Welcome

Open House Meet ‘n Eat CookoutSeptember 22, 2012

you

you

you

you

are Free Geek Providence

the Divide

The Digital Haves and Have-Nots

• Senior citizens• Spanish-speakers • Adults with less than a high school education• Those who earn less than $30,000 per year

are the least likely adults to have internet access.

- The New York TimesDecember, 2011

“we are a country in which only the urban and suburban well-off have truly high-speed Internet access,

while the rest — the poor and the working class — either cannot afford

access or use restricted wireless access as their only connection to the

Internet.”

Four Types of Access

• Low-cost hardware (computers, monitors)• Freely Available Open Source Software• Low-cost technology training (computer

classes)• Low-cost internet service

E-Waste

The Dark Side of Moore’s Law

The capabilities of digital electronic devices double every two years.

As technologies continue to rapidly

"improve", previous versions become

obsolete and unused.

“workers dismantle the e-waste using their bare hands. They crack open the electronics and strip away the valuable parts that can be reused, such as gold

and silver. Toxic smells from the burning remains of the electronic

trash swirl in the air.”

- CNC NewsJune, 2012

E-Waste in China

E-Waste in the U.S.

• 3 million tons of e-waste are generated in the U.S. every year.

• More than 80 percent is sent to landfills.

• Of the amount that is collected, another 80 percent is exported to the developing world.

the Skills Gap

The Tech Industry in Rhode Island

• Rhode Island ranked 42nd in the nation for its low number of high-tech workers

• The Ocean State ranked 25th for its average wage for high-tech workers

Massachusetts came in at No. 6 for number of high-tech workers and

No. 2 (behind California) for its average wage for high-tech workers

2008 Study of IT Companies in RI

• Over half of employers are inadequately staffed in IT

• Fewer Women are Completing IT Degrees or Certificates

• Employers want to hire IT workers with proven skills

Challenges for Rhode Island

• Under-representation of women and minority groups.

• “Brain-Drain, Brain-Gain” Factor –migration of the college educated population.

• Educational programs provide insufficient hands-on training

Helping the Needy Get Nerdy

“The FGPVD Mission is to bridge the digital divide by making

computer resources accessible to nonprofits and individual,

to divert e-waste from contaminating the environment and to promote the

use of open source software.”

- You

FGPVD MilestonesOct. 2008 – 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status

Feb. 2009 – NewBCamp unconference

Apr. 2009 – 200 Computers Donated by Johnson & Wales Given to Providence School System

Aug. 2011 – Stuff Harvest Recycling Event

Feb. 2012 – Transfer of FGPVD Headquarters to current location

Organization

Active Members

Teaching, Fundraising, Outreach,Leadership Committees

Steering Committee Board of Directors

Which Free Geek?

While there is a Free Geek in Portland, OR, Free Geek Providence is an independently governed nonprofit.

Free Geek Providence upholds the values of the original Free Geek, in promoting open source software

and bridging the digital divide.

Open Source

• Free of licensing charges• Available and accessible to everyone• Can be customized according to an individual’s

requirements and the platforms used• Can be freely redistributed in its current or a

modified form

Free Geek Providence Does

• Provide an alternative to the landfill for used electronics

• Provide low-income individuals and other non-profits with an inexpensive resource for electronics

• Provide low-cost classes in tech skills• Promote the use of open source software

Thank you!

Questions?

freegeekprovidence.org

Sara Streeter sara@freegeekpvd.org