"Community Technology Networking - Survival and Success"

6th Annual National Community Networking Conference

December 7-9, 2003, Austin, Texas

Today's leaders recognize information technology is vital for community survival and success. But this year, challenge has become crisis as economic downturns, dwindling financial support, and confusing technical choices make it very difficult to develop and sustain local telecommunications resources. Many rural and urban areas still lack adequate connectivity, yet local leaders who want to help build advanced telecommunications for their communities do not always have the information, guidance and support they need and deserve.

The 2003 National Community Networking Conference is a "How To" summit meeting where top leaders from government and industry join community networking experts to help local leaders develop and sustain successful community technology. Interactive sessions, grant and funding workshops, hands-on technology demonstrations, and pragmatic advice from professionals highlight this year's agenda. Don't miss one of the world's premier gatherings for everyone interested in community and technology networking.

Presented by the TeleCommunity Resource Center, this unique conference clearly explains rapidly changing technologies, policies, project services and practical sustainability strategies for community technology beginners and veterans alike.

Sunday afternoon offers a specialized grant writing workshop that addresses the basics that community leaders need to know when searching and applying for community technology funding. Next comes a detailed grant information session presented by Program Officers from NTIA's Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). The day will conclude with an interactive session on "How to Conduct a Community Web Raising: Simple Steps for Building Community Telecommunications Resources."

Monday and Tuesday presentations will offer experts' practical guidance
on:

• Sustaining Community Networks in today's difficult economy
• New (and sometimes surprising) resources for funding and support
• Telecom for economic development, workforce skills, and employment
• Financial planning, grant search and application strategies
• Serious new legal, regulatory and liability concerns, with new protections
• Affordable broadband Internet access for your entire community
• Open Source Software: Choices and Considerations
• Expanded Educational Opportunity for people of all ages
• New techniques for TeleHealth and Telemedicine services
• Wireless Internet Access: Broadband, Hotspots and WISPs
• E-commerce and Internet tools to help build local businesses
• Internet access to "e-government" information and tools for online leadership
• ISPs' growing role as leaders in Community Technology Networks
• Outreach, Communications, and Marketing community Internet programs
• Public Access Management: Security, Safety, and Replacement Strategies
• SocialWare: Blogs, Wikis, Lists, and other innovative tools
• Serving people of diverse languages, literacy and cultural heritage
• Special initiatives: Senior, Neighborhoods, Disability, and Faith-based

For conference details, the latest agenda, and registration online, see http://www.tcrc.net/conference2003 . For more information, email office@main.org
or call 512-919-7590.

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