Neighborhood
Networks 2007 National Partners
Partnerships
are the lifeblood of Neighborhood Networks centers and are the only
vehicle that provides the programming and resources needed to achieve
HUD's stated goal of sustainability for both Neighborhood Networks
centers and multifamily residents. Several significant partnerships
have been achieved that are contributing to the success of Neighborhood
Networks centers across the country.
WACHOVIA
Wachovia
is one of the country's largest financial institutions, providing
banking and investing services to numerous consumers. Wachovia is
the first major bank in the nation to partner with the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to implement the agency's financial
literacy curriculum. Wachovia Corporation has partnered with Neighborhood
Networks Mid-Atlantic Digital Alliance Consortium to facilitate
financial literacy programs targeting adults. Wachovia aims to improve
financial literacy skills for residents of low-income communities
by offering the Money Smart financial education program, an FDIC-developed
curriculum offered in both English and Spanish. Wachovia would also
like to provide basic computer and Internet skills training using
its program, eCommunitiesfirst. This program will provide training
and marketing materials for the implementation of technology workshops
at selected Neighborhood Networks centers in Virginia. Wachovia
will conduct train-the-trainer workshops on the eCommunitiesfirst
and Money Smart programs. Wachovia will also provide all program
and marketing materials, including instructor guides, student manuals,
videos, and certificates of completion. The benefits of this partnership
will allow residents to attain self-sufficiency as they are able
to make informed financial decisions for their future. It will also
teach residents about banking, credit, credit repair, strategies
for saving, and homeownership.
COMPUTERS
4 STUDENTS
Computers 4 Students is a nonprofit organization that focuses on
building relationships with companies and organizations for the
benefit of technology donations to schools and communities. Computers
4 Students also requires organizations to donate 25 or more computers
at a time. Computers 4 Students is partnering with the Neighborhood
Networks New York Consortium and the Neighborhood Networks New Jersey
Consortium to give selected Neighborhood Networks centers 50 complimentary
computers. The computers donated to Neighborhood Networks will have
Windows 98 or Window XP software and will be shipped to Neighborhood
Networks technology centers. With the donated computers from Computer
4 Students, Neighborhood Networks consortia will increase technology
centers' focus on job training and self-sufficiency goals.
HOLIDAY
INN
Holiday Inn is an InterContinental Hotel Group brand that serves
as one of the world's premiere hotel chains. Holiday Inn has more
than 1,300 hotels around the world; in the future, it plans on building
more than 200 hotels in the United States. With the hotel's success
and expansion of various locations, Holiday Inn is committed to
locating and training the best staff to continue its superior service
in the hospitality industry. In keeping with the company's commitment
to corporate responsibility and hospitality training, Holiday Inn
hotels will provide select Neighborhood Networks centers in the
Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia area with workforce and employment
training. Holiday Inn will give selected Neighborhood Networks residents'
an introduction to the hospitality industry and train them to access
possible job opportunities with Holiday Inn.
Introductory
training will be provided for the following positions: front desk
clerks; guest service representatives; and housekeeping. Residents
of Neighborhood Networks centers will have an exclusive insight
into the hospitality industry. Upon completion of the training,
residents will have some advantage over other applicants for career
opportunities. Additionally, Neighborhood Networks center residents
will receive invaluable employment training that can be transferred
to other industry sectors. Neighborhood Networks centers residents
will also have access to other local human resource personnel for
employment opportunities. Residents will have access to up-to-date
information about current employment opportunities with Holiday
Inn in specific geographic areas.
KAPLAN, INC.
Kaplan is one of the world's leading providers of primary, secondary,
and higher education resources. Kaplan continues to increase its
contributions to Neighborhood Networks and has donated educational
products and services to students and educators for mentoring, literacy
initiatives, and scholarships worth millions of dollars. For this
year's partnership, Kaplan will provide Neighborhood Networks centers
in Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Ohio with PSAT, SAT, ACT, and
GED software, covering the subject areas of math, critical reading
and writing tutorials; sample questions and tests, and admission
and tuition guides. Kaplan will also donate 15-20 complementary
copies of various college preparatory materials to select Neighborhood
Networks centers. These products will aid in enhanced college preparation
and increase the youths' learning capacity while encouraging the
independent use of the technological centers with self-contained
software. This partnership will enable residents to fulfill their
goals of self-sufficiency.
LIFETIME
LEARNING
Lifetime Learning is comprehensive computer software providing its
users with reading, writing, and mathematics curriculum, including:
an English dictionary with Spanish translation and thesaurus. The
software is designed to assist individuals with strengthening their
skills, fortify the knowledge of instructors, and provide remediation
for those not performing at an appropriate grade level. Lifetime
Learning is partnering with Neighborhood Networks centers in Minnesota,
South Dakota, and Iowa to provide centers with complimentary installation
of the computer software. Lifetime Learning professionals will help
users increase their capabilities and navigate through the system.
Moreover,
Lifetime Learning will provide complimentary ongoing technical assistance
for participating Neighborhood Networks staff. This partnership
will encourage independent use of the technology center with self-contained
software and will increase residents' technological proficiency.
The partnership will also, increase the learning capacity of youth,
assist adults with GED preparation, enhance residents' marketability
to prospective employers, and enable residents to benefit from additional
educational opportunities.
BRIGHT
FUTURES LEARNING, INC.
