HETS Receives Award for its Innovative Use of Technology
Tuesday 01st of February 2005
HETS Receives Award for its Innovative Use of Technology
Last September 2004, the TechFoundation granted to the Hispanic Educational Telecommunications System (HETS) a $2,500 cash award for its demonstrated commitment to the innovative use of technology in fulfilling its mission. TechGrant is a grant program that provides nonprofit organizations with access to capital to help meet their technology needs. This program focuses directly on funding critical technology needs, while using its electronic newsletter to publicize innovative ways to find capital.
After submitting a Case Study on how the consortium had used technology to serve the needs of its constituencies, HETS was chosen as a finalist, in the international category, out of an exceptional field of candidates. HETS was selected, with another outstanding group of five mainland organizations, among a total of 600 nominations from community leaders, nonprofit executives, and other interested individuals.
HETS”s Case Study highlighted its main projects aimed to help Hispanic college students bridge the digital divide and increase their levels of educational attainment. Through its projects and programs, HETS developed an online community that would bring students, faculty, and professionals together for learning and support. Attention in the Case Study was given to the Consortium’s major achievements during the past five years: the Virtual Learning and Support Plaza, the E-Mentoring Program, and the Online Learning Collaboration Initiatives Program, among others.
TechFoundation established its TechGrants program to identify, assess, and assist nonprofit organizations seeking to implement worthy technology projects that will benefit their local communities or benefit nonprofits everywhere. TechFoundation aspires to implement an increasing number of highly successful projects that will bring quality technology resources to selected nonprofits in the United States, and show that effectively deployed technology can have a great impact on the ability of a nonprofit to achieve their mission (www.techfoundation.org).
Other organizations rewarded with the 2004 TechGrant include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA), the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (Atlanta, GA), Cambridge Community Television (Cambridge, MA), the Center for Court Innovation in New York, and the Public Radio Exchange in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The latter two organizations were awarded with the First and Grand prizes, respectively.
For more information about HETS and its projects, visit www.hets.org and virtualplaza.org.
