Jubilee Women's Center Opens Seattle's First On-Site Technology Center Dedicated to Homeless Women

SEATTLE -- Jubilee Women's Center (JWC), Seattle's oldest transitional housing program for homeless women, has opened Seattle's first on-site Learning and Technology Center to provide computer training, information technology services and other educational programs for women in transition.

The Learning and Technology Center, which provides computers with full Internet access, was designed to provide women with the skills they need to become self-sufficient and financially independent.

"We see technology as a learning and empowerment tool that can help women break the cycle of poverty," said Sherry Riva, executive director of JWC. "Through the Learning and Technology Center, computer training and educational programs are integrated with JWC's mission to help women make the transition to permanent housing, sustainable employment, and independent living. We hope this center will become a model for other transitional housing programs in Seattle and around the country."

With the support of an advisory committee, including women with expertise in the technology field, JWC developed the Learning and Technology Center as a way to help bridge the digital divide that disproportionately affects women, minorities and low-income people. Due to funding and space constraints, most transitional housing programs and shelters for women do not provide computer training or information technology services on-site.

"Since women can stay at JWC for up to 18 months, we have a tremendous opportunity to utilize that time to offer computer classes and small workshops designed to help them achieve their goals," said Penny Ecks, director of the Learning and Technology Center. "We are proud to open a center that will provide training for our residents in a safe and open environment."

JWC estimates that between 120 and 160 women will benefit from the Learning and Technology Center each year. In addition to serving current and former residents, the Learning and Technology Center is open to women at transitional housing facilities throughout Seattle.

Classes on a variety of topics will be offered throughout the year, with an emphasis in the first quarter on computer basics, basic e-mail and Internet research. In the spring, the center will expand its offerings to include classes on different software programs. The center also provides other basic instruction designed to enhance women's overall life and job readiness skills. Workshops in resume writing, job seeking, financial planning, and health-related topics are offered. In addition, reference software and typing tutorials are available at the center.

Funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help support the technology-related costs of the center for the first two years. The Learning and Technology Center is equipped with a virtual network, provided by Dataform Corporation. By using this innovative technological solution where the network is maintained off-site, JWC will effectively outsource all information technology functions.

"This grant and the Learning and Technology Center will be a model solution for small nonprofits like JWC. Instead of spending their time managing technical difficulties, the staff can focus on helping women gain the skills they need to rebuild their lives," said Richard Akeroyd, Executive Director of Libraries and Public Access to Information at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Other founding donors to the Learning and Technology Center include the Compass Foundation, the Kawabe Memorial Fund, the Seattle Foundation and the Women's Funding Alliance.

Founded in 1983, Jubilee Women's Center is a transitional housing program in Seattle for adult, single women who are homeless or in economic crisis. JWC's mission is to affirm the worth and dignity of women by providing affordable housing and support services for women while they work toward financial independence. For more information, visit www.jwcenter.org.