Bright Futures Learning, Inc. is a tutoring company that receives
Title1 funding to provide supplemental educational services to youth
in failing school systems. Bright Futures focuses on three academic
programs including: reading, language arts, and study skills. Bright
Futures trains children by using Sensory Integration Therapy, which
improves the ability to process information. Bright Futures is partnering
with Neighborhood Networks centers and consortia to provide complimentary
supplemental educational services to qualifying Title 1 students
located in selected Neighborhood Networks sites in Florida, South
Carolina, and North Carolina. Bright Futures and Neighborhood Networks
will market the program and organize orientation workshops to enroll
residents. Parents of youth utilizing the Bright Futures' approach
will also be provided with weekly reports on their child's progress.
The Bright Futures partnership will allow Neighborhood Networks
centers to have onsite, educational, afterschool programming thereby
promoting increased student academic achievement and parental involvement.
This partnership will also provide complimentary services to a number
of students who do not attend Title 1 schools, but access the selected
Neighborhood Networks centers.
GIFTS IN KIND INTERNATIONAL
Gifts in Kind (GIK) International is the largest charity in the
world that focuses on new corporate product donations. It then provides
these new products to 150,000 community charities worldwide. These
products include: computers, software, office equipment, supplies,
and educational materials. GIK focuses on product donations that
promote community building, community services, youth and education,
sports, technology, and office productivity for nonprofit organizations.
The GIK organization will provide a various array of in-kind donations
to the Neighborhood Networks National Consortium (NNNC). The NNNC
will receive a discounted membership registration for the program,
allowing it to identify and select the products for distribution
to member centers. The membership allows unlimited access to products
with few exceptions. GIK will also provide complimentary discounted
memberships to selected local Neighborhood Networks consortia nationwide.
This partnership will allow centers to have access to supplies so
that their residents receive the benefits of these valuable products.
Regional consortia can take advantage of technology hardware and
software products to enhance their center programming and operations.
GRANTSTATION.COM,
INC.
GrantStation.com, Inc. is an Alaskan Corporation that has delivered
quality, up-to-date funding information to more than 8,000 organizations
and individuals. GrantStation.com, Inc. provides access to federal
and state funding opportunities. These funding opportunities focus
on: education, workforce development, and computer literacy. GrantStation.com,
Inc. will provide the Indiana Neighborhood Networks Consortium and
the Neighborhood Networks New York Consortium with a limited complimentary
membership that includes: access to thousands of national and regional
grant makers, daily updates of federal grant opportunities, and
links to grant making agencies in each state. The partnership also
includes: access to the Common Grant Forms database, a weekly newsletter
(GrantStation Insider), daily updates about federal grant deadlines,
and access to Grant Station's proposal building tutorial, which
assists organizations in their navigation through the grantwriting
process. GrantStation.com, Inc. will create a Neighborhood Networks
co-brand for the GrantStation Insider and other materials for distribution
to local consortia members. This partnership enhances the consortia's
capacity for programming and resources, and provides residents with
an array of tools that assists them with their continuing education.
GRANT
WRITE
Grant Write researches grant opportunities for clients to ensure
a higher rate of success during the grant application process. Grant
Write personnel research various grant requests from American government
agencies, private foundations, and religious organizations. Grant
Write works with numerous nonprofits and understands the need for
funding and budgeting constraints. Grant Write has grantwriters
with several years experience in grantwriting and administration.
Grant Write personnel have written successful applications for grants
for several companies, resulting in a quarter million dollars for
security upgrades and the development of a computer learning center.
As
an experienced grantwriting company, Grant Write will continue its
efforts of freelance grant writing by partnering with selected Neighborhood
Networks National Consortium (NNNC). Grant Write will identify the
qualifying grant opportunities and write complimentary grant applications
for the NNNC. Grant Write will research grant opportunities on behalf
of the NNNC, through government agencies, corporations, and private
foundations, and present them to the consortium for consideration
and approval, as well as manage any additional follow-up communications
to secure the grant.
SAMSUNG,
INC.
Samsung, Inc., a global leader in the electronic and technological
industry, has partnered with Microsoft to launch its digital photo
frame product. Through this collaboration, Samsung will partner
with the Neighborhood Networks National Consortium (NNNC) to engage
New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Seattle, and Los Angeles Neighborhood
Networks center youth in team building activities, while learning
how to create digital stories. Neighborhood Networks center youth
will use technological digital frames to enhance their digital storytelling
projects.
Samsung
will also provide each participating center with digital cameras.
Under the supervision of Neighborhood Networks staff, each center
will create a site on Windows Live Spaces to showcase their creative
digital work. Panel members from Samsung, Microsoft and Neighborhood
Networks will choose the winning center to receive a Samsung digital
photo frame. Following the contest, a gallery will be displayed
at the winning center to showcase the participants' work to the
community and the media. This partnership is not only a great benefit
to youth, but also to the winning center that will receive useful
equipment from both Samsung and Microsoft. The paraphernalia will
also increase and enhance technology programs for all residents
utilizing that Neighborhood Networks center. Having the media spotlight
on this partnership will increase community awareness of that center.
Interested centers can call the toll-free Neighborhood Networks
Information Center at (888) 312-2743 for additional information
on Neighborhood Networks national partnerships.
Some of our national partners from previous years include:
2006
2005
2004
2003
As
Neighborhood Networks moves forward, we are committed to continuing
these positive efforts. To find out more about how your organization
can become a national partner, visit our Becoming
a Partner page.