Take Action for Net Neutrality

I was pleased to receive invitation to join a conference call today with Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) regarding his Internet Freedom Preservation Act (H.R. 3458) bill. The Internet Freedom Preservation Act would protect Network Neutrality under the Communications Act, safeguard the future of the open Internet, and protect Internet users from discrimination online.

Rep. Markey is best known for his work in Congress on the global warming issue. However, he made it evident during the conference call that he feels the time for net neutrality legislation is now.

Rep. Markey is one of seven congressional leaders to co-sponsor HR 3458. He asked that bloggers and other online activists encourage other members of congress to co-sign this legislation. You can find online petition that allows you to write your congressional representative in the 'Take Action for Net Neutrality' section of this website.

Rep. Markey also suggested that BDPA members participate in the debate currently taking place within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The conference call helped me to better understand the importance of supporting Net Neutrality. I appreciate Rep. Markey, Garlin Gilchrist II (The SuperSpade) and Timothy Karr (Free Press) for providing this open forum of discussion by Black bloggers!

What are your thoughts on the Net Neutrality movement?

AmeriCorps State and National Grants (Deadline: January 26)

Subject to the availability of appropriations for fiscal year 2010, the federal government announces the anticipated availability of approximately $363 million to award new, re-competing, and continuation AmeriCorps State and National grants.

The grant categories are: State Commission and National Competitive including Professional Corps and Fixed-Amount Grants; State and National EAP; States and Territories without Commissions; and Indian Tribes. In the FY 2010 competition, the Corporation's funding priorities are projects that address compelling, unmet needs in one or a combination of the following five national service priority areas which are described more fully in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

1. Education
   
2. Clean Energy/Environment
   
3. Healthy Futures
   
4. Veterans
   
5. Opportunity

The total funding available for these grants will be set by Congress through the appropriations process now underway. If the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request is fully funded, the agency anticipates approximately $363 million to be available for new, recompeting, and continuation grants in all of the AmeriCorps State and National grant categories.

Applications to the Corporation are due January 26, 2010, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and successful applicants will be notified in early June 2010.

HSCC Testimonial: Syed Azfar (Boston Metrowest)

One of the powerful aspects of the BDPA experience is the work we do with young people. We seek to introduce young people to technology at a young age so that they have an option of creating a future for themselves in the information technology (IT) industry.

Here is the story of a young man, Syed Azfar, who participated in the student IT education & scholarship (SITES) program hosted by BDPA Boston Metrowest chapter back in 2004:

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Before I joined BDPA in 2004, I did not know anything about developing websites. All I did on the computer was play games and instant message with friends. It all changed when I joined the BDPA Boston Metrowest chapter. Every Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, we met in Cambridge, MA and started going over HTML. It did not take me long to develop an interest in creating websites. As soon as the first session was over, I went home and started writing codes from the HTML book that I received from the program. The examples given in the book allowed me to understand the basics, which helped me to merge it into a website. During the next few months, we learned how to create databases and connect website to it in order to view and save information.

After months of training, it was time to put it to the test. We flew down to Dallas, Texas for three days to participate in the high school computer competition. The competition took place in two parts.

The first part was the oral, where we answered questions on the history of the information technology (IT) industry and the organization.

The second part involved developing a website for a video company. The website would need to access a database of movies and based on the query would need to provide the results. We only had 8 hours to complete this task. Looking around the massive room, it was evident that the next couple of hours would test our knowledge and our focus. After we were done with the competition, we were encouraged to attend the seminars given by IT professionals on different topics ranging from the new structures of developing websites to emerging technologies to the future growth of the IT field.

Attending that BDPA conference was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had and to this day I am still part of BDPA and I encourage young students to join this great organization. I am very fortunate to have learned about this organization and to be part of it.

---

Syed Azfar is currently a student at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) majoring in Electrical/Computer Engineering. He is a web development fanatic who loves using new technologies to enhance his web skills. He created his own company to develop websites for his clients.

If you enjoyed this testimonial ... please take a moment to do one of two things. Either use the COMMENTS option below and share your thoughts with us *or* support our efforts to train more young people like Syed by making a secure online donation to the BDPA Foundation!

