HUD TO HOST NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKS REGIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP IN BOSTON
Sessions at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Boston RTAW will give attendees an opportunity to network with peers and learn about the latest strategies, techniques, and resources for building and sustaining Neighborhood Networks centers. A pre-conference grant writing session and digital storytelling boot camp will start on June 19. The boot camp will be held at two Neighborhood Networks centers in Boston, and participants will learn how digital stories can be used as a fundraising and advocacy tool.

Sponsored by HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs, the workshop, "Uniting Neighbors. Strengthening Communities," will provide stakeholders - including Neighborhood Networks center staff, property owners and managers, volunteers, partners, and HUD staff - with valuable guidance, tools, and information.

The Boston RTAW, which follows the first 2006 RTAW held April 5 -7, 2006, in San Diego, will address key topics for the sustainability and growth of the Neighborhood Networks Initiative. The morning sessions at the Radisson Hotel Boston will focus on fundraising, program planning, partnership building, volunteer recruitment, and website development.

Afternoon sessions at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are sponsored by the Massachusetts regional consortium, MassIMPACT, and the Neighborhood Networks National Consortium. Workshop sessions aim at helping residents move toward self-sufficiency and include CyberSecurity, youth entrepreneurship, digital storytelling, technology for persons with disabilities, and new trends in wireless access.

HUD created Neighborhood Networks in 1995 to encourage property owners to establish community computer learning centers in HUD-insured and -assisted properties. Neighborhood Networks was one of the first federal initiatives to promote self-sufficiency and help provide computer access to low-income housing communities. Today, more than 1,200 Neighborhood Networks centers are in operation across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Since its inception, Neighborhood Networks has been at the forefront of delivering technology access to America's communities. Adults have launched careers, started small businesses, and improved their incomes after completing training at Neighborhood Networks centers. Families have become homeowners. Children have improved their grades, earned scholarships, and enriched their lives. Seniors have learned new skills, secured jobs, and engaged in community activities.

To learn more about the Boston RTAW visit the Neighborhood Networks website.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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