills into law. Byte Back has no stance on the recent SOPA and PIPA laws. This article is for informational purposes only. Sources: http://www.pcworld.com/article/248298/sopa_and_pipa_just_the_facts.html http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/sopa-is-dead-smith-pulls-bill/ http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/sopa-internet-blackout/ http://www.copyright.gov/docs/regstat111611.html http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2012/0119/Five-major-SOPA-supporters/Motion-Picture-Association-of-America

Andrew Quilpa

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Summer 2012 Issue

Some Words From Our Students At the end of class, each student fills out a survey. Below are some responses from students who took our Winter classes.

All that I can say is that you are doing great job for the United States, DC, and the world at large please keep it up.

Being a senior citizen, unemployed, and having social security as my only income, having the opportunity to learn

the computer at no cost is a God send.

I am a homeless person and a female to boot. Since I've been in my present situation this class has been a light at

the end of an ugly tunnel with a very caring person holding the torch. Thank you very much. I mean that from my

heart.

I am truly convinced that I would not be where I am today without taking this course. I am excited and am thankful

for being introduced to Byte Back. Please keep up the good work!

I am very grateful for this opportunity to have the chance to take this class, it has opened my eyes, mind and world to

the different things you can use on the computer, before they were just buttons, Griffin has shown the uses of the

most important keys on the computer and their uses.

I felt the teacher handled all the different skill levels well and made us all feel at ease when we did have difficulty.

I love this school. This was probably the best move I ever made for myself in my life. As of now I love computers and

always willing to learn more!

I really thought the teacher helped us a lot to understand a lot of things that we did not understand and explained it in

detail so that we would be able to use the skills beyond the classroom.

I think I have improved a lot as far as my mental health issues since I've been here.

I would like to share my deepest appreciation for having this opportunity to further my computer skills because I did

not have any computer skills at all and now I feel as though I have accomplished something in my life.

Computer Classes in American Sign Language By: Rebecca Stewart

This week I sat down with Byte Back computer instructor Joseph Lewis to learn about what it’s like teaching computer literacy using American Sign Language (ASL). We talked about the unique aspects of serving the deaf, hard of hearing, and blind commu-nities and the specific challenges that its members face, but I also learned that these classes have much in common with those taught to the hearing community. Just like any group of students, Joseph’s students value a learning environment conducive to questions and are eager to use the skills that they learn to add to their personal and professional lives.

To conduct the interview, we used a Sorenson video chat system. This tool allows Joseph to sign his answers to an in-terpreter, who relays his responses to a listener via phone. Below are responses that I would like to share. What are the greatest challenges you have faced teaching ASL computer classes? My classes include students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and blind and each of them have different frustrations living in a hearing and seeing world. I’ve found it’s important to tailor the curriculum to ensure everyone’s specific learning needs are met while making sure everyone is involved in the learning process and feels welcomed in the classroom. Are there any differences as to what goes on in your class in comparison to classes that aren’t taught in ASL? When I teach, I use the projector and I direct students to read the lesson and then I sign it to them for clarification. I have also modified some of the exercises so they relate more specifically to the deaf community. Other than that I think my classes are similar because my students are eager to learn and happy to have the opportunity to take computer classes. Tell me about a particular student in your class who has stood out from the rest? I have never taught a deaf blind student before and this particular student is from another country and is just learning English and ASL. In the past he was able to see but now his vision has deteriorated to the point where he is legally blind. Before starting computer classes with Byte Back he didn’t have a Braille keyboard and had to rely on his caregiver to send and read email messages. Now he uses one of Byte Back’s Braille keyboards, along with special magnification software and has recently set up his own email account. When I asked him why he enrolled in computer classes at Byte Back he said he wanted to become more self-sufficient and tech savvy. He is now able to watch and read the newspaper online without his caregiver’s help. In the future he wants to be a board member for a non-profit advocacy group and said the first step is learning how to use computers. There is no doubt that the Byte Back computer class has improved the life of my student.

