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Table of Contents

Success Story:

Carmelita Strong

First Time Technology

Officially Opens

Community Computer

Day

Byte Back Celebrates Its

Volunteers

NASCIO Supports Byte

Back’s Mission

Volunteer of the Month:

Kavanaugh Livingston

Five Questions with an

Instructor: Andrea Mack

OCTO Saves Byte

Back’s Spring Classes

Student Spotlight:

Michael Myers

Upcoming Events

Volunteer Opportunities

Byte Back’s Online Newsletter | April 2013

INFO - BITS

Continued

Success Story: Carmelita Strong By: Jessica Bates

Carmelita Strong doesn’t like to boast about how much she’s

learned in the last four years. She enrolled in PC for Beginners

at Byte Back in 2009 to add to the computer skills she’d learned

in previous career training. Four years later, she’s now working

as a deployment technician for IFC (International Finance Cor-

poration), a member of the World Bank Group, and taking a

Byte Back course to prepare her for her A+ certification.

After taking PC for Beginners, Ms. Strong took PC Hardware

and started volunteering at First Time Computers. Her hard work was recognized with a

full-time, paid position as a computer technician. Because of First Time Computers’ close

partnership with Byte Back, Ms. Strong stayed in touch with the Byte Back community.

She worked with Byte Back interns, whom she described as “always eager to learn,” as

they learned how to refurbish computers.

When First Time Computers closed this winter, Ms. Strong began searching for a new

challenge. Early this month, she started a new job as a contract worker with IFC. As a de-

ployment technician, Ms. Strong starts work every morning at 6:00 a.m. She makes sure

that every employee’s computer is ready for the work day, adding any program or file that

they might need.

Ms. Strong clearly has a passion for computers, and she particularly enjoys “figuring out

what’s gone wrong and how to solve it” and she’s always looking for new, better ways to

get things done. As part of her A+ certification training coursework (a class she was able

to take through DOES assistance), Ms. Strong interns at First Time Technology where she

helps to refurbish computers. She’s participating in the A+ Careers and Job Readiness

training with our employment specialist, H.Y. Griffin. Among other topics, the training

allows participants to develop a cover letter and resume.

Out of everything Ms. Strong has learned over the last few years, the most important is

simply how critical computer literacy is in people’s lives. “So many things are only com-

puter based now – newspapers, banking, even television,” she said. “If you don’t have a

computer or don’t know how to use one, you just won’t know what’s going on.”

By: Jessica Bates

On Friday, April 12, Executive Director Kelley Ellsworth and Director of Refurbishing

and Repair Ronald Wade cut the ribbon to open First Time Technology, Byte Back’s new

computer refurbishing program.

First Time Technology Officially Opens

Carmelita Strong

2

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APRIL 2013 INFO-BITS

Staff, students, volunteers, and partners

gathered to celebrate the opening of the new

program over cake and sparkling cider. First

Time Technology staff handed out the first

official computers to Byte Back graduates.

Michelle Johnson, Stacey Downey and Tra-

cy Winston from OSSE; Delano Squires

from OCTO; and Riley Grime from South-

east Ministry came to show their support.

First Time Technology is designed to re-

place the services of First Time Computers

(FTC), which closed this winter. During the

past decade, FTC refurbished/recycled near-

ly 10,000 computers, preventing them from

going prematurely to landfills where toxins leak into groundwater and create a range of hazards. Instead, low-

income people trained jointly by Byte Back and First Time Computers repaired and upgraded these computers,

making them available to low-income people and local nonprofits, helping to bridge the digital divide and

strengthen community organizations.

First Time Technology is located near Deanwood Metro Station on Minnesota Avenue NE. This program will

augment Byte Back’s training programs and will provide recycled and refurbished computers for the commu-

nity.

Staff, volunteers, board members, partners, and students gathered to cele-

brate the opening of First Time Technology.

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4

By: Erica Heller

Byte Back hosted two volunteer appreciation events this past

month to recognize our volunteers for the hard work they do and

to give our staff and volunteers a chance to get to know each other

without the distractions of work. On Sunday, April 7th, Byte Back

volunteers and staff gathered at the National Gallery of Art Sculp-

ture Garden to bask in the beautiful spring weather and to enjoy

the cherry blossoms on the mall. While snacking on cupcakes

and cookies, everyone was able to take a moment to mingle and

soak up the sun.

Later in the week, other volunteers and staff members met at El

Centro D.F. near the U Street Corridor for some fresh guacamole

and pleasant conversation. Each volunteer received a Byte Back

goodie bag -- just a small token of our appreciation for the countless hours spent preparing for and teaching

our classes. Byte Back thanks our volunteers for their devotion to serving the communities we work in.

