Organizational Biography

 Organizational Biography
June 2014 THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 606 | New York, NY 10038 | (212) 528-7350 | www.urbantech.org
Transforming Lives Through the Power of Technology!
The National Urban Technology Center, Inc. (Urban Tech) Organizational Biography Who We Are The National Urban Technology Center (Urban Tech) is a 501(c)(3) non-­‐profit education corporation founded nineteen years ago, in February 1995, to bring technology into poor, underserved and underresourced communities. Urban Tech establishes computer training centers (CTCs) and designs curriculum that engages residents and motivates them to achieve industry standards leading to 21st century computer skills, including computer certifications for job placement and workplace retention, financial literacy, and the development of leadership, social-­‐emotional, healthy lifestyle, and academic skills. Today, Urban Tech transforms lives through the power of technology by giving youth the capacity for positive behavior and academic success. Urban Tech achieves its mission by teaching students essential life skills, and by training and coaching parents and educators to support social and emotional learning. Urban Tech's flagship programs, The Youth Leadership Academy® (YLA), the Financial Education Network (FEN) and SeedTech®, are delivered online to enhance the ability of schools and after-­‐school programs to reach and effectively teach all students. What We Do SeedTech® ― is a turn-­‐key and fully integrated hardware and software solution for computer and technology training. Contributing to the success of the SeedTech® computer training centers is Urban Tech’s Computer Literacy Curriculum, designed and developed by Urban Tech to demystify technology and build proficiency for effective use of technology, telecommunications, and the Internet. Through SeedTech®, Urban Tech provides start-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art computer hardware and software and comprehensive computer and technology training, and trains local residents to teach a range of computer classes in the community. Youth and adults develop the skills they need to compete in a digital world, and have a greater chance of success in today’s economy. Youth Leadership Academy® (YLA) ― is a web-­‐based e-­‐learning curriculum that equips youth with essential skills to become productive, self-­‐fulfilled, and achievement-­‐oriented leaders. YLA empowers students with research-­‐based education programs targeted to increase academic proficiency, life-­‐long leadership, healthy living, and financial literacy. The program consists of self-­‐contained modules with content that is relevant to the students and employs a carefully designed mix of group activities, games, and structured exercises. Interactive and web-­‐based applications create a stimulating learning environment for youth, promoting an image that “it’s cool to be smart.” YLA is a powerful and empowering approach to building academic competence and life skills through technology. Independent evaluations of YLA have shown that the technology-­‐based curriculum engages students and parents and provides effective professional development of teachers and administrators. YLA has been proven in several communities where evaluation data have shown that students who have participated in YLA have made greater academic and social-­‐
emotional gains than students who have not. In addition to our two flagship programs, Urban Tech operates several major initiatives within the Youth Leadership Academy® and SeedTech®: ! Get Healthy, Get Smart! Initiative: Through a grant from the Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF) and the Derek Jeter Turn2 Foundation, Urban Tech has partnered with 65 public schools and Community Based Organizations (CB0s) in New York City (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens), Newburgh, New York, and Bridgeport, Connecticut to provide the award-­‐winning Youth Leadership Academy® (YLA) Get Healthy, Get Smart! curriculum and technology-­‐based programs, teacher professional development and, parent education workshops. The participating schools continue to report a wide range of improvements in their students as a direct result of program participation. The program focus is on HIV/AIDs and STD awareness and prevention, nutrition, improved self-­‐efficacy, conflict resolution, and critical thinking and problem solving. Accomplishments include: higher academic achievement, stronger literacy and communication skills, a deeper sense of self-­‐awareness, healthier habits, and better decision-­‐making abilities. THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
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Career Linkages: Urban Tech provides Job Readiness Training and corporate mentoring to help high school juniors strengthen social-­‐emotional and life skills for success in the workplace. Utilizing Urban Tech’s Youth Leadership Academy® curriculum, the personal development and workplace readiness training is focused on the following: o Leadership and professionalism; o Examining workplace issues and o Fostering teamwork and collaboration; learning to set goals for ethical o Effective oral and written communication, behavior, academic performance information literacy, and negotiation skills; and, career development; o Conflict mediation/resolution; o Healthy habits; o Critical thinking and problem solving skills; o Proper etiquette; o Management of time and financial resources; o Civic involvement. !
