Subpart 11 – Community Technology Centers

SEC. 5511. PURPOSE AND PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

(a) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this subpart to assist eligible applicants —

(1) to create or expand community technology centers that will provide disadvantaged residents of economically distressed urban and rural communities with access to information technology and related training; and

(2) to provide technical assistance and support to community technology centers.

(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION- The Secretary is authorized, in conjunction with the Office of Educational Technology, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 3 years, to eligible applicants in order to assist such applicants in —

(1) creating or expanding community technology centers; or

(2) providing technical assistance and support to community technology centers.

(3) SERVICE OF AMERICORPS PARTICIPANTS- The Secretary may collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service on the use in community technology centers of participants in National Service programs carried out under subtitle C of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.).

SEC. 5512. ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

(a) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS- In order to be eligible to receive an award under this subpart, an applicant shall —

(1) be an entity (such as a foundation, museum, library, for-profit business, public or private nonprofit organization, or community-based organization), an institution of higher education, a State educational agency, a local education agency, or a consortium of such entities, institutions, or agencies; and

(2) have the capacity to significantly expand access to computers and related services for disadvantaged residents of economically distressed urban and rural communities (who would otherwise be denied such access).

(b) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS- In order to receive an award under this subpart, an eligible applicant shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require. The application shall include each of the following:

(1) A description of the proposed project, including a description of the magnitude of the need for the services and how the project would expand access to information technology and related services to disadvantaged residents of an economically distressed urban or rural community.

(2) A demonstration of —

(A) the commitment, including the financial commitment, of entities (such as institutions, organizations, business and other groups in the community) that will provide support for the creation, expansion, and continuation of the proposed project; and

(B) the extent to which the proposed project coordinates with other appropriate agencies, efforts, and organizations providing services to disadvantaged residents of an economically distressed urban or rural community.

(3) A description of how the proposed project would be sustained once the Federal funds awarded under this subpart end.

(4) A plan for the evaluation of the program, which shall include benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project objectives.

(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS- The Federal share of the cost of any project funded under this subpart shall not exceed 50 percent. The non-Federal share of such project may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including services.

SEC. 5513. USES OF FUNDS.

(a) REQUIRED USES- A recipient shall use funds under this subpart for —

(1) creating or expanding community technology centers that expand access to information technology and related training for disadvantaged residents of distressed urban or rural communities; and

(2) evaluating the effectiveness of the project.

(b) PERMISSIBLE USES- A recipient may use funds under this subpart for activities, described in its application, that carry out the purposes of this subpart, such as —

(1) supporting a center coordinator, and staff, to supervise instruction and build community partnerships;

(2) acquiring equipment, networking capabilities, and infrastructure to carry out the project; and infrastructure to carry out the project; and

(3) developing and providing services and activities for community residents that provide access to computers, information technology, and the use of such technology in support of preschool preparation, academic achievement, educational development, and workforce development, such as the following:

(A) After-school activities in which children and youths use software that provides academic enrichment and assistance with homework, develop their technical skills, explore the Internet, and participate in multimedia activities, including web page design and creation.

(B) Adult education and family literacy activities through technology and the Internet, including—

(i) General Education Development, Language Instruction Educational Programs, and adult basic education classes or programs;

(ii) introduction to computers;

(iii) intergenerational activities; and

(iv) educational development opportunities.

(C) Career development and job preparation activities, such as—

(i) training in basic and advanced computer skills;

(ii) resume writing workshops; and

(iii) access to databases of employment opportunities, career information, and other online materials.

(D) Small business activities, such as—

(i) computer-based training for basic entrepreneurial skills and electronic commerce; and

(ii) access to information on business start-up programs that is available online, or from other sources.

(E) Activities that provide home access to computers and technology, such as assistance and services to promote the acquisition, installation, and use of information technology in the home through low-cost solutions such as networked computers, web-based television devices, and other technology.

Subpart 12 — Educational, Cultural, Apprenticeship, and Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Whaling and Trading Partners in Massachusetts

SEC. 5521. SHORT TITLE.

This subpart may be cited as the ‘Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Education Through Cultural and Historical Organizations Act’.

SEC. 5522. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds the following:

(1) Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians have been linked for over 200 years to the coastal towns of Salem, Massachusetts, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, through the China trade from Salem and whaling voyages from New Bedford.

(2) Nineteenth-century trading ships sailed from Salem, Massachusetts, around Cape Horn of South America, and up the Northwest coast of the United States to Alaska, where their crews traded with Alaska Native people for furs, and then went on to Hawaii to trade for sandalwood with Native Hawaiians before going on to China.

(3) During the 19th century, over 2,000 whaling voyages sailed out of New Bedford, Massachusetts to the Arctic region of Alaska, and joined Alaska Natives from Barrow, Alaska and other areas in the Arctic region in subsistence whaling activities.

