Austin’s Digital Inclusion Program

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_author title=”Publisher: Texas Comptroller” author_id=”Publisher: Texas Comptroller”][cs_text]Austin considers itself the tech hub of Texas — so much so that it has embraced the nickname “Silicon Hills.” U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked it as one of the nation’s best places to live. So it … Read More

Broadband for America’s Future

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_author title=”Publisher: Benton Institute for Broadband & Society” author_id=”Benton Institute for Broadband & Society”][cs_text]Connecting our entire nation through High-Performance Broadband will bring remarkable economic, social, cultural, and personal benefits. Open, affordable, robust broadband is the key to all of us reaching for … Read More

Smart Cities and Digital Equity

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_author title=”Publisher: Media Democracy Fund and Robert W Deutsch Foundation. ” author_id=”Publisher: Media Democracy Fund and Robert W Deutsch Foundation. “][cs_text] Some Cities Have Found Ways to Pursue Both, but Federal Policy May Hinder Progress John B. Horrigan, PhD Overview Cities across the United … Read More

Capstone Title Partners with Austin Pathways to Help Promote Education of Low-Income Austinites

Austin Pathways is happy to announce a partnership with Capstone Title, a premier real estate organization in Austin, Texas. Capstone Title has generously donated $10,000 to help Austin Pathways in its mission to expand digital inclusion, job training, and educational opportunities for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin’s 19,000 residents. “We’re so excited to support this wonderful, community-focused … Read More

IBM Impact Grant a Foundation for Growth at HACA Nonprofit Austin Pathways

As told by Catherine Crago, Strategic Initiatives and Resource Development The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is a high-performing housing authority per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), receiving top marks on a variety of measures every year. As far back as 2001, HACA went beyond its mission to provide safe, decent affordable housing … Read More

Austin Wins Grant for Initiative to Increase Mobility Equity with Access to Online Tools

Next Century Cities recently announced that Austin was one of three winning cities for the inaugural Charles Benton Next Generation Engagement Awards, given to municipal governments that are harnessing high-speed internet to enhance civic engagement and democratic participation. The Benton Award was given to Austin for the city’s plan to develop Smart Work, Learn, Play, an effort to engage public … Read More

Google Community Leaders Help Residents Plug in to Digital Austin

About 20 children who live in apartments operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin recently received free refurbished computers donated by Austin Community College after dedicating 40 hours of their summer vacation to STEM education. Three Google Community Leaders from the University of Texas Division of Diversity and Community Engagement attended the computer deployment to help residents assemble and become … Read More

When It Comes to Digital Inclusion, Start Slow to Go Fast

As told by Catherine Crago, Strategic Initiatives and Resource Development This week the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s ConnectHome initiative will host a webinar for participating cities to share what they are learning as they convene stakeholders in their cities to bridge the digital divide. Austin Pathways’ Unlocking the Connection program is credited as a … Read More

It Takes a Village to Bridge the Digital Divide

As told by Sylvia Blanco, HACA Executive Vice President Earlier this week, KXAN reported on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro’s visit to the Reimagining Cities conference. Recently, we met with Castro at the first convening of a HUD and White House initiative called ConnectHome, a program in which we serve as a Mentor City … Read More

Austin Housing Authority Digital Inclusion Program Selected by HUD to Mentor Other Cities Across the U.S.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramirez today  highlighted the HACA and the City of Austin’s designation as a peer mentor to 28 communities participating in the ConnectHome initiative to extend affordable broadband access to families living in HUD-assisted housing. ConnectHome was recently unveiled by HUD Secretary Julián Castro and the Obama Administration. Work locally will be led by Austin Pathways. “It is so important … Read More

Austin Pathways Pilots Computer Refurbishing Program

Growing up in Kerala, India, Austin Pathways volunteer Unni Krishnan learned the value of reuse at an early age – and a documentary he saw while studying computer engineering at the University of Texas on sustainability made a strong impression. “I always question the need to upgrade. I use an old phone with limited capabilities, but it has everything I … Read More

Rachel Martinez Named TX NAHRO Resident of the Year

Unlocking the Connection spokesperson Rachel Martinez was recently recognized as the 2015 Texas National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Resident of the Year for a large housing authority during the TX NAHRO 39th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Austin, Texas. The Resident of the Year award honors individuals who live in public housing, participate in a rental assistance program … Read More

Students Become Teachers in Austin Pathways’ Tech Starters Class

Even the most technologically savvy person can learn something new each time they use a computer and connect to the Internet. At the graduation of the second Tech Starters cohort at Meadowbrook Apartments this week, Google Fiber Austin Community Impact Manager Parisa Fatehi-Weeks shared she recently learned how she could use Google Docs to help her mother, whose first language … Read More

Tech Starters Celebrates Inaugural Graduation

Austin Free-Net and Austin Pathways graduated its first class of Tech Starters on March 2 at the Housing Authority of the City of Austin’s Manchaca Village. Each of the residents who completed the digital literacy class received a certificate of participation and a refurbished computer, complete with installed software, a mouse, keyboard and monitor. However graduates said they took away much more than devices as a result … Read More

Manchaca Village Residents Get Connected at Tech Feria

Austin Pathways, Google Fiber and Austin Free-Net recently hosted a Tech Feria at Manchaca Village to inform residents of opportunities to sign up for free Internet service, email and digital literacy classes. Residents also entered a raffle to win prizes including T-shirts, water bottles and a refurbished computer, and were invited to voice their opinions during a survey conducted by University of Texas researchers. Volunteers from the Austin 3-1-1 and the Austin Independent School … Read More