MassIMPACT Publishes First Newsletter

04/26/2005

Massachusetts—Programs and activities have a daily impact on the lives of residents and community members at Neighborhood Networks centers across the country. With the launch of its first newsletter, The Impact, the Massachusetts Neighborhood Networks Consortium (MassIMPACT—Improving People’s Access to Computers and Technology) has taken the first steps toward creating a lasting legacy for the diverse communities it serves. The Impact has captured the successes and experiences of the communities MassIMPACT serves, and, more importantly, set a precedent for communities to articulate the stories and experiences of individuals who otherwise would not be heard. Founded in 2004, MassIMPACT is a consortium of both Neighborhood Networks centers and community technology centers representing 30 member centers throughout Massachusetts. MassIMPACT is dedicated to providing access to technology for residents and community members alike. Consortium members are also committed to enabling these populations to actively use technology to shape and enrich their lives. Among MassIMPACT’s major programming initiatives is the Digital Storytelling program, which allows individuals to create digital narratives based upon the life experiences of community members. The Impact highlights stories ranging from a senior citizen’s reflections on lifetime and family experiences to an instructor’s tribute to an important childhood mentor. To better market the goals, programs, and activities of the consortium, MassIMPACT members collectively drew upon their strengths in digital media to develop a newsletter. Board President Thaddeus Miles speaks of the experience as being, “a lot of fun. As a consortium, it forced us to reflect. We had to look back at everything we had accomplished, the reenergizing of ourselves, and it created a path in moving forward.” Throughout this process, Miles stressed how well the seven board members and two advisory board members worked together to create a final product that reflects the stories of MassIMPACT’s outreach. Miles speaks of the benefit of highlighting stories from the various member centers when he stated, “it gave all participants a knowledge base, since different centers throughout the consortium are operating at different levels.” The process of publishing the first issue of The Impact could serve as a case study on how a healthy consortium should function. The board worked very closely for several months to plan and execute the publishing of The Impact. Leveraging existing partnerships with The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MassHousing, MassIMPACT worked closely with Andrew Sempre, a graphic designer who constructed a design template for the newsletter and produced final copies of The Impact, which was printed by MassHousing. Sempre’s template will be used for future issues of The Impact. Writer Jennifer Audley, who works closely with the consortium, helped guide MassIMPACT’s members through the writing process. Further leveraging Sempre and Audley’s volunteer time, the consortium embraced the ”train-the-trainer” model throughout the development and publishing process, in which participating members acquired the skills necessary to independently produce future consortium newsletters. “I would advise any consortium attempting to publish a newsletter of this nature to consistently document what the group has done and accomplished, especially with pictures,” notes Miles. “It is also important to plan ahead, ensuring that the newsletter is consistent with the mission of the group. Have a copy editing team and some patience and leverage all of your partnerships.” Creating a newsletter represents a tangible programming initiative for consortia interested in giving a voice to the experiences of the individuals they serve as well as crafting lasting community legacies. The Impact is currently being distributed to community members and MassIMPACT partners, and is available online. For more information about MassIMPACT, please contact: Thaddeus Miles MassIMPACT — c/o MassHousing Massachusetts Neighborhood Networks Consortium, Board President E-mail: sifublackness@tmail.com Phone: (617) 854-1138 Web: www.massimpact.org Link to PDF version of MassIMPACT Newsletter http://laughingjackal.org/Temp/maimpact_final.pdf

Scope:

National

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