september 1, 2001

Due to unforeseen budgetary difficulties, the CTC Centers will now be staffed by only one individual. Service will remain constant, but we are now in need of volunteers to help our managers work with visitors. Specifically we are looking for motivated individuals who like working with people; have a thorough knowledge of Windows 98, the various Microsoft Office software, the Internet and e-mail (or who are willing to learn as they go); don't mind working after hours and on Saturdays, and who don't like to be paid. This is volunteer work, so there isn't any money, but your hard work will be appreciated and your reward will come by the thanks you receive from the people you help. Plus it feels good to help other people. Try it, you'll see.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer in one of our centers, please see the manager of the center in your area. He or she will be glad to talk with you and show you the ropes. Brochures are available outline the program and what we expect from our volunteers.

march 15, 2001

Starting February 19th and continuing through May, the FUTURO Communities, Inc. Community Technology Center (CTC) program will host another series of computer classes. Southwest Texas Junior College has been hired to provide members of its faculty to teach the classes which are scheduled to be held in every Center in our region as per a set schedule available at the Centers. The classes will provide basic instruction in the use of the Microsoft Windows98 operating system, word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, Internet, and database software. The classes are separated into modules, each module consisting of three three-hour sessions.

Each module costs $10 and consists of three three-hour classes. Payment is required at the time of registration either at the CTC Center where the class is being taught or mailed before the class begins to the FUTURO Main Office. To register at one of the CTCs, pay the CTC manager he or she will place your name on the list of registered class members. Once 15 people have signed up for a single module at a particular Center that module will be closed and no more registrations will be accepted. If mailed to the FUTURO Main Office, be sure to include the class, date, and location of the class in which you wish to participate along with the appropriate fee and mail to: 100 West South Street, Uvalde, Texas 78801. More than one class may be registered for at any one time.

The class schedule is set so as to serve all five counties in the FUTURO region: Dimmit, La Salle, Maverick, Uvalde and Zavala. In all but Cotulla, the CTCs are located at the Middle Rio Grande Development Centers in Carrizo Springs at 307 West Nopal, in Crystal City at 315 North 1st, in Eagle Pass at 1200 Ferry Street, and in Uvalde at 216 West Main. As a result of our partnership with the Cotulla Independent School District, the Cotulla center is located at the Cotulla High School in the computer lab in Building C.

As of a recent survey, the Cotulla lab has served over 2,600 residents of Cotulla, La Salle County and surrounding areas. The Cotulla School District has generously allowed FUTURO to use their facilities to meet the goal of the CTC Program; to bridge the ‘digital divide’ - the socioeconomic gap that exists between those with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today's technology-driven job market and those without - a problem that continues to persist in our area, as it does in many rural areas throughout the country. They are unique among our CTCs, in fact, because they are the only school district to allow this kind of access to their facilities.

FUTURO also continues its partnership with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council and Middle Rio Grande Workforce Board who pay the salaries of our CTC Managers and allow us to use their facilities to provide the residents our region with an opportunity to increase the capacity, accessibility and utilization of existing community information. The goal of each CTC is to expand the opportunities and to foster a wide spread understanding of the impact of modern technology on our economy and our differing cultures. It is this kind of cooperation among agencies and entities that has allowed program like the CTC to thrive and to serve the community in ways that will have an effect far into the foreseeable future.

The goals of the CTC program are embodied by the its motto, “Keeping the Doors Open.” The CTCs offer every member of the community the opportunity to experience and better learn about computer technology and the resources available on the Internet. An on-site manager and volunteers will staff the Center and provide visitors with information, administer classes and give specialized training. Additional services include after-school activities, adult education, family literacy activities, career development and job preparation, and small business and leadership development.

Planning for future classes include specialized courses in web page design, Microsoft Certification, Internet search, e-mail usage, preschool reading and interactive video-conferencing pertaining to small business development. High school and junior high students, their parents, and any other interested residents of our communities are encouraged to visit and utilize the Center's various programs during the week. Pre-kindergarten and elementary aged students and their parents are encouraged to visit on Saturday mornings for programs specific to younger visitors.

The CTC Centers are open Monday through Friday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon, unless otherwise noted such as for this series of classes.

The program to create the CTCs was funded by a grant from the Department of Education and will be administered by the FUTURO Community CTC Program Coordinator Mary Jane Salgado. FUTURO's partners include the Southwest Texas Junior College, Sul Ross State University - Rio Grande Campus, Middle Rio Grande Development Council and Middle Rio Grande Workforce Board.

Class Subjects:

Computer Operating Systems (Windows98) - This module covers file management & organization, program execution, and the use of Windows Explorer.

Internet (MS Internet Explorer) - This module covers Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Internet, the World Wide Web, E-mail, and the use of E-commerce.