Black Web 2.0 Goes Inside Windows 7 with Cordell Jones (Video)

I met Markus Robinson, co-founder of Black Web 2.0, during the Blogging While Brown conference a couple of years ago. As such, I was very interested when he conducted an interview with Windows 7 Program Manager Cordell Jones.

I encourage all BDPA members to view this entire interview:




It is great to see young brothers making an impact on a major IT initiative such as Windows 7. The sad thing was that these brothers are talking about an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) event from college instead of a BDPA experience. Hopefully, BDPA can begin to make stronger inroads with our college programs in the future.

Anyhow, what did you learn or enjoy from this video?

African Americans: Prepared to Lead at the Senior Levels in Information Technology

The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) is proud to announce that 18 IT African American professionals are ready to leap into leadership after completing the ITSMF Executive Protégé Program.

The goal of the Executive Protégé Program is to fill the pipeline with African Americans ready to advance to the senior levels of information technology. Graduates of the program also help fill an ongoing and growing void in the IT industry.

Published survey results indicate the IT industry is facing a talent crunch and many CIOs feel finding skilled professionals is their greatest challenge. "As a result of this data it is not a far leap to conclude that if we do not have the talent at the professional or mid-management levels, we may not have enough people in the pipeline to reach the executive levels," say Zack Lamelle, ITSMF Chairperson.

ITSMF has mobilized its efforts around solving this issue. The ITSMF Executive Protégé Program provides the mentoring and leadership development mid-level African American managers in information technology need, to advance to the senior and C level in IT. It is the only national leadership development program focused on cultivating executive talent among African American IT professionals.

The leadership development and mentoring occur in a structured collaborative environment where seasoned veterans share their success secrets and help protégés strategize for upward mobility. Using one-on-one coaching, enrollees gain insight and a higher sense of awareness of the behavioral and relationship abilities needed to become a leader in the IT profession.

Participants in the program learn from experienced senior leaders from some of the world's top fortune 500 companies like Lockheed Martin, Wachovia Bank, Marriott International and Microsoft. "We offer guidance, advice and counsel based upon real world experience," says Allen Sample, senior vice president for Marriott International.

To qualify for the program, mid-level managers must possess excellent communication skills, have achieved the level of first line manager, commit to completing the 12-month program and obtain a recommendation from an ITSMF member, an ITSMF Corporate Partner, or a protégé channel organization. They must also gain sponsorship and support from a senior level company manager for the duration of the program and be recognized as a high potential employee, promotable to at least two levels above their current position.


This year's graduating protégés are:

1. Gloria Anderson; Hewlett Packard, Technical Program Manager


2. Irvin Bishop; Coca Cola Company, Director Global Interactive Marketing, IT


3. Rhonda Boyd; Allstate, Portfolio Management Advisor, Technology Mgmt. Office


4. Jason Carter, Bank of America, former Vice President and Senior Technology Manager


5. Danielle Desalu; Cisco, Wireless Systems Engineer


6. Christopher Essex; UBS, Director, IT


7. Lucia Eversley; Procter & Gamble, Business Performance Solutions Leader


8. Dwight Forbes; Hewlett Packard, Civilian Agencies Presales Manager


9. Damon Frost; Procter & Gamble, Section Manager, GBS Leader


10. Shirley Johansson; Procter & Gamble, Systems Manager


11. Nikkia Miller-Blakes; Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon), Global Application Development Manager


12. Mike Nation; Coca Cola Company, Program Manager, Global Financial Development


13. Sharon Ransom; IBM, Americas Director of Services, Support and Education, Tivoli Software


14. Kimberly Summers-Sims; Hanesbrands, Director, Project Management


15. Tammara Turner; Microsoft, Social Engineer


16. Bennette Veals; Procter & Gamble, Employee Services Client Manager


17. Olden Warren; Procter & Gamble, Senior Project Manager


18. Ronnie Watson; Johnson & Johnson, IT Franchise Director

I encourage these 18 brothers and sisters to find a way to reach back and support BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) as they rise up the career ladder.

2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship

Dr. Anita Borg (1949-2003) devoted her life to revolutionizing the way we think about technology and dismantling the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields.

In honor of Anita's vision, Google announced the 2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, awarding a group of female students each a scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year. All finalists and scholarship recipients will also be invited to attend a 3-day Scholars' Retreat at the Googleplex in 2010.

