CTAB positions available | Technology Matching Fund grant applications available

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Technology Matching Fund offers digital equity grants to community organizations and nonprofits 

The City of Seattle is opening the 2021 round of applications for the Technology Matching Fund (TMF) grants. Community organizations and nonprofits are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $25,000.  

Funding will be awarded to projects that work to improve digital literacy, provide affordable devices, increase access to free or low-cost internet, and provide technology support to underserved communities. Application, guidelines, and online grant workshops information is available here. 

Applications are due January 12, 2020. 

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Serve on the Community Technology Advisory Board

CTAB Board members

Live or work in Seattle and care about the city's technology strategy? You might be right for the Community Technology Advisory Board (CTAB). Seattle IT has two openings on the 10-person board. CTAB members advise Seattle’s Information Technology department, the Mayor, and City Council on a range of issues, including broadband, digital equity, mobile and web based city services, privacy and surveillance, community engagement, small cell/5G deployment, and access to technology for students, families, and underserved residents.  

Applications are being accepted through 5 p.m. on November 30, 2020. Apply by sending a letter of interest and resume in either Word or PDF to ITD_ctab@seattle.gov 

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Tech News

Seattle Public Schools Works Toward Educational Justice and Digital Equity During the Pandemic, by Luna Reyna, South Seattle Emerald
Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, Seattle students and their families are still confronting a disproportionately large divide in who can and cannot access technology and online learning, though the City and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) are launching an array of initiatives that could close the gap.(more)

Here’s What Government Will Look Like in 2030, Zach Patton, Government Technology
No one knows for certain what the future holds. But some people have a pretty good idea. To get a sense of what the coming decade might mean for state and local governments, we asked more than two dozen futurists — