News – Page 3

Open School East Campus Grand Opening

Post published:November 16, 2016
Post category:Community Technology Grants All News MHCRC News

On Tuesday, November 1, 2016 MHCRC Chair Carol Studenmund and staff joined Governor Kate Brown in celebrating the grand opening of Open School East (OSE). OSE is a new school in the Rockwood neighborhood designed to serve 7th – 12th grade students, who are not being served by traditional schools, and prepare them for success in careers and college. OSE is a 2016 MHCRC Community Technology Grant recipient. Grant funds provided by the MHCRC have been used to purchase technology and digital curriculum in support of getting all students back to meeting or exceeding grade-level benchmarks in both reading and math by…

A teacher at Grout Elementary demonstrating differentiated learning methods

MHCRC Participates in Principal for Almost a Day Event at Grout Elementary School

Post published:November 15, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News TechSmart Initiative

Julie Omelchuck, MHCRC Community Grants Program Director, visited Grout Elementary School, in participation of the October 27th All Hands Raised annual event, Principal for Almost a Day (PFAD). Grout Elementary School is a one of five Portland Public Schools engaged in the MHCRC TechSmart Initiative grant to the district focused on K-3rd grade reading and English language learners’ progress. Highlights from the visit included participating in a professional learning planning session with third grade teachers for the literacy adoption currently underway in the district and observing classrooms where teachers are using technology tools and rotation station strategies to differentiate learning…

Henry receives 2016 Community Broadband Visionary award

Mary Beth Henry Receives the 2016 Community Broadband Visionary Award

Post published:September 20, 2016
Post category:All News

September 2016: The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) recognized Mary Beth Henry as the recipient of NATOA's Community Broadband Visionary Award. NATOA has been recognizing exceptional leaders and innovative programs that champion community interests in broadband deployment and adoption in local communities nationwide. "We are proud to honor our 2016 individuals, communities, and organizations that lead the nation in improving broadband connectivity to all our residents," said NATOA president Jodie Miller. "These pioneers were selected based on their extraordinary efforts, achievements and innovation in community-based approaches to broadband technology." The 2016 Community Broadband Award recipients are: Community Broadband…

Staff pay tribute to Mary Beth Henry with a homemade shrine

Mary Beth Henry Retirement Celebration

Post published:July 18, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News

September 2016: Elected officials, MHCRC members, staff and community members/colleagues gathered last Thursday to pay tribute to Mary Beth Henry. Henry, a fierce advocate for local control of public rights-of-way, community media, broadband deployment and digital equity, retired from her position as Director of the MHCRC and Office for Community Technology with the City of Portland after 31 years of dedicated service.

MHCRC Annual Report

Post published:June 1, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News

The MHCRC publishes a report annually that outlines its yearly accomplishments, finances, and programmatic highlights. Please find the yearly reports below.

Download a PDF of the 2020 Annual Report

Download a PDF of the 2019 Annual Report

(more…)

Portland Adopts DEAP

Post published:April 15, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News Digital Equity

The MHCRC Chair, Carol Studenmund, along with many others, urged the Portland City Council to adopt the Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP) during Council consideration of the plan on April 6. The Portland Council unanimously adopted the plan, which establishes a series of strategic actions for public, private and nonprofit partners in Portland/Multnomah County to undertake to address digital equity. The Council also directed the City of Portland's Office for Community Technology to implement the plan with community partners. View a pdf of the plan. UPDATE: Since the adoption of the Digital Equity Action Plan in April 2016, the DEAP…

Makerspace Grant Opening

Post published:April 11, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News

MHCRC Commissioners and staff, along with other community partners and leaders, celebrated the grand opening of the Rockwood Library's Makerspace on April 2, 2016. The Makerspace is a new, hands-on addition to the Rockwood Library for young people to learn science, technology, engineering, arts and math skills using cutting-edge technology and skilled adult mentors. The MHCRC Community Grants program invested over $300,000 to create a modern and robust place of learning for the youth of Rockwood. The NW Film Center Hero's Magnificos Program, also an MHCRC grantee, held its Spring break film camp at the new Rockwood Makerspace. Some of videos made during…

City Club Friday Forum: Digital Inclusion

Post published:March 31, 2016
Post category:MHCRC News Digital Equity

The City Club of Portland held a Friday Forum on Digital Inclusion and Tech Diversity in Portland. The panel included Patricia A. (Pat) McDonald, Intel Vice president of Human Resources; Sam Blackman, CEO of Elemental Technologies and force behind TechTown; Dwayne Johnson, Social Alchemist from Innovate Oregon; Vailey Oehlke: Multnomah County Library District Director; and Malia Spencer (moderator), a Reporter covering tech, startups and funding for the Portland Business Journal. From the description: " How $300 million plus two coalitions are positioning Portland to disrupt the face of tech and who has access to it. With Portland's tech workforce at 67%…

2016 AcceleratED Conference

Post published:March 29, 2016
Post category:TechSmart Initiative

MHCRC’s TechSmart Initiative Program Director Julie S. Omelchuck and TechSmart grantees from David Douglas, Parkrose and Portland Public school districts attended this year's AcceleratED conference in Portland. AcceleratED provides content workshops and opportunities for collaboration around successful strategies and practices for integrating technology into teaching and learning. Read an interview with keynote speaker Daisy Dyer Duerr, a rural educator and consultant from Arkansas. AcceleratED is sponsored by OETC, a nonprofit consortium of K-20 educational organizations designed to aggregate knowledge and expertise to support schools' integration of instructional technology in order to improve educational outcomes for all students.

PPS announces Pilot Schools for TechSmart 3rd Grade Reading grant

Post published:February 3, 2016
Post category:All News MHCRC News

Congrats to Portland Public elementary schools - Sitton, Bridger, Lewis, Markham and Vernon - for being chosen as the first-year pilot schools for the MHCRC TechSmart 3rd Grade Reading grant! The grant covers the next 5 years and will identify and scale solutions that improve PPS students’ 3rd grade literacy outcomes. The collaboration and resources provided through this project offer a tremendous opportunity to design and seed innovation that personalizes and deepens learning for each student. For more on the TechSmart 3rd Grade Reading grant click here.

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