The Financial Education Network (FEN): FEN is an e-­‐learning network and portal of online curriculum and resources for teaching financial education, promoting homeownership, entrepreneurship, and managing financial assets. Funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, FEN is developed to address the extremely urgent need for an increase in financial education in the United States. Today, of our 50 United States, only 22 states require that an economics class be offered to high school students, only 6 states require testing of student knowledge in personal finance and only 17 states require a personal finance course. By implementing financial education courses in schools, we are insuring that students will make more informed choices as they enter adulthood. Last year, more than 77 million Americans, 31 percent of all adults, did not pay their bills on time. Also, only about 34 percent of parents have taught their child (children) how to balance a checkbook, and even less than that have explained how credit card interest and fees work. Two other areas of extreme concern for Americans today are a lack of savings and poor credit. According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, 57 percent of Americans indicated they are worried over a lack of savings and 38 percent are concerned about retiring without having enough money set aside. The lack of financial management skills such as creating and maintaining a budget, understanding credit, and saving for unplanned emergencies prevents millions of Americans from investing in assets such as homes, insurance, and education. Without easily assessable curriculum and resources on financial education for all, especially unbanked and underserved residents, there is no way that these statistics will ever improve. The Financial Education Network is a way to fill the gap and address this urgent need in the U.S. !
“It’s Your Net Worth!” VITA / Financial Literacy Program: Through a grant from Wachovia Wells Fargo, Urban Tech, in partnership with the IRS, FDIC, and Community-­‐Based Organization (CBO) partners, enjoys a 6-­‐year history of successfully providing low-­‐ and moderate-­‐income families with comprehensive financial literacy training; free income tax preparation assistance and tax credit applications processing using the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC); and bank services designed to increase their personal assets and net worth. The VITA/ Financial Literacy Program helps residents file their taxes for free, fulfilling their civic responsibility, and increasing their disposable income. When combined with financial literacy training and other asset building strategies, residents in our target communities stabilize cash flow, increase home ownership, promote higher education goals, increase small business development efforts, and improve the total community environment. Over the years, Urban Tech has helped more than 42,950 VITA applicants and secured refunds of $38.5 million and $13.6 million in EITCs. !
Seniors’ Consumer Education/Financial Literacy Training: Utilizing the power of technology as a high impact instructional tool, Urban Tech partnered with Wachovia and the US Controller of the Currency to provide financial literacy education and training to elderly consumers in The Bronx and Manhattan. The program focus is on Basic Financial Literacy, Consumer Fraud, and Identity Theft. To date, we have served and impacted nearly 1,200 seniors. !
iTN (The Interactive Training Network): Through a grant from the US Department of Justice – CCDO (Community Capacity Development Office), Urban Tech was selected to design, test, develop and implement the Weed & Seed Program iTN (Interactive Training Network) — a distance-­‐learning mechanism and intranet. This technology-­‐based resource was designed to expand peer-­‐to-­‐peer learning opportunities among practitioners, the Weed and Seed network, and law enforcement partners. The new addition to the CCDO web site was developed to encourage cost-­‐
effective exchanges of promising practices and strategies nationwide and in real time. Who We Serve Urban Tech has worked with various partners to increase the capacity of their communities and schools to improve and expand the use of technology for computer literacy, financial literacy, youth development, developing healthy habits/lifestyles, and job training. Since 1997, Urban Tech has worked in partnership with the US Department of Justice “Weed and Seed Programs,” to build state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art computer centers and conduct “train the trainer” programs. Urban Tech has established over 750 THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
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centers in 40 major cities and certified residents in low-­‐income communities to teach computer classes, life skills for youth, and job training programs. These centers have served nearly 1 million low-­‐income residents and supported youth development and workforce development of young adults. Through our partnership with Weed and Seed, Urban Teach serves a vulnerable population that is 38.7% Black/African-­‐American. 39.6% Hispanic/Latino and 16.1% White. Average per capita income is $11,927 and the median household income is $26,300, slightly above the poverty level. Urban Tech also has an eight year history of providing computer-­‐based and job training and placement programs to New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents and after school programs for 4th to 8th graders. The projects were designed to provide residents with access to computer training to improve their earning capacity and to assist them in becoming self-­‐sufficient and less dependent on welfare. The afterschool programs focused on youth leadership development, social-­‐emotional learning, and improved academic proficiencies. Urban Tech school-­‐based partnerships are focused on New York City public schools in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The demographic breakdown for the participating students is as follows: ! 47% Hispanic/Latino ▪ 3% Asian/Pacific Islander ! 45% Black/African American ▪ >1% Native American ! 5% White 19—Year Track Record 500,000 People Served "
