March 2012 Issue 11

Thinking C@P /Pensons P@C

Note from NSC@P Chair

Eric Stackhouse
The Community Access Program is moving ahead to ensure all Nova Scotians have access to the Internet and the ability to use this resource to help themselves and their communities. Whether you are on an island off the coast or downtown, C@P has something to offer. Thank you to our volunteers, partners, and staff. Everyone working together to connect Canadians. Enjoy this issue of Thinking C@P/Pensons P@C!

Countless Opportunities with C@P

In 2009 and 2010 Zach Hudson was youth coordinator for Guysborough County C@P Network. Zach is now working with the Newfoundland department of Advanced Education and Skills and came across a few things he thought might be of interest to the summer interns. In the email he also offered to write a letter about the benefits the C@P program has on the interns and how it has affected his career path thus far. The community access program has been around for over a decade, and in that time has presented countless opportunities to not only the community, but also to the students working in the program. My name is Zach Hudson and I worked as the Guysborough County Youth Intern Coordinator for the summers of 2009-2010, and I can honestly say it was one of the best opportunities ever presented to me. The skills and knowledge I gained from working with the program have been utilized ever since, and the have been vital in shaping my career path. After finishing my first year of university in Newfoundland, I flew home to Guysborough looking for a summer job. I had known about the C@P program before-hand and decided to apply, and luckily I got the job! From then on, I was engaged in programs all over the county, and worked side-by-side with other students who were equally dedicated to the program. We had an amazing summer and really came up with some great initiatives for the sites! It is a job that really reflects the effort you put into it, and the more work you do, the greater the results are for the community. I was able to obtain the position again the following summer, and was met with the same level of teamwork and community support that made me love the job in the first place. In the end, I didnt see it as a job. Instead, it was an opportunity to give back to where I grew up, and to collaborate with colleagues who I now see as friends.

I encourage every student to take a look at the program and consider applying for the Youth Intern and Youth Intern Coordinator positions. Not only will they teach you valuable skills, but it will also set you in a great place for future career opportunities. Personally, I gained experience in: project management, working within a team, communicating, marketing, teaching, and many other skills which I use on a daily basis. Aside from personal development, these positions look amazing on your resume and will give you a competitive edge in the job market. These positions also allow you to help your community; providing activities for all ages, and introducing technology to those who wouldnt have become aware of it. If youre not looking for a summer job, consider volunteering to help out at the community events! This is a fun way to add to the community, and the program really appreciates the support. If you are a youth in Guysborough, I strongly suggest you get involved in this great program; it will open Nova Scotia C@P Summer Youth doors to endless possibilities. In closing I would like to thank the program, and all those Ive Vimeo. worked with over those two summers. Im proud of the work we did as a group and I know the program will continue to excel. The biggest piece of advice I can give to those working in the program is to enjoy it while you can, because youll miss it when youre gone. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope you now have a greater appreciation of C@P and the opportunities it provides.
Initiative 2011 from novascotiacap on

Former youth intern Zach Hudson reflects on his time with C@P.

COMMUNITY ACCESS PROGRAM NEWSLETTER BULLETIN DINFORMATION DU PROGRAMME DACCS COMMUNAUTAIRE

An Interview with Marion Pape - A member of the committee that launched C@P Province wide
By Colleen Fraser