Byte Back Celebrates Its Volunteers

By: Cristina Moscoso

It’s not everyday that Byte Back gets approached by another organization offering to plan a fundraiser for us.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened this past September when we received a call from the National Association

of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO).

NASCIO was founded in 1969 and was originally the National Association for State Information Systems

(NASIS). Today they focus on information technology (IT) aiding chief technology officers in all 50 states

and supporting their mission with tasks such as monitoring of issues and legislation that affect technology.

This April 28 -May 1st, NASCIO is hosting its 2013 Midyear Conference, and guess whom they graciously

NASCIO Supports Byte Back’s Mission

Volunteers relax in the National Gallery of Art Sculp-

ture Garden.

Continued

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By: Ashley Luttmer

Kavanaugh Livingston started volunteering at Byte Back this fall, teaching PC for

Beginners 1 at the Perry School. Since then, she has become a tremendous asset to

Byte Back's students and staff. Cristina Moscoso, development associate, says,

"Aside from her dedication to her students, Kavanaugh has been so helpful to me

as a fellow development professional. She has gone out of her way to volunteer

her hard-earned fundraising experience to help out Byte Back efforts." Her stu-

dents also had high praise for "Ms. K," as she's known in class. Her teacher evalu-

ations were filled with glowing comments, such as Ms. K was great. She was pa-

tient and caring in all her ways. I thank her from the bottom of my heart and look

forward to seeing her in another class."

Kavanaugh brings passion and a sense of fun to her classes. She says, "I have learned a lot through my time

with Byte Back, but I think my ultimate take-away is that working with people who come from a diverse range

of backgrounds and even from different parts of the world is incredibly rewarding. I have met so many won-

derful people through Byte Back and have been particularly lucky to work with Byte Back students. They are

some of the most dedicated, hard-working, and down-to-earth people I have ever met." Next, Kavanaugh will

be teaching a workshop on using USAJobs.gov at Community Computer Day. We appreciate her continued

support!

Volunteer of the Month: Kavanaugh Livingston

Interview By: David Foster

Q: What has been your favorite moment as a Byte Back instructor?

A: This current semester of teaching has been my favorite overall moment. I've

learned how to be a lot more patient. I also know the material a lot better and

I'm doing a better job of teaching the actual lessons.

Q: What is your favorite lesson or concept to teach, and why?

A: My favorite lesson is a text-editing lesson that I created. I was able to incor-

porate current events and I got excellent feedback regarding this lesson.

Q: What do you like best about living in the D.C. area?

A: The sidewalks -- just kidding! Downtown D.C. has some vibrant colors that

you don't see in a lot of other cities.

Five Questions with an Instructor: Andrea Mack

invited to participate? That’s right, Byte Back!

“NASCIO is excited to team with Byte Back as part of our Give Back program for the Midyear Conference,”

said Alison Keller, NASCIO programs coordinator. “The NASCIO members, comprised of both public and

private IT professionals, feel it is important to give back to the communities we visit”

Byte Back is happy and grateful for the opportunity that NASCIO has presented us. They featured our infor-

mation video as part of their conference procedures and held a fundraising walk in our honor. Our director,

Kelley Ellsworth gave a brief speech to the conference participants. Thank you, NASCIO, for all your support!

Kavanaugh Livingston

Andrea Mack

Continued

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APRIL 2013 INFO-BITS

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Continued

By: David Foster

Teachers remember students like Mike Myers. He’s the first person to arrive to class each day, and the last per-

son to leave. His attendance record is perfect, and he possesses a passion for learning new things. With a

charming sense of humor that puts everyone at ease, Mike is a true joy to have in the classroom. His inquisi-

tive nature and willingness to assist the instructor—and his fellow classmates—helps create a relaxed, positive

Student Spotlight: Michael L. Myers

Q: What do you most hope to convey to the students you work with?

A: I want the students to be confident with the skills they learn. Self-confidence is extremely important. I also

want them to think that I'm an amazing teacher.

Q: If you could travel to any year in time, forward or backward, where would you go?

A: I would go back far enough to see myself in middle school. I want to give myself advice and remind myself

that things will improve.

By: Eleanor Grewal

On April 1, the PC for Beginners 2 students at Bellevue Library were ready to pass their final assessment that

would allow them to register for Byte Back’s Office Track course. I went to the library that day to let them

know Byte Back might not be able to offer an Office Track class at the library, and that there would be limited

seats available across town at our main office in Brookland. That week, Byte Back staff visited all of our li-

brary locations to share the unfortunate news that there was no government money left to fund our library clas-

ses. Twenty of our classes scheduled for the spring would be cut.