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750 Computer Training Centers 200 Youth Development Programs In 1997, Urban Tech was recognized by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as a “model for bringing technology to people in inner-­‐cities and remote rural areas.” In 1999, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) featured YLA in the film “Virtual Equality” produced by Studio Miramar. In 2000, Urban Tech was recognized by the Ford Foundation and Harvard University, receiving the Innovation Award for Urban Tech’s SeedTech® program with the U.S. Department of Justice. The program was lauded as an “…exemplary program in American Government.” In 2000, Urban Tech was selected by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to provide computer skills and job training for 1500 unemployed NYCHA residents in computer literacy and PC maintenance. Upon certification, 120 residents were enrolled in a computer repair program. Approximately 80 percent of them graduated (many with CompTIA A+ certification); 83 percent were placed in full-­‐time positions such as PC installer, LAN technician, repair technician, technical help desk support, web developer, and NT engineer; we realized a 90% retention rate. In 2003, NYCHA selected Urban Tech to provide after school and summer computer training programs for 4,400 children, ages 8 to 12, in over 100 housing developments. Urban Tech’s youth-­‐friendly curriculum was successful in capturing the imaginations of the youth who attended and participated in the program’s technology-­‐based activities, such as writing about their heroes, asset mapping their community, creating music, and communicating their ideas using web design and Power Point. Students increased their computer literacy while learning how to become good citizens and developing leadership skills. Pre-­‐ and post-­‐tests revealed that student competencies in general computer literacy and specific computer applications improved markedly during the pilot. Cumulative test scores increased by 123% and daily attendance consistently registered at rates of over 85%. In 2004, Urban Tech was selected by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Region 8 to provide 21 Guidance Counselors in 12 schools with YLA Professional Development Workshops and on-­‐site support to prepare guidance counselors with tools to help students struggling with schoolwork, behavior, or other problems. In 2005, Urban Tech was selected by the New York City Department of Education to integrate YLA into the Children First curriculum and the instructional program of the New York City Public Schools. The goal was to engage students and enable teachers to put learning into action around topics that are relevant to students’ lives, their communities, and their culture and prepare students for increasingly difficult academic, personal, and social challenges and responsibilities. In 2005, Urban Tech’s Youth Leadership Academy® (YLA) was recognized by the Verizon Foundation for “improving academic performance and workforce preparedness among at-­‐risk youth.” In 2011, Urban Tech was selected by the New York City Board of Education to provide comprehensive instructional technology professional development services for teachers in grades pre-­‐kindergarten through twelfth grade from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2016. THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
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Our Outcomes Urban Tech’s strategies have been successful in improving academic performance of low-­‐achieving students in two empirical studies. In 1997, an independent evaluation was conducted by New York University’s Institute for Education and Social Policy in collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education and Family Studies at Kean University. The study concluded that students made impressive progress in social competence, that participants learned how to work together and solve problems cooperatively in groups, and to express their ideas clearly both orally and in writing. The evaluators also found that students showed statistically significant gains in reading. The mean NCE gain in reading was 5.67. The findings of the second study conducted in February 2003 of the YLA pilot in Montclair, New Jersey indicated that YLA contributed to student growth, the creation of an environment that supports learning, and increased levels of student motivation resulting in a 26% increase in attendance, 46% increase in reading scores, and 40% increase in math scores after the introduction of the YLA modules into their curriculum. A second independent evaluation of YLA was published by Sametric Research at Seton Hall University. The results, as measured by school records of attendance, grade advancement, and increased graduation rates, demonstrated that the program contributed to student growth, the creation of an environment that supports learning, increased levels of student motivation, and students’ general optimism about the future. Parent interest in their youth’s education increased as measured by attendance at meetings, ad hoc meetings with teachers, and involvement in community projects. The following graph shows Urban Tech’s three-­‐year record of increasing attendance and reading and math scores among a sample of students: From 2005-­‐2007, Urban Tech introduced YLA into the educational experiences of over 100 9th and 10th grade students at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark N.J. to demonstrate the potential implications of innovative uses of technology in teaching youth with differing levels of educational attainment and reaching student populations who perform poorly in traditional classroom environments. The comprehensive evaluation demonstrated conclusively that students exposed to the YLA curriculum developed greater motivation and gained in pro-­‐social behaviors as compared to a comparison group. As noted, “the gains were both attitudinal and behavioral; and the greater the student exposure to YLA, the stronger the gains. More importantly, YLA students performed better academically in their course work as evidenced by final grades than students in the comparison group.” Funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Urban Tech began an intervention in 2007 with students in 11 NYCDOE elementary, middle, and high schools to promote health and prevent diseases caused by poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and at-­‐risk sexual behavior. Today, this YLA-­‐based comprehensive health program, Get Healthy, Get Smart! is integrated with science, math, reading, physical education, arts, and other subject areas; and reaches 225 classrooms and over 10,000 students each day. The independent evaluation team identified positive changes occurring in the classrooms regarding implementation of the curriculum and student engagement throughout the program. ! Many of the concepts taught in the PD workshops were evident in the classrooms; ! Teachers were able to engage their students in the new curriculum and GHGS program as demonstrated by student involvement in situation analysis, interactive activities, and self-­‐discovery. ! Motivation and enthusiasm for GHGS traveled school-­‐wide – to students who were not participating in GHGS, and into the community at large through parent workshops. THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
