The TechREACH Alliance Project (TAP) is a partnership between the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (PSCTLT), the TEConnections™ program and Wilderness Technology Alliance to increase technology access and literacy in 10 underserved communities located in Eastern Washington and Western Washington. The TechREACH Alliance will provide technology literacy training and a refurbished computer with internet access to people from low-income households via established partnerships with schools, the Department of Social & Health Services, community colleges and/or community centers. This project is funded by the Greater Everett Community Foundation through funding from the Verizon/MCI Merger Public Purpose Fund.

Selected schools will be working with the TechREACH Alliance, TEConnections™ and Wildtech in training and the curriculum necessary to conduct after school technology clubs, allowing students to conduct their own computer distributions within their own schools and community.

The list of schools selected so far include:

January 9th -10th, the first training for teachers and IT staff was held at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Two days of hardware and software training was conducted by Dan Casey, WTA and Mark Rhoades, the TEConnections™ teacher with Lewis & Clark High School, Career & Technical Education Department. The teachers from Eastern Washington were sent home with computers which were refurbished by students from Lewis & Clark High School. Teachers from Western Washington will have their computers delivered after they return home. All teachers received technology club curriculum, developed by staff with TechREACH.

We at TEConnections™ are excited to work with other school districts to build the relationships necessary to share our model with other communities. Over the two year grant, TEConnections™ will provide partners in Eastern Washington the computers, training and support designated by the grant guidelines. WildTech will provide the same for Western Washington.

We'll post updates of TAP to keep you abreast of any news. If you have questions regarding this program, please call or email Yvonne Johnson at 354-7618.