Presentation Graphics (MS Power Point) - This module covers electronic presentation creation, editing functions, slides, templates, and multimedia features.

Word Processing (MS Word) - This module covers document creation, editing functions, formatting, and mail merge.

Spreadsheets (MS Excel) -This module covers spreadsheet creation, formulas, graphs, and printing features.

Database Management (MS Access) - This module covers table creation, sorting, queries, forms and reports.

november 21, 2000

As of December 1, 2000 FUTURO will no longer be located in the AEP/CP&L building at 330 North Getty. The office is moving to 100 West South Street (in the old Middle Rio Grande Workforce Board building) behind the post office in the south town square. We would like to thank AEP/CP&L for their generous donation of space, furnishings and utilities that supported us for more than a year. We look forward to working within them in the future, continuing our partnership for the betterment of our region.

september 18, 2000

The Community Technology Center Program begins its first classes today. Continuing through the month of December , the Centers in Carrizo Springs, Eagle Pass and Uvalde will be conducting free computer instruction classes to residents of the region. Due to limited space, however, the attendance has had to be regulated by pre-registration. So far every center has been booked to capacity, with several people having to be put on a waiting list for the class in Carrizo Springs.

The classes will be taught by three professors from Southwest Texas Junior College. They will each instruct a class in the three different locations. It was decided that because the classes require hands-on instruction, the use of distance learning interactive video would be impractical.

The first class in a series of six classes will cover an introduction to Microsoft® Internet Explorer, the Internet, the World Wide Web, e-mail, and the use of e-commerce. The other five classes will be on topics such as Computer Operating Systems, Presentation Graphics, Word Processing, Spreadsheets, and Database Management. Each class requires two nights to complete, for a total of six hours of instruction.

Seating is still available for the classes in October and November. To register you may call the FUTURO offices at 830-278-6817, the CTC centers (Eagle Pass at 830-773-1191, Carrizo Springs at 830-876-3533, or Uvalde at 830-278-2929 during normal operation hours), or visit the CTC center in Eagle Pass, Carrizo Springs or Uvalde during normal operating hours: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday.

september 6, 2000

The FUTURO Communities, Inc. Community Technology Centers program will be hosting the first in a series of classes on September 18 and 20 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in its centers in Carrizo Springs, Eagle Pass and Uvalde, each module being facilitated by professional instructors. The class is divided into two nights, due to the complexity of the subjects, for a total of six hours, and will include introductory instruction on Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Internet, the World Wide Web, E-mail, and the uses of E-commerce.

The class is free of charge and open to everyone living within the FUTURO Region, although we do require pre-registration for the class. Call the FUTURO offices at 830-278-6817 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or any one of the three CTC Managers between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to register. In Carrizo Springs call Frances Santoya at 830-876-3533, in Uvalde call Robert Ballesteros at 830-278-2929, and in Eagle Pass call Hal Bowles at 830-773-1191. You may also drop by one of the three centers between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to register in person with the CTC Manager. Either way, please register as soon as possible as class size will be limited to twenty in Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, and fourteen in Uvalde due, in part, to the limited number of computers in each center.

Ten more modules have been scheduled for October and November of this year and will include instruction in the use of Microsoft's Windows 98, PowerPoint 2000, Word 2000, Excel 2000, and Access 2000. The dates and times for these classes will be posted at each center and released to the media through press releases. A schedule and brief description of these classes is available from the FUTURO offices.

The Community Technology Centers are located in the Middle Rio Grande Development Centers in Carrizo Springs at 307 West Nopal, Crystal City at 315 North 1st, Eagle Pass at 1200 Ferry Street, and Uvalde at 216 West Main, and are open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to Noon. The Center in Cotulla is located at the Cotulla High School in the computer lab in Building C and is open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday. On class days the centers in Carrizo Springs, Eagle Pass and Uvalde will be unavailable for general use, though the centers in Crystal City and Cotulla will be open as usual.

june 8, 2000

FUTURO Communities, Inc. will receive a Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $199,177 from the department of Housing and Urban Development. This seed support grant will be used to develop a Regional Business Service Center to be located in the FUTURO Communities, Inc. office in Uvalde, Texas. Service provided by the center include training, loan packaging, outreach, marketing and promotion, peer/mentor assistance, research, resource and referral assistance. Cash and in-kind leveraging resources total $132,219 for this project. Key partners include: ACCION Texas and the Small Business Development Center. ACCION Texas will be providing loan counseling and packaging services to center visitors, while the Small Business Center has committed to teaching four classes related to small business development.

The center will be staffed by a full-time Business Development Specialist who will be responsible for all activities conducted in the center toward revitalizing small business development in the five-county FUTURO Region.