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Observed positive changes in student attitudes and behaviors included: ! Improvement in peer pressure issues including feeling the importance of fitting in with groups, expressing their true opinions; ! Significantly increased awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDs and STDs; ! Significant improvement in exercising and eating habits including: increased weekly exercise and connecting what they ate to their future health; ! Improvements in connecting eating habits with preventing disease; ! Increased self-­‐esteem and self-­‐concept, including having a clearer picture of how to achieve goals and less ambivalence about setting long-­‐range goals. Our computer literacy and job training program outcomes are just as impressive. Of more than 5,000 unemployed NYCHA residents participating in our SeedTech® certification program, pre-­‐ and post-­‐
tests indicated that student competencies in general computer literacy and specific computer applications improved markedly during the course of the program. On average, cumulative totals indicate that student test scores increased by 58 points, a 224% increase, in the following competencies: Competency 1: Identify various functions of the Windows environment: ! Identify different parts of the desktop ! Identifying special keys on keyboard ! Shutting down the computer properly ! Create folder on computer ! Customizing desktop background, screensavers, mouse options Competency 2: Enter text into word processing application: ! Open Microsoft Word ! Locate the menu bar, and quick buttons ! Insert text !
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Create columns Insert clip art Competency 3: Apply mathematical functions, create charts using a spreadsheet and add graphic images into a database: ! Open Microsoft Excel ! Creating charts in spreadsheet ! Entering text and numbers into spreadsheet ! Add images into shopping list ! Creating mathematical formulas Competency 4: Make a presentation using graphic images, sound, text, and animation: ! Open Microsoft PowerPoint ! Animate graphics and text ! Create presentation ! Add sound and text ! Add graphic images Competency 5: Import and export data between computer applications: ! Import shopping list chart into PowerPoint presentation Competency 6: Create a web page: ! Save a file as a webpage using MS Word ! Add color and images to web page !
Link text in web page
The average percent achieved for all competencies during the program was 84%. ! 84% of Participants were able to create an internet webpage; ! 83% of the Participants were able to apply mathematical functions and create charts using spreadsheets; ! 82% of the Participants were able to identify the various functions of the windows environment; ! 85% of the Participants were able to enter text into a word-­‐processing computer application; ! 83% of the Participants were able to create and add graphic images in a database; ! 81% of the participants were able to make a presentation using graphic images, sound, text and animation; ! 84% of the Participants were able to import and export data between computer applications. Since 1997, Urban Tech, in partnership with the US Department of Justice, Community Capacity Development Office and Wells Fargo, has worked with over 115 VITA sites and accomplished the following results: ! 2000 volunteers trained ! $38.6 million dollars of refunds issued ! 43,056 tax returns filed ! $14.2 million dollars in EITC returned to stakeholders
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Urban Tech Staff and Board of Directors Staff Urban Tech has a team of trained and dedicated professionals with years of experience in community planning and development, marketing, operations, education, technology, and telecommunications Pat Bransford, MBA Founder and President Victor Alarcon, BS Senior Web Developer Gena Davis Watkins, M.Ed. Executive Director Dmitriy Nikelberg, BS Website Applications Developer Tom Bransford, BA Vice President, Marketing and Finance Craig Patches, BFA Program / Multimedia Development Manager David C. Fletcher, Ed.D. Education Programs Consultant Joshelle Wright, BA Director, Marketing Jennifer Bransford, BA Curriculum / Creative Director Roxanne Febles Office Manager Daniel Soto YLA Systems Administrator Board of Directors The National Urban Technology Center’s Board of Directors includes representatives from industry and educational institutions and legal, financial and social service organizations. Each of these individuals has volunteered to serve on our Board because of a shared concern about the future of our nation's youth and work force. Patricia Bransford Founder and President The National Urban Technology Center, Inc. Richard (Rich) Bilello National Sales Director―Medical Device Division Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Thomas L. Bransford Vice President and Treasurer The National Urban Technology Center, Inc. David Perlin Private Wealth Advisor – Goldman Sachs John Starks Founder and President John Starks Foundation Kathy Zukerman Managing Director, BTIG
Linda G. Davila First Vice President―Wealth Management Merrill Lynch Jessica C. Isaacs Global Business Executive―Financial Services Alia Jones-­‐Harvey Producer Front Row Productions THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
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THE NATIONAL URBAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 606 | New York, NY 10038 | (212) 528-7350 | www.urbantech.org
Transforming Lives Through the Power of Technology!