(4) Many New Bedford whaling voyages continued on to Hawaii, where they joined Native Hawaiians from the neighboring islands.

(5) From those commercial and whaling voyages, a rich cultural exchange and strong trading relationships developed among the three peoples involved.

(6) In the past decades, awareness of the historical trading, cultural, and whaling links has faded among Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people of the continental United States.

(7) In 2000, the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Alaska, the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, and the Peabody-Essex Museum in Massachusetts initiated the New Trade Winds project to use 21st-century technology, including the Internet, to educate students and their parents about historic and contemporary cultural and trading ties that continue to link the diverse cultures of the peoples involved.

(8) The New Bedford Whaling Museum, in partnership with the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, has developed a cultural exchange and educational program with the Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska to bring together the children, parents, and elders from the Arctic region of Alaska with children and families of Massachusetts to learn about their historical ties and about each other’s contemporary cultures.

(9) Within the fast-growing cultural sector, meaningful educational and career opportunities based on traditional relationships exist for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and low-income youth in Massachusetts.

(10) Cultural institutions can provide practical, culturally relevant, education-related internship and apprentice programs, such as the Museum Action Corps at the Peabody-Essex Museum and similar programs at the New Bedford Oceanarium and other institutions, to prepare youths and their families for careers in the cultural sector.

(11) The resources of the institutions described in paragraphs (7) and (8) provide unique opportunities for illustrating and interpreting the contributions of Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, the whaling industry, and the China trade to the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States, for educating students and their parents, and for providing opportunities for internships and apprenticeships leading to careers with cultural institutions.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this subpart are the following:

(1) To authorize and develop innovative culturally-based educational programs and cultural exchanges to assist Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and children and families of Massachusetts linked by history and tradition to Alaska and Hawaii to learn about shared culture and traditions.

(2) To authorize and develop internship and apprentice programs to assist Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and children and families of Massachusetts linked by history and tradition with Alaska and Hawaii to prepare for careers with cultural institutions.

(3) To supplement programs and authorities in the area of education to further the objectives of this subpart.

SEC. 5523. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

(a) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS- In order to carry out programs that fulfill the purposes of this subpart, the Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, the following:

(1) The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska.

(2) The Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska.

(3) The Bishop Museum in Hawaii.

(4) The Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

(5) The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the New Bedford Oceanarium in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

(6) Other Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian cultural and educational organizations.

(7) Cultural and educational organizations with experience in developing or operating programs that illustrate and interpret the contributions of Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, the whaling industry, and the China trade to the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States.

(8) Consortia of the organizations and entities described in this subsection.

(b) USES OF FUNDS- Activities provided through programs carried out under this subpart may include one or more of the following:

(1) Development and implementation of educational programs to increase understanding of cultural diversity and multicultural communication among Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people of the continental United States, based on historic patterns of trading and commerce.

(2) Development and implementation of programs using modern technology, including the Internet, to educate students, their parents, and teachers about historic and contemporary cultural and trading ties that continue to link the diverse cultures of Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people of Massachusetts.

(3) Cultural exchanges of elders, students, parents, and teachers among Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the people of Massachusetts to increase awareness of diverse cultures among each group.

(4) Sharing of collections among cultural institutions designed to increase awareness of diverse cultures and links among them.

(5) Development and implementation of internship and apprentice programs in cultural institutions to train Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and low-income students in Massachusetts for careers with cultural institutions.

(6) Other activities, consistent with the purposes of this subpart, to meet the educational needs of Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and students and their parents in Massachusetts.

SEC. 5524. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

(a) APPLICATION REQUIRED- No grant may be made under this subpart, and no contract may be entered into under this subpart, unless the entity seeking the grant or contract submits an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may determine to be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subpart.

(b) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY COORDINATION- Each applicant for a grant or contract under this subpart shall inform each local educational agency serving students who will participate in the program to be carried out under the grant or contract about the application.

SEC. 5525. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.

If sufficient funds are made available under section 5401 to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available, to support activities described in section 5523(b), the following amounts:

(1) Not less than $2,000,000 each to —

(A) the New Bedford Whaling Museum, in partnership with the New Bedford Oceanarium, in Massachusetts; and

(B) the Inupiat Heritage Center in Alaska.

(2) For the New Trade Winds project, not less than $1,000,000 each to —

(A) the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Alaska;

(B) the Bishop Museum in Hawaii; and

(C) the Peabody-Essex Museum in Massachusetts.

(3) For internship and apprenticeship programs (including the Museum Action Corps of the Peabody-Essex Museum), not less than $1,000,000 each to —

(A) the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Alaska;

(B) the Bishop Museum in Hawaii; and

(C) the Peabody-Essex Museum in Massachusetts.

SEC. 5526. DEFINITIONS.

In this subpart:

(1) ALASKA NATIVE- The term Alaska Native’ has the meaning given that term in section 7306.

(2) NATIVE HAWAIIAN- The term Native Hawaiian’ has the meaning given that term in section 7207.

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