Outreach FAQ

BCN -Boulder Community Network is an outreach project of CU and is based in the ITS department. We started in 1994 with an NTIA grant awarded to Ken Klingenstein to create a program that made information technology accessible to the public. The results included the creating of the BCN website and public classes. The website (http://bcn.boulder.co.us) provides free web design and hosting for over 300 community organizations. The 24 information centers provide a central place to find information on events in Boulder county, how to get a pet liscense, the weather, and a search of human-service agencies programs. The classes teach people how to surf the web and build a basic webpage. In addition, BCN put together the OneSTop Career Network an online assitance for job seekers and currently administers the Virtual Chautauqua grant awarded to the School of Journalism. This grant brings performing artists online by use of streaming audio and video and uses their work as an opportunity for art education at schools in rural Eastern Colorado. We also run TekMatch, a service for non-profit organizations that increases theirr computer and information effectiveness by matching them with high-tech volunteers (http://bcn.boulder.co.us/tekmatch)

BCN could not run these programs and services without CU and ITS's commitment in office space and technical support.

• outreach project title- BCN Boulder Community Network
• number of individuals served- 20,000 hits/ day on the BCN website, over 500 people attended free classes, 176 different community organizations, 110 volunteers serve (including some ITS and CU staff)
• start & end date- 1994- ongoing
• type of population served- Senior citizens, non-profit organizations, low-income populations, youth, people with disabilities
• Colorado counties served- Boulder mainly, some Denver, Larimer, Weld

BCN really is a feather to CU and a great example of how the university community supports the broader state community.