Joseph Lewis with ASL Graduates. Photo Courtesy of Kristian Whipple. www.kwhipple.com

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Summer 2012 Issue

National Volunteer Week: A Call From President Obama

8

On April 3, 2012 Byte Back’s spring volunteer appreciation event made it quit clear that our volunteers are very important people to Byte Back. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks were served in the beautiful Bank of America penthouse, steps from the White House, with a breathtaking view of the National Mall. Volunteers had a chance to get to know one another better, share teaching experiences, and net-work with board members. In reaction to the event, Katie Trizna, volunteer instruc-tor said, "It was really cool to meet other volunteers and share our experiences while looking outside at a spectacular view. It was a perfect night."

The diversity of Byte Back’s volunteers was represented; in attendance were veter-an volunteers and brand new volunteers, former students and IT professionals, as

well as board members. There were instructors who have taught in each quadrant of DC, and volunteers who have taught in English, Spanish, and ASL. Griffin, a volunteer instructor, said, “As an AmeriCorps instructor, I feel more con-nected now that I've gotten to know a bit about the behind-the-scenes people. It's exciting to be with the people who do the work to make Byte Back's program happen, by teaching, tutoring, raising money, and spreading the word so Byte Back and its students can succeed.” Those same sentiments were shared amongst the crowd. To toast to our volunteers, Director of Volunteer Services Eleanor Grewal raised her glass to thank them for all the time and energy they have devoted to Byte Back. Executive Director Kelley Ellsworth highlighted some of their recent accom-plishments. It was a night to remember and to give Cheers to Our Volunteers! If you are interested in becoming a Byte Back volunteer, please email Eleanor Grewal, volunteer coordinator, at egrewal@byteback.org or call 202-529-3395. Thank you to the Bank of America Foundation for the use of this gorgeous location for our event. For exclusive photos of the event, visit our photobucket page.

Byte Back’s 2012, Cheers to Our Volunteers Event

By: Eleanor Grewal

Joseph Lewis, Volunteer Instructor, got the chance to participate in a conference call at the White House. His reflection: On Wednesday, April 11, 2012, I sported AmeriCorps gear to the White House for a conference call with Wendy Spencer, the new CEO of Corporation for National and Community Service, (AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC and SeniorCorps.) It was truly an inspiration to be present with all the people who reflect the Nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for com-munities. Through a sign language interpreter I was able to participate in the conference call and was joined by 3,000 people across America in honor of the National Volunteer Week. It was electrifying when Ms. Spencer said, “Volunteering makes me happy… It makes a difference.” In conclusion, Ms. Spencer asked all volunteers to take a friend with them to create a service buddy system. It was even more rousing when the President of the United States joined the conference call to

say hello and tell AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps members to “keep up the good work.” President

Barack Obama took a moment to explain that “the FY2013 budget will have an increase to the Corporation for National

and Community Service. It’s the right thing to do.” As a two-year AmeriCorps member, I will never forget this phone call

and want to thank President Obama for recognizing the value of volunteering.

Joseph Lewis, instructor

Summer 2012 Issue

Carolyn Kraemer Cristina Moscoso

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Many Thanks to the Following Volunteers and Partners! (From January - April)

Very exciting things have been

happening at Byte Back lately.

Carolyn and I started hosting

tutoring sessions almost every

Saturday for our Spanish

speaking students. Even more

exciting, we are starting to plan

a job club for our Hispanic pop-

ulation as well! Like I said, very

exciting things are happening at

Byte Back!