That same week, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) stepped up to save the day and provide

the funding necessary to make our work possible. We quickly called our students so that they could register for

one of the 23 classes at ten locations.

OCTO is a longtime supporter of Byte Back. Together with the DC Public Library, OCTO won a federal stim-

ulus grant that funded Byte Back’s computer literacy and Microsoft Office training for the past three years.

This drastically increased the scope of Byte Back’s work, enabling us to reach our students all over the city in

the libraries they know and trust. The grant also funded refurbished computers for all graduates of library clas-

ses and a free year of wireless through Cricket for every low-income graduate. This grant also allowed Byte

Back to work with the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs (ORCA) to offer the same opportunities to return-

ing citizens.

Now that the federal grant is over, OCTO is demonstrating the city government’s commitment to supporting

digital literacy for every DC resident. This spring, OCTO’s pledge has helped Byte Back to not only continue

our schedule at four DC public libraries, but also to resume our work with ORCA. Moreover, it has allowed us

to expand to a new site in Ward 8, the Washington Middle School for Girls. On behalf of Byte Back’s staff,

partners, and students across the city, I want to thank OCTO for making computer literacy training for DC res-

idents a priority.

OCTO Saves Byte Back’s Spring Classes

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Community Computer Day -- Saturday, May 11, 10:00 - 5:00 at Byte Back. This free event will include 20-

minute and 45-minute workshops, free barbecue and other refreshments, family activities, and a moon

bounce.

Tutoring – We are now holding tutoring every Thursday from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Ask questions and practice

skills from your Byte Back class or work on your cover letters, resumes, and online applications with our

highly-skilled volunteers . RSVP to attend by emailing Ashley Luttmer at aluttmer@byteback.org or by call-

ing Byte Back’s office at (202) 529-3395.

Tours of Byte Back — Would you like a guided tour of Byte Back? For more information and to arrange a

tour, please contact Development Associate Cristina Moscoso at cmoscoso@byteback.org or by calling (202)

529-3395.

Upcoming Events

"Volunteering is the most effective means to give back to your community and to continue to develop the

human spirit."

- Ted Frazier, volunteer instructor

Tutoring is a great way to help Byte Back students in a short amount of time. Our tutors don't need to make an

ongoing commitment -- just come when you can and make a big difference to a student. Tutoring will now be

held at Byte Back's office every Thursday evening, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. We invite you to come as often as you

like, but please RSVP beforehand so we can ensure your time will be well spent. If you're interested in

tutoring or in other volunteer opportunities with Byte Back, please contact Ashley Luttmer, Byte Back’s

director of volunteer services, at aluttmer@byteback.org or (202) 529-3395.

Volunteer Opportunities

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APRIL 2013 INFO-BITS

learning environment.

A native Washingtonian, Mike loves D.C., but envisions a

potential move to a warmer climate in Texas or California.

He’s a carpenter by trade, and currently helps raise his two

daughters—ages eleven and sixteen--in Northwest D.C. He

also understands the importance of giving back to his com-

munity and recently testified on Byte Back’s behalf in recent

DC Council budget hearing.

Mike’s first class with Byte Back was PC for Beginners 1

(PCB1). He initially enrolled to acquire computer skills that

would increase his job opportunities across the United States.

“I want to be able to go anywhere in the country and be

hired,” he said. After learning the fundamentals in PCB 1, Mike excelled in PCB 2 and looks forward to graduat-

ing Office Track this month. Next on his agenda will be PC Hardware and Networking Fundamentals or the In-

ternet and Computing Core Certification. When asked about the key to his success in Byte Back courses, he ad-

vises “Pay attention in class and ask questions.”

Undoubtedly, Mike will find success as he continues his computer education in the Byte Back classroom. An ex-

emplary student, he shines brightly as a success story in Byte Back’s ongoing mission to bridge the digital divide.

Wherever his future travels may take him, his fellow classmates and coworkers will be lucky to have him.

Mike Myers graduated from Office Track earlier this month.

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FEBRUARY 2013 INFO-BITS

About Byte Back

Founded in 1997, Byte Back seeks to improve economic opportunity in the Washington, D.C. area by providing computer literacy

and job training for disadvantaged communities. Byte Back offers courses ranging from basic computer literacy to Microsoft Office

to internationally recognized computer certification preparation. Byte Back is licensed by the DC Educational Licensure Commis-

sion as a postsecondary educational institution.

www.byteback.org | 202.529.3395