In this issue:

Front Page ...

Editor's Intro

Next Community Technology Review Due for March 24: VISTAs in the Bylines -Melissa Daigle

Page Two...

Perkins Loan Forgiveness -Brenda Jackson

VISTA Non-Competitive Eligibility: Explained -Brian Harvey, Alumni Coordinator

Page Three...

The Future of the CTC VISTA Project -Dan Schackman

Advisory Board Updates

Page Four...

Updates from Harold in VA &
Mary Grybeck in Seattle

Update from Harold McNaron in VA

Boat People S.O.S just acquired the space to house a CTC in December. I have been working on recruiting volunteers, working my way through the CTC manual, but mainly I've been assigned various other tasks completely unrelated to a CTC. It's not a bad thing, really.

But, this new year holds for me a chance to operate a CTC. I'm taking Vietnamese lessons twice a week now with a cool elderly lady who happens to be a CTC VISTA member as well, and I'm gonna be working on this mentoring program for Vietnamese youth in which we will use the CTC for classes. I envision this as a sort of Big Brothers, Big Sisters: Vietnamese-style. We'll see how it turns out. It's all new to me.—hm

Harold McNaron

Update from Mary Grybeck in Seattle

In late December I transferred from my site in Kennewick, Washington to the heart of Seattle. My new VISTA position is serving as Technology Coordinator at the Rainier Vista Housing Development, which is only a few miles south of downtown Seattle in Rainier Valley. Yes, I am now the Rainier Vista VISTA.

Rainier Vista as a community is in a state of transition; a recent recipient of a huge HOPE VI redevelopment grant, the community is now on the first phase of a project to rebuild all the housing in the community. The old housing was built in the early 1940 for defense workers, and is coming to the end of its useful lifespan. While at one time about 400 families lived in the community, there are currently 250-300 families living on-site, while the other 100+ families have relocated off-site for the duration of the rebuilding process. Our community includes native Americans as well as many cultures from Africa and Asia - Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Somali, Ethiopian, Oromo, Eritrean, etc.

The computer lab is properly referred to as the "Rainier Vista Job Resource and Technology Center." Its primary function has been to provide opportunities and tools for adults to find jobs and to improve their computer skills to find better jobs. In past, my predecessor (and current supervisor) also acted as a job coach - providing case management services in addition to technology assistance. While I don't offer the same case management services, I help visitors learn to use our resume and cover letter templates and navigate online job search sites.

In addition, I'm writing some grants to keep us "in business", working to upgrade our systems, and developing partnerships with other organizations to broaden our services. Currently, in partnership with the Literacy Council of Seattle, we are starting Beginning and Intermediate ESL programs which will utilize computer resources to help people learn English. In addition, the Refugee Woman's Alliance is holding Family Literacy classes with a technology component, and I am working to get a G.E.D. program started with Project Farewell...

See this article in the next Community Technology Review—March 24th