-Cristina Moscoso, Volunteer

Adnan Bokari Afrika Hicks

Andrew Quilpa Angel Jaen

Antonio Mosley Arvind Iyer

Benjamin Johnson Carolyn Hyde

Carolyn Kraemer Cassandra Giddings

Charlene Wallace Charles Colbert

Christopher Holby Clarence Robinson

Connor Maxwell Cristina Moscoso

Cynthia Ward Dahlia Schaewitz Dannie Rogers

Dawn Hart Diane Leach Eboni Amos

Edward Lawrence Eric Harrison

Eric Lund Essie Collins

Eulas Cleckley

Gary Saucedo George Adams

Greg Smith Gregory Y. Loesch

H.Y. Griffin Iris Gomez

Israel Escobar Janna Erlandson

Jarrel McAfee Jason Hoekstra

JD Walter Jerryl Guy Jessica Ko Jewel Scott Jibri Howard

Jonathan Eidsvaag Joseph Lewis

Kalimba DuBose Karen Chiang Katie Trizna Keith Clark

Kimberly Bryant Lauren Rhoades

Leslie Cooper Linda Esah

Lindsey Heitman Margie Odle

Maria Ricasa Mario Burney

Matthew Hayes Meg Walker Millie Tran

Nicholas Osmanski Nicole Saunders Octavia Jordan Pamela Sharpe

Peggy Butler Piti Sinkantarakorn

Ralph J. Chittams Sr. Rebecca Stewart

Renee Dennis Robert Krieger Romona Foster

Scott Ryan Sean Shannon

Selina Cook Seth Spergel Shiekia Lee Taylor Maltz Theresa Sule

Victoria Gaines Wanjiku Uwangi

Young Choi Zenobia Harris

81 volunteers served 9,548 hours between January – April 2012!

At Byte Back, my favorite class to teach is

Personal Computing for Beginners (PCB)

in Spanish, because I love introducing

students to tools that are relevant to their

daily lives. In ways that many people to-

day take for granted, technology like

email and an Internet search engine can

revolutionize tasks like communicating

with friends and family or traveling from

one part of the city to another.

- Carolyn Kraemer, Volunteer Instructor

The rewards of teaching beginners:

Summer 2012 Issue

Byte Back Site Locations (Second Half of Fiscal Year 2011-2012)

Do you need to know where we are in your neighborhood? Check out our website: www.byteback.org

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Site Name Address Ward

1330 Tenant Association 1330 7th St., NW Washington, DC 20001 7

Byte Back, Inc. 815 Monroe St., NE Washington, DC 20017 5

Anacostia DC PUBLIC LIBRARY 1800 Good Hope Rd., SE Washington, DC 20020 7

Benning DC PUBLIC LIBRARY 3935 Benning Rd., NE Washington, DC 20019 7

Capitol View DC PUBLIC LIBRARY 5001 Central Ave. SE Washington, DC 20019 7

The Family Place (TFP) 3309 16th St., NW Washington, DC 20010 1

SHADD Elementary School 5601 E. Capitol St., SE Washington, DC 20019 7

Watha T. Daniel-Shaw DC PUBLIC LIBRARY 1630 7th St., NW Washington, DC 20001 2

First Time Computers 3101 12th St., NE Washington, DC 20017 5

Faircliff Plaza West 1428 Clifton St., NW Washington, DC 20009 1

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Washington, DC 6

Hubbard Place Apartments 3500 14th St., NW Washington, DC 20010 1

Jubilee Housing, The Ritz 1631 Euclid St., NW Washington, DC 20009 1

Language ETC 2200 California St., NW DC Washington, DC 20008

2

Mayfair Mansions 3744 1/2 Hayes St., NE Washington, DC 20019 7

Marshall Heights Community Development Organization 3939 Benning Rd., NE Washington, DC 20019 7

Oromo Community Organization 1419 V St., NW Washington, DC 20009 1

The Perry School Community Services Center Inc. 128 M St., NW Suite 335 Washington, DC 20001 6

Southeast Ministry 3111 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20032

