Sprint and Motorola to Bring WiMax to Chicago
As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Motorola will be constructing a new, citywide WiMax network to be operated by Sprint. Sprint expects to have the network operational by the end of the year, and is implementing similar networks in Washington and Baltimore. This should not be confused with Chicago’s own WiFi RFP, on which work continues to progress. WiMax is an evolution of the technology on which WiFi is based. While still new, it permits a device to connect to the Internet both faster and at a much greater range – several miles as opposed to hundreds of feet.

CDAA Outlines Goals for Digital Excellence
The Chicago Digital Access Alliance is an organization that unites "43 communities, 70+ non-profits, 50+ churches, 100+ small businesses, [and] more than 1000 people" to provide a community voice in the upcoming introduction of universal Wi-Fi access to Chicago. The CDAA has outlined a set of goals for digital excellence that serves as a platform for the organization and a description of what the greater community should try to achieve. You can see this list at http://www.accesschicago.org/digital-excellence-platform

North Lawndale Technology Consortium Launched
Lumity, KIPP:Ascend, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC), St. Gregory Episcopal School, and other North Lawndale community stakeholders are excited to launch a pilot technology consortium that will improve the quality of life in our communities by promoting digital literacy, enhancing economic and educational opportunities. Working hand-in-hand with educators, the consortium will improve the technology literacy skills of teachers, students, and parents. Teachers will effectively infuse technology throughout the curriculum, and use it for student assessments and administrative tasks. And with the consortium’s help area students will meet National Education Technology Standards (NETS) by the time they finish eighth grade, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The consortium will recruit teacher leaders from KIPP:Ascend and LCDC. Teachers will earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) while successfully completing the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3), an internationally recognized certification that validates basic computer literacy. Teachers who earn their IC3 will then assist eighth graders to achieve this credential before graduation, which will enable them to earn college credits and prepare them for the digital workplace.

America’s Second Harvest wins Technology Leadership Award at TechFest 2007
America’s Second Harvest received the annual Technology Leadership Award, presented by Accenture, at TechFest 2007, a fundraiser for Lumity (formerly the IT Resource Center). Working to create a hunger-free America by distributing food, raising public awareness about hunger, and through public advocacy, America’s Second Harvest (ASH) was cited as a technology leader for its implementation of a web-based food allocation system that enables members of its nation-wide network to acquire specific products for their communities and make surpluses more accessible to other food banks. ASH received a $7500 grant from Accenture, a one-year Lumity membership with $3000 of services, and a donation of Microsoft software. Runner-up for the award was The Hadley School for the Blind, which promotes independent living through lifelong distance education for blind and low-vision people, their families, and blindness service providers. The Hadley School created a computer-simulated braillewriter that enables professionals working with blind people to learn to read and write Braille. As the runner-up, the Hadley School received a $2500 grant from Accenture, a one-year Lumity membership that includes $2000 worth of services, and a donation of Microsoft software. Two other finalists for the Technology Leadership award were also singled out for their work: the Lawndale Christian Health Center and the Northern Illinois Food Bank. They each received a $1000 grant from Accenture, a one-year Lumity membership, and a donation of Microsoft software.

Lumity Announced at TechFest 2007
March — the nonprofit organization formerly known as the IT Resource Center announced a new name that reflects an expansion of its mission to include financial advisory services: Lumity, an organization that works to help Chicago’s nonprofit community to do more good work. The origins of the name Lumity lie in the concepts of Illumination + Community; the purpose of the name change is to both acknowledge the expanding range of services offered and to renew the organization’s commitment to improving the socio-economic and cultural opportunities available to less fortunate individuals in less fortunate neighborhoods. Lumity will continue to provide high quality yet affordable technology training and consulting to Chicago-area charities, and will also include the financial management programming of the former Nonprofit Financial Center (NFC), absorbed by the organization last fall. All former ITRC and NFC members are now members of Lumity, and at present www.lumity.org redirects to the ITRC’s old website. For more information, see http://www.lumity.org