Technology
Auburn Gresham is one of five Chicago neighborhoods that will benefit from a $6.8 million grant to the City of Chicago from the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP). Mayor Richard M. Daley, announcing the grant at a July press conference at Instituto del Progreso Latino in Pilsen, said that tough times mean "we must roll up our sleeves and redouble our commitment to address the challenges of the digital divide head on. . . If you want to improve the quality of life of everyone in our city, we must make sure that every citizen, especially our students coming into any school, (is) technology oriented."
The Smart Communities grant will provide enhanced access to broadband technology, educational training, and opportunities to earn hardware and software to more than 11,000 residents and 360 small businesses and nonprofits in Auburn Gresham, Humboldt Park, Pilsen, Chicago Lawn and Englewood, with the goal of overcoming barriers to technological access that exist in many parts of the city.
For more information, contact Jimmy Prude, Smart Communities tech organizer, at Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, (773)-483-3696, jprude@gagdc.org.
Explore Auburn Gresham's Technology Initiatives In The News:
1) http://mashable.com/2011/04/20/close-digital-divide/
2) http://www.changinggears.info/2011/01/14/the-digital-divide-when-jobless/
3) http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=176123