8

Washington Literacy Council - WLC 1918 18th St., NW Suit B2 Washington, DC 20009

2

YWCA 624 9th St., NW # 1 Washington, DC 20001 1

Summer 2012 Issue

The first time I entered the computer lab at Oromo Community Organization (OCO) of the Wash-ington DC metropolitan area, empty seats lined the computer tables resting flush against opposing walls. Shiny black monitors seemed to stand at attention, anticipating the students who would soon use them to learn how to create and save documents, navigate the web, and check newly created email accounts for messages from instructors and friends. I was pleased to learn that day, that the computers at OCO were installed by First Time Comput-ers, a long-time Byte Back partner that has outfitted the labs at many of our partner sites. Soon, these computers would serve adult learners coming to DC from thousands of miles across the

world’s oceans in Oromia state, Ethiopia. The Oromo people who live in Oromia state are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. OCO is a DC-based nonprofit whose mission is “to foster a unity of purpose and networking among the Oromo in order to support one another, and to promote the preservation, continuity and development of the Oromo language, culture and traditions.” Just a few blocks from the Takoma Metro Station, the organization provides a variety of services to its members, including employment services, self-help, social support, health education, financial literacy, as well as com-munity building and networking, among others. When Byte Back joined forces with OCO to offer computer literacy and training to ethnic Oromo in the DC metro area, we became OCO’s first nonprofit partner. The partnership was set in motion by Mrs. Telile Bayisa, an Oromo community member who had worked closely with Byte Back in her professional capacity as Facilitator, Housing Counseling Services for Faircliff Plaza West, a residential community serving low-income individuals in DC. After a successful run of Byte Back courses with her residents at Faircliff Plaza West, Mrs. Bayisa introduced the staff at Byte Back to members of OCO’s leadership team including, Dr. Desta Yebassa. Mr. Gada Tune and Mr. Tsegaye Gelgelu. In this initial meeting we discussed the ways our two organizations might work together to serve Oromo com-munity members. Because OCO had a fully equipped computer lab in place, discussions to formalize a partnership were swift, and resulted in the launch of a PC for Beginners course in February of this year. Needless to say, the relationship is off to a very strong start. This month Byte Back launched its second round of com-puter training classes at OCO, with students advancing from PC for Beginners to Office Track. The inaugural cohort of PC for Beginners students at OCO has been praised by instructors as a group of extremely eager and fast learners. I was privileged to witness their enthusiasm for learning personally when I visited with students on the last day of the PC for Beginners course in March. When I entered OCO’s computer lab for the second time, it was a wonderful “full-circle” moment. Seven students tapped at their keyboards thoughtfully and intently as they worked through exercises in Byte Back’s typing tutorial. These stu-dents were prepping for a review of the skills they’d acquired over the previous six weeks. This “last” day of classes for “the very first” Byte Back course held at OCO, I was able to connect faces and names to the work that went into making this partnership happen. I, and everyone at Byte Back, look forward to continuing to connect members of the Oromo community with new technol-ogy skills that will propel them toward their personal and professional goals, particularly as they continue to adjust to life in this place so far away from their place of origin, Oromia. If you are interested in partnering with Byte Back, contact Tasiyiwa Mapondera, director of programs at (202) 529 - 3395 or email her at egrewal@byteback.org.

Partner Spotlight: Oromo Community Organization

By: Tasiyiwa Mapondera

11

Summer 2012 Issue

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Byte Back, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, teaching a broad range of computer and office skills to underserved youth and adults. Our mission is to improve economic opportunity by providing computer training and employment readiness skills to low-income residents of the Washington Metropolitan area. Our ultimate goal is to promote successful futures, one student at a time!

The majority of our students are female (62%), African American (86%) or Latino (8%) and unemployed (80%). Byte Back enables our economically disadvantaged students, most of whom reside in Wards 5, 7, and 8, to acquire the marketable skills needed to find employment, hold on to a job, and/or advance in their careers.

The average cost of one student graduating from Office Track, not including donations of materials and volunteer time, is $712. The average cost per student of our Introduction to PC for beginners class, which first connects youth and adults to our tech-savvy world, is $356.

Byte Back succeeds with generous donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. YOU can help our students by:

teaching a class;

providing an internship or job; or,

donating funds.

With volunteer teachers, donated equipment, and a committed staff, Byte Back today serves over 1,000 individuals each year. Our main classrooms are in Northeast Washington but we partner with other non-profits to serve the greater Metro area.

Volunteers – giving time and energy to our students – and donors – providing essential funding - make our work possible.