Wired Community @ Wattle Hill

Thu, 07/07/2011 - 17:31

www.wattlehill.infoxchange.net.au

The Wired Community @ Wattle Hill is a digital inclusion initiative that aims to deliver equal and affordable access to computers and the internet to residents of public housing in Wattle Hill, Victoria.

In the initial stages of this demonstration project, 50 homes will be connected with internet access via a wireless mesh network and given a GreenPC computer with Microsoft contributing the software.

The project has been made possible through a collaboration between the Whitehorse Community Health Service, the City of Whitehorse, the Department of Planning and Community Development, Deakin University and Infoxchange Australia.

Wired Community @ Wattle Hill is the third significant grassroots project and follows the ‘wiring up’ of the Collingwood and Fitzroy public housing estates in inner Melbourne.

Residents will have access to digital technologies and community intranet and will have a chance to contribute to, as well as explore their community at their own pace and distance via a range of digital mediums.

The Wired project aims to:
  • improve the social, economic and environmental circumstances of the wattle Hill community;
  • strengthen the capacity and cohesiveness of the community and its networks and;
  • provide access to information technology for those usually excluded from its benefits, that will lead to increase the skills and educational opportunities of housing estate families.
It itakes a whole of community approach  to community building and economic development using new technologies as tools to provide equal access for all residents to local community and world-wide communications, alongside education, skills development, improved health and well-being, access to health and community services and employment opportunities.
  
It includes components such as:
  • development of intranet and appropriate communication management systems;
  • involvement, coordination and integration of government, service providers and businesses;
  • development, coordination and provision of training for residents;
  • provision of access to information technology for residents, including provision of appropriate computer hardware, software and user support
  • a community development model that enables the transition to resident involvement in the development of a social enterprise through training, support, systems development and business management;
  • evaluation of its outcomes; and
  • examination of the public-private partnership options.
Wired will:
  • strengthen and develop new partnerships and relationships between residents of the Wattle hill, community service providers, government at all levels and the business community
  • use a community-development approach that encourages and develops community understanding, ownership and ongoing management of the project
  • facilitate a community strength-based approach to the development of community responses to local issues, concerns and needs and
  • mentor and support the implementation of coordinated, ‘grass-roots’ approaches to the provision of services and facilities for residents so that they are empowered to control their own lives.
It adopts a direct-action strategy to address issues of affordable access to information technology; economic development of the local burwood community; increasing user IT skills; the creation of web-based content that is relevant and the inspiration of local communities to life-long learning.