The Google Anita Borg Scholarship program is available to students studying computer science in Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand and the United States.

Candidates must:

• Submit application by deadline of February 1, 2010
  
• Be a female student entering her senior year of undergraduate study or enrolled in a graduate program in the 2010-2011 academic year at a university
  
• Be enrolled in Computer Science or Computer Engineering program, or a closely related technical field as a full-time student for the 2009-2010 academic year
  
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in your current program

This is a remarkable scholarship opportunity that should be shared with all of our High School Computer Competition (HSCC) alumni. Do you know any young women that are seniors in college or doing post-graduate work?

The Art of Social Networking (Cincinnati)

BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Janice Lee invited me to be the guest presenter for the October 2009 program meeting on 10/22/2009. We talked about The Art of Social Networking.

The interaction with the audience was excellent. We covered the basics of networking, benefits of networking, demographics of Internet users, creating a blog, LinkedIn Network, Facebook, Twitter and traits of a good or bad networker.

I promised the folks in the audience that I would make the slideshow of my presentation available to them. Here it is:

The Art of Social Networking

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

I forgot how much I enjoy being surrounded by BDPA members that want to learn new things and network with one another. It is difficult to underestimate the power of BDPA program meetings. What is your best memory of a BDPA program meeting in your life?

Give By The Click

By Betsy Brill

In an age of packed schedules and dwindling funds, we may not feel we have the time or money to devote to charitable giving. Fortunately for the thousands of nonprofit organizations struggling to provide critical services to our communities in this challenging economy a new wave of young and innovative social entrepreneurs has created inventive Web applications to accomplish the seemingly impossible: to spur charitable giving during a recession and to allow us to give without even opening our wallets.

These Web applications are experiments in social enterprise -- turning profits while creating forums for social change. Unlike the much-publicized charitable giving applications created by Facebook (Causes) and Twitter (TwitCause), these enterprises allow us to give while saving time -- and even money--as we multi-task our way through our daily lives. They also have the potential to supply a sustainable and reliable funding source -- however nominal -- for nonprofits for which every penny truly counts.

Read the rest of the Forbes article.

National Directory of STEM Learning Opportunities Now Available

Are you looking for an opportunity to promote and expand an after-school science or technology program ... such as the Student IT Education & Scholarship program?

The Coalition for Science After School, has teamed up with Time Warner Cable to create a national directory of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities. This resource is designed to help parents and young people access science and technology learning opportunities in their communities and will be widely marketed to increase the visibility of STEM after school and informal learning opportunities.

BETF-blog readers are encouraged to visit the website to learn more about it and spend a few moments entering information on your organization and its programs and events (where applicable). There is no cost to join or access the national directory.

Questions about the Directory, the Coalition, or informal STEM education should be directed to info@directory.scienceafterschool.org.

Early Bird Registration for 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference

BETF Executive Director made motion at the 3Q-2009 National BDPA Board of Directors meeting to allow early bird registration rate of $200 for the 2010 BDPA Technology Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA. The motion passed.

Next step is yours. Click here for early-bird registration! The deadline for this early-bird rate ends on 10/31/2009. Don't procrastinate!

Message from Orlando Chapter President

Hello, this month we had a great program on Information Security. Things that you can do to protect yourself as well as your small business. A copy of the presentation as well as some additional resources are included in this newsletter. The Dept of Homeland Security considers October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The next BDPA program meeting scheduled for Tuesday November 10th is going to be on Windows 7. We are working on having Microsoft do the presentation. We are also going to be providing workshops and assisting folks with upgrading their existing computers to Windows 7. This will be done at the Smith Center.

We are beginning to work on programming for 2010 and we need your input. Please send us an e-mail or give us a call and let us know what topics, workshops, forums you would like to see. We want to be your go-to resource and add value. The BDPA Orlando website is being overhauled and the new one will be unveiled next month.

The 2010 early bird conference registration ends on October 31st. Please register to take adavantage of the $200 special. The conference is going to be in Philadelphia, PA next year.

Please renew your membership today! Membership is the lifeblood of this organization. We need both your input and support. If you are not a member register with BDPA today.