In the early 1990s, the Community Access Program (CAP) as gathering strength as an idea in provinces across Canada. Nova Scotia was one of the first provinces to engage in this 1994 Industry Canada program and integrate it with a network of other innovative initiatives relating to public access to the internet. Those were early days and Nova Scotia was the first in Canada to mobilize effectively. Initially, key-players in technology from across the province met with Industry Canada as a Steering Group to coordinate a strategy for successful implementation. This included officials from the Nova Scotia Provincial Library and Education Media Services of the Department of Education, individuals from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. In addition, there were advocates involved with Nova Scotia Community Networks, Universities and Colleges NovaKnowldge, Internet providers, and several other organizations involved in technology and education. From this broad base of support, the Federal-Provincial Nova Scotia Community Access Committee (NSCAC) was formed to steer this idea and launch it province-wide. At this time, Marion Pape was the Nova Scotia Provincial Librarian and Provincial Government liaison for the program. She believes that the unique team of stakeholders and drivers all pulled together with pro-active enthusiasm, to make the program so uniquely successful in Nova Scotia. Supporting training and development of regional and local networking projects was a critical success factor. NSCAC operated by accepting and delegating proposals for new sites and networks. The seed money from different groups was always just enough to bring people together, Marion remembers. The true success, she says, was that the program did not operate through a top-down process. This grassroots approach really illuminated the power of regional and community networks and formed a solid base for NSC@P. Marion believes that the concept of a unified committee working toward the democratization of the internet helped to support the beginnings of open-source information, and encourage technology companies and server-owners to expand and strengthen their services to help individuals in communities to learn and grow. This became an important priority of Community Economic Development in Nova Scotia. The process also encouraged libraries to become even more innovative, as they stretched themselves to network with community groups as well as provide leadership, training and support for CAP. Libraries also provided value added information and reference services and were foundational to building the community technological capacity. NSCAC hosted a provincial conference in Cape Breton in 1996, which Marion says was an exercise in participation around community networking, and served to cement the networks in working with communities around the province. The conference was very successful, it came at a perfect time for Nova Scotia. The energy in the room was what pushed the agenda further and faster, and inspiration was the main product of the conference, sending members of the team forth with the confidence and innovation necessary to allow this program to succeed, demonstrating to all, its true potential. In the 1990s, Marion says, the goal at hand was to provide Nova Scotians with public internet access, in a world where many could not afford this new service. Today, even with the availability of high-speed internet and wireless, she still sees a need to advocate for access rights- in a new sphere. The impact of social networking, and the vast implications and skill sets required for communicating online, are lessons that C@P can help to teach and improve. The program is still relevant; this knowledge must still be accessible for our communities. Nova Scotia has always been ahead of the pack, and forward-thinking. In my opinion, it still must be, she says. In 1998, Marion was seconded to Industry Canada in Ottawa after 8 years working with the initiative in Nova Scotia. Today, she can be found in Salt Spring Island, BC, working in public engagement in areas of Energy Efficiency and Planning. She believes that Climate Change is the most pressing issue facing our world today, and strives to make a difference through her work. She is a member of the Salt Spring Climate Action Council; a coordinated body of NGOs and Local Government Agencies, and Transition Salt Spring; a community-based group dedicated to localization of the economy, and working on issues of climate change, peak oil, and economic sustainability. Marion is also involved as a member and steering committee member of the Fernwood Urban Village Co-Housing Project, which is dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint. This includes smaller housing, alternative transportation, energy efficient design and alternative use of energy. She boasts of her own half-acre of prime permaculture gardening space, which includes an orchard of 24 fruit trees, and produces a vast array of vegetables and fruit. Marion has recently studied filmmaking and has produced 6 short films some of which can be viewed at www.youtube.com by entering her name, Marion Pape in the search box. Reflecting on her time with C@P, Marion recalls: When I left Nova Scotia, I realized that the future belonged to community champions. By seeing how effective this was in Nova Scotia with C@P, I made it my goal to become one myself. It definitely sounds like she has.

This months C@P Kudos is a congratulations and thank you to Antigonish YIC Kerrin Duggan. Kerrin has been with the Community Access Program since February 2010. Last month, her Seniors Computer Training Session project at the Peoples Place Library was featured in The Casket Newsletter (http:// www.thecasket.ca/leisureand-living/seniors-gainingconfidence-aroundcomputers/) , highlighting the positive effects of C@P and Kerrins dedication to the program. The successful course instilled techconfidence in many people between the ages of 50-80, and will be offered again in the coming weeks due to the many C@P users wanting to take part.

THANK YOU KERRIN

FOR ALL YOUR GREAT WORK!

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