The CTC VISTA Project has begun to supplement our end of August program year with a constant stream of new VISTA additions throughout the year. The new projects are an outgrowth of our expanding partnerships with the National Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN) and the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) along with the Association for Community Networking (AFCN) and our prime alliance with CTCNet. New organizations interested in obtaining community technology VISTAs for the new year beginning in September should act immediately (see Project guidelines).

The Technology Assistance for Nonprofits priority area was established for the growing number of organizations that seek to use a VISTA to support service to organizations (in contrast to supporting the individual community members that CTCs traditionally serve).

This year more than fifteen CTC VISTAs were placed with community media and technology programs to help young people gain digital media skills that prepare them for college and tomorrow's workforce. Digital media encompasses digital video, digital audio, the World Wide Web, other technologies and applications that can be used to create and distribute digital content.  However, it is important for new CTC VISTAs not be distracted by just learning new tools and applications but to also understand the process of teaching youth to make digital media. During their mid-year reflections, many CTC VISTAs reported that the priority-area web site, a collection of digital media/youth-related resources, and the bulletin board were very helpful in this regard.

The traditional image of VISTA volunteers is that of young people serving as apprentices in organizations where they play needed but essentially clerical roles around the office. In the CTC VISTA Project exactly the opposite is the case. Here, the VISTAs are bringing to their placement sites skills that most of the organizations do not have and could not afford in the high-priced market for technology specialists today.

The CTC VISTAs assigned to the priority area of Community Networking priority deal directly with empowering low-income Americans through the smart adoption of Internet knowledge-access, collaboration, and self-publishing tools and skills. The quality of technical assistance CTC VISTAs bring to their client communities is unprecedented and represents cutting edge demonstrations of what needs to be happen in all our communities.