-PCNA Projects and Initiatives

What is LOCUS?

Posted Tue, 07/03/2007 - 23:09 by admin

The LOCUS project is a game development learning platform developed by the Pacific Community Networks Association in partnership with Microsoft and Telecenters of the Americas partnership.

The idea for the LOCUS project happened while visiting CAP sites in the Yukon territories.   We were visiting small communities that were very isolated and hundreds of miles from the next community but each place had at least a T-1 connection to the internet and a CAP site.   Most CAP sites were in libraries or community centres.

One thing I noticed, especially in the north were youth with nothing to do and no where to go.  There was nothing to draw them into the CAP site.   It was impossible to say "come in and we'll teach you how to use spreadsheets...."   BUT...they were playing games.  

In the Sunshine Coast Regional Network there was a success story from the CAP site centre and that was the start of a game development business.  This business and venture was written about in a report to HRSDC on economic development activites in CAP sites.   We approached the business and talked about a way teach game development in these rural and remote communities.   LOCUS was born.

We expect to roll out the LOCUS educational platform in 2008 across CAP sites in the Pacific Region and Canada and then throughout the Americas.  

Overview:

 

One of the most diverse and accessible media forms made available through technology exists in the computer games industry. Computer games comprise multiple media disciplines in their production such as digital and traditional art, creative and technical writing, musical composition, sound design, project management, and programming.

Learning the craft of game development and getting involved in a project is the best way to become engaged with technology, learn new skills, and put them to use. A project of learning and skill development such as this can provide a means for individuals to join an international industry that respects no borders, formal education, economic circumstances, or cultural barriers; a young and vital industry where know-how, talent, and passion are all that signifies. The games industry can also be localized where talent exists, creating on-site technology sector jobs for groups working together as business units.

The online community project will provide a full, web-based curriculum in the numerous disciplines that comprise the art and science of game development. This curriculum designed and produced by world-class professional talent and supported by a public forum of mentors and peers, will give students a comprehensive education game development, friends and contacts in the game industry, and a pathway toward professional employment.

 

 

 

About TAP

Posted Tue, 07/03/2007 - 22:27 by admin

TAP was established to serve major regional telecenter networks across the Americas to support their sustainability strategies by providing technical assistance and organizational development resources and opportunities to benefit individual telecenters and their communities. The TAP Associates are committed to identifying the needs and redressing the problems of national or regional telecenters, and has as one of its foremost aims supporting the education and economic development and well being of its clients who are socially and economically disadvantaged. No services will be denied to any organizations or clients on the basis of age, color, creed, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, or individuals with disabilities.

The PCNA is the Canadian representative in the Telecenter Partnership with an MOU from Industry Canada supporting our position.  It is our belief that sharing resources and learning from other like networks we can help our own centres and networks in Canada. 

I-Malls

Posted Fri, 04/20/2007 - 22:45 by Tate

 The PCNA is the Canadian partner in Imalls Global.  This project promises to generate enough revenue for the PCNA that we can become funders for our CAP Networks and sites.   IMalls Global is forming a foundation and the PCNA will be forming IMalls Canada.

We are very proud of this ecommerce/social platform that benefits CAP in Canada as well as our partner networks around the globe.   Please visit www.imallsglobal.com for more information. 

Our list of partners include (and it's growing daily):

Logistics: UPS

International and national banking partners

Software: Microsoft

Telecenter Associations
 

  • Somos@Telecentros

  • Aspira

  • CTCNet

  • Pacific Network of Canada

Government Services Oversight: Organization of American States 

 Board of Directors:

Ron Scheman
 Former United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank, Chairman of the International Finance Practice of Greenberg Traurig;, President of Porter International, and, most recently, Director General of the OAS Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD)

Alan Wurtzel
Former CEO of Circuit City Stores where grew the company from 50 million to one billion dollars in sales and has spent the last 19 years as a director of various public companies including Office Depot, TJX, CarMax and Dollar Tree Stores

President - COO: Bonsal Glascock, In a career spanning over 30 years, Mr. Glascock worked in senior positions in finance, sales, marketing and management at Bechtel, Tandem Computers and Cisco Systems. Born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, he is fluent in English, Spanish and French and has a working knowledge of Portuguese. He was educated at the University of Pacific
(BS) and Golden Gate University, San Francisco (MBA). He has served on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce, PanAmerican Society of California, Make-A-Wish Foundation and on the Fiesta Bowl Committee.

Executive Vice President, Vendor Relations: Steven Richman, Mr. Richman spent over 18 years with Circuit City Stores, Inc. in a number of senior level positions including Director of Corpo- rate Distribution supporting over 600 retail stores throughout the US and General Manager of Corporate Operations.

CIO: Roni Leeds, Ms. Leeds spent 25 years in technology with Cisco Systems, Inc., 3Com Inc. and Tandem Computers, Inc. where she was responsible to build teams and structures for marketing and customer service. Her responsibilities related principally to operations and business development in foreign markets, including Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Vice President, Telecenter Operations: Jorge Duran, Mr. Duran has spent over 15 years working with technology investive projects in Latin America, including the telecenter movement and web delivered services as Director of Cooperation and Vice President at the Latin American Institute of Educational Communication (ILCE), Senior Advisor in Technology at the Organization of American States (OAS) and Senior Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

General Manager, I-Malls Americas: Klaus Stoll. Mr. Stoll has been active in the Internet sector of Latin America for almost 15 years. He was responsible for building the first Internet network of churches in the United Kingdom (ChurchNet.UK) and was co-founder of Chasquinet in Quito, Ecuador in 1997, a foundation devoted to promote the strategic uses of the Internet for social development through research, education and training.. Mr. Stoll is currently president of Chasquinet.

John Villamil-Casanova, the Executive Vice-President and CIO of Aspira, will be responsible for coordination with the U.S. telecenters. He is a former board member of CTCNet and is a member of the national advisory committees of Cisco Academies, the Hispanic Educational Telecommunications System (HETS) and Hispanics in Information Technology and Telecommunications National Association.

Bev Collins, General Manager of the Pacific Community Networks Association since 2003, will be responsible for coordination with the Canadian telecenter network. She was a founder of the Powell River Community Network in 1993, the Powell River Economic Development Society and the British Colombia Community Connectivity Cooperative.

 

 

Opening a vast market of middle income and small business customers in Emerging Market economies to participate in international e-commerce, in partnership with the Telecenter Associations of the Americas
 

Epanding thousands of Telecenters into a vast network of e-commerce outlets, adapting them into logistics and payments centers for e-commerce.

Exchange Project

Posted Fri, 04/20/2007 - 22:44 by Tate

The pilot round of TAP's Operator Exchange Program, funded by IDRC, was conducted in 2006-07.  Telecenter and CAP experts from across North and South America had the opportunity to offer and request expertise in areas vital to their operations.  When a suitable "expertise match" was found, the participants could then develop a joint proposal to cover expenses (travel, communication, etc.) associated with this exchange.  The project funded 8 successful exchanges, the results of which are discussed in the final report.

 

As a CAP expert, you are encouraged to contact the PCNA about opportunities to share your knowledge (or get a little extra help!) in a future round of the TAP Operator Exchange Program.  It's a great way to see a different part of the world, do some good work, and further the success of the telecenter movement throughout the Americas!

 

Syndicate content