As always, this is your newsletter so if there is something that you would like to share like an article or know of any job opportunities for BDPA Orlando members please forward them to: info@bdpaorlando.org

Thank you,
Pablo More, President
BDPA Orlando
Phone: (617) 283-2051

Hassan Moustafa Uses Bemley Scholarship for Bio-Engineering Degree at University of Maryland

Hassan Moustafa was a member of the silver-medal winning high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Washington DC at the 2008 National BDPA Conference held in Atlanta GA.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) awarded a Bemley Scholarship to Hassan and his teammates for their outstanding performance in the national HSCC championships. We thought you would be interested in hearing directly from Hassan on his experience:

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Hello my name is Hassan Moustafa. I graduated from high school in 2008 from Charles Herbert Flowers High School. I am currently attending the University of Maryland College Park, studying bioengineering. During the fall semester of 2008, I attend Prince George’s Community College as I waited to be admitted into the University of Maryland College Park for the spring semester of 2009. Even though I am currently majoring in bioengineering, I have learned a lot through the BDPA and HSCC programs about the information technology industry. I plan on integrating all I have learned about programming and expanding my knowledge base in order to explore a useful application for it within my discipline as I am gaining laboratory experience.

Furthermore, I have only participated in the HSCC program for only one year, as I was a high school senior year at the time. I regret finding about the HSCC program during my senior year, because that made it the first and final year I could be a part of the program. I learned so much from my mentors about programming in general, but I learned more so about teamwork and effort working with my teammates as well. My most memorable HSCC moments would have to be those days before the competition, where the whole team would prepare diligently for all three parts of the competition. We worked on different strategies and experimented with all of them for hours each day. I truly miss those indelible moments. In summation, the HSCC has impacted me in becoming more open to learning something so new and at times abstract by introducing me to different programming languages that I had no prior exposure to. It was very interesting to see its application in our real-world applications and I plan on continuing to learn more programming even as a bioengineer.

---

We need your help. BETF provided over $233,000 in scholarships since 1996 ... however, our ability to continue providing these Bemley Scholarships next year is jeapordized without donor support. Please consider making a secure online donation now so that we can help more HSCC students attend college!

Obama Administration Launches $650M Program to Boost Education

By Nick Anderson

The Obama administration announced goals for a $650 million grant competition for school systems and nonprofit organizations with ideas for narrowing achievement gaps, reducing high school dropout rates and improving teacher and principal effectiveness.

The competition dovetails with a $4.35 billion grant program for states that the administration calls "Race to the Top." The combined $5 billion in seed money for fixing or improving schools amounts to one of the largest federal investments to date in educational entrepreneurship.

Read full text of this Washington Post article.

Andrea Taylor Claims Microsoft Success Driven by 'Constant Learning'

I am hoping that BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) can create a strategic alliance with Microsoft. In order to do so we will need to receive the blessing of Andrea Taylor, Director of Community Affairs at Microsoft. Her team manages the Giving Campaign and Employee Engagement. She develops strategy and oversees implementation of Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills program, a global initiative that promotes digital inclusion and increased access to training in underserved communities.

In the following video we see Ms. Taylor talking with Tom Becker, President of the Chautauqua Institution, about the importance of philanthropy. She discusses her past experiences in the field, and explores the changing nature of philanthropy in light of the recent economic crisis.






Taylor works closely with nonprofit organizations, governments and businesses while making company investments that support economic development by advancing employability and workforce development.

Taylor says that Microsoft seeks to "provide people with a way of thinking...that allows them to be open and receptive to constant learning." That seems to fit our effots with the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Any ideas on how BETF and Microsoft can hook up in the coming weeks?

BDPA Groupsite Milestone: 2,000 Members

I created the BDPA Groupsite (formerly known as CollectiveX) on December 24, 2007. It was part of my effort to leverage Web 2.0 tools in support of the fundraising efforts of BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF). It helped that Groupsite is a Black-owned and operated business!

Anyhow, it has been very rewarding to see the continued growth and evolution of the BDPA Groupsite. We hit a significant milestone over the weekend when BDPA Detroit chapter member Damon Bryant became the 2,000th member to join the BDPA Groupsite. The benefits of being part of this network are obvious:

• Centralized BDPA calendar of events
  
• People are making recommendations of one another
  
• Discussion forums on a wide variety of BDPA, technology and other topics
  
• Centralized portal for BDPA-related files
  
• Photo Galleries

We live in a new world in which it is important for us to connect with each other via cyberspace. BDPA Groupsite supports this effort. Our hope is that all BDPA members and supporters will add this social networking tool into your arsenal.

