Patchwork Quilt

The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative Joins World Community Grid

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Digital Divide Initiative

 


The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative has become a partner of World Community Grid, joining the IBM Corporation and a group of more than 80 leading companies, associations, foundations and academic institutions.

Millions of personal computers sit idly on desks and in homes worldwide. During this idle time, the mysteries of science and space continue to elude us. What if each of the world’s estimated 650 million PCs could be linked to focus on humanity’s most pressing issues?

World Community Grid uses grid technology to establish a permanent, flexible infrastructure that provides researchers with a readily available pool of computational power that can be used to solve problems plaguing humanity. Grid technology joins together many individual computers, creating a large system with massive computational power that far exceeds the power of a few supercomputers. Importantly, World Community Grid is easy and safe to use.

To join, members, friends and business associates should go to www.worldcommunitygrid.org and simply download and install a free, small software program on their computers. When idle, your computers request data from World Community Grid’s server. Computers then perform computations using this data, send the results back to the server and prompt it for a new piece of work.
“World Community Grid provides our busy members with an efficient and effective way to make a difference on problems that plague humanity,” said Father Pat Griffin, Executive Director. “We are asking our friends and business associates to join World Community Grid as part of our overall efforts to enrich the lives of our communities.”

Over the last year, World Community Grid ran the Human Proteome Folding Project, which has been providing scientists with data on how individual proteins within the human body affect human health, enabling them to develop new cures for diseases like lyme disease, malaria and tuberculosis. Scientists now have descriptions of 120,000 protein domains that are critical to human well-being; without the benefit of this free grid technology, it would have taken 5 years to get these results, compared with just 12 months on World Community Grid.

On November 21, World Community Grid launched FightAIDS@Home. FightAIDS@Home, which is sponsored by The Scripps Research Institute, is using computational methods to identify new candidate drugs to block HIV protease, a key molecular structure that when blocked, stops the virus from maturing and thus is a way of avoiding the onset of AIDS and prolonging life. Possible future projects will address global humanitarian issues, such as new and existing infectious disease research; genomic and disease research; and natural disasters and hunger.

The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative is asking that friends and business associates who join the effort become a member of the Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative World Community Grid team. After you load the software please go to http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=811RHJLJHR1 to join The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative’s Team.

The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative’s mission is to provide computers and to improve “technology literacy” within the low-income communities of Minneapolis.

 

 

 

Overview of the Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative

Mission Statement
Our mission is to inspire dreams by building a bridge of opportunity across the Digital Divide through authentic relationships.
We accomplish this by providing hardware, software, training and support to individuals that do not have access to technology.

 

Vision Statement
We envision a world of opportunity where the only limitation is the ability to dream.
The Digital Divide will be recognized as the leader at bridging the digital divide by creating long lasting relationships.

 

Guiding Principals-Unyielding integrity and professionalism
-Inspire passion and dreams for future
- Provide access to opportunities
- Be efficient stewards of resources

 

The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative works to bridge the digital divide by providing computers and technology-based learning opportunities to disadvantaged families, individuals and to partnering non-profit agencies. This objective will be accomplished through four unique projects.

 

1. The Computer Exchange Project
The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative created the Computer Exchange Project to work with area corporations and governmental agencies to secure computers for redeployment to area non-profit agencies, daycare centers, and low-income families and individuals.

Key Recipients of this project are:

  • Low-Income Families with young children or college bound students
  • Job-seekers enrolled in official training programs
  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Nonprofit agencies

 

2. The Technical Support Services Project.
The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative created the Technical Support Services Project to provide inexpensive basic computer support to to the Computer Exchange Project Recipients.

Some Basic Service will Include:

  • Desktop Support
  • Issue Resolution
  • Hardware/Software Upgrade
  • Wireless Network Support

3. The Computer Club Project
The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative created the Computer Club Project to provide hands-on technology-based training to youth between the ages of 12-18. The project focuses on developing leadership skills with an orientation toward serving their communities. The participants are expected to share their acquired knowledge with others in their communities.

Key Components of the Computer Club are:

  • Computer Learning Center Support
  • I-Mentors (Internet Safety Mentors)
  • KidSmart Support Project

4. The Computer Learning Center
The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative created the Computer Learning Center to be a model for other agencies wishing to offer quality educational content to various population segments. The Computer Learning Center supports the Patchwork Quilt Kids Club and the Computer Club Project with education-based software donated by IBM and other supporting corporations.

Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative Key Partners

  • Patchwork Quit (Church of St Phillips)
  • IBM Minnesota
  • Greater Twin Cities United Way
  • Commonbond Communities
  • Project Pride in Living
  • Minneapolis Urban league
  • Eastside Neighborhood Services
  • Centro Cultural