We also hope you will consider making an online donation to our nonprofit foundation! Your donation is used to support continued use of Web 2.0 tools in the future as well as provide scholarships for our students around the nation.

Cincinnati: Bio-Science City

by Val Prevish

When it comes to health care research, Cincinnati is in the top tier of cities nationally because of renowned institutions such as Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and the University of Cincinnati (UC). It is no surprise, then, that our city is also home to some up and coming health care products companies who find plenty to like about being in Cincinnati.

Carol Frankenstein, president of BIOSTART, a life sciences start up organization based in Corryville funded through a public and private collaborative, says that the strength of Cincinnati's talent pool in health care research and education has been a big boost for the local medical products industry.

With more than $300 million in research grants each year between both UC and CCHMC, the area is known as a brain trust of new ideas and breakthroughs, she says.

Read the rest of the Soapbox Cincinnati article here.

From Root to STEM: Spelman Women and Their Journeys Through the Sciences

Soulclap to Monie on the Outside for pointing me to a documentary made by Spelman College students, Cyndee Bayless (Class of 2010)and Deven Sanders (class of 2009). The film is called From Root to STEM: Spelman Women and Their Journeys Through the Sciences. It's a film that was made to inspire as well as give young Black women practical information about achieving academic success in the sciences.

The documentary examines the lives of recent Spelman graduates who are now pursuing successful careers in science. The film focuses on the lifestyle choices these women have made to achieve their desired career path.



I wonder if any of these young sisters are members of BDPA?

State Farm Good Neighbor Grants (Deadline: November 9)

Youth Service America is currently accepting applications for State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants to support service-learning projects that culminate on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 23-25, 2010.

School and community educators across the United States and Canada (select provinces) can apply for up to $1,000 in funding for youth-led projects. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy integrating meaningful community service with academic study and reflective practice to enrich learning, build civic engagement, and strengthen communities.

State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant applicants are encouraged to develop projects that launch on Martin Luther King Day of Service, January 18, 2010, and culminate on the weekend of GYSD, April 23-25, 2010.

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

Applications are open now through November 15, 2009 for the 2010 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing!

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing recognizes young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. By generating visibility for these young women in their local communities, the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing encourages their continued interest in computing, attracts the attention and support of educational and corporate institutions, and emphasizes at a personal level the importance of women's participation.

I encourage all female high school students in the BDPA family to apply now for the 2010 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. All US high school young women (grades 9-12) are invited to apply.

The application is completed online and includes essay-style questions. Download the preparing your application checklist for all the information you will need to complete the application process. Applicants will have until November 15, 2009 to complete their applications.

Awardees are selected for their demonstrated, outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology/computing; solid leadership ability; good academic history; and plans for post-secondary education.

Each qualified national awardee will receive:

1. $500 in cash


2. laptop computer, provided by Bank of America


3. a trip to attend the Bank of America Technology Showcase and Awards Ceremony, March 27, 2010, held in Charlotte, North Carolina


4. an engraved award for both the student and the student's school

Through a generous grant from the Motorola Foundation, there will be additional Affiliate Award programs in Texas, Illinois & Florida. The application period is the same and students who apply from these states will be entered into both the local and national competitions. Affiliate award prize packages will vary by location.

Please contact Ruthe Farmer by phone (303.735-5578) or email if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

How Nonprofits are Using Web-based Technologies to Reach Their Goals

by Josh Nelson

A new Hatcher Group report reveals how nonprofits are using new media technologies to advance social change. Based on interviews and a 70-question online survey of 30 nonprofits working on state-level advocacy issues, "New Media & Social Change: How Nonprofits are Using Web-based Technologies to Reach Their Goals" shows what new media tools are being used and how, what's working -- and what's not. The report offers advice and resources to help nonprofits use these increasingly important technologies to successfully promote their agendas.

It's must reading for organizations looking to make a difference, and their funders.

You can click here to view the full report, click here to download it as a PDF file, or send an email for a physical copy.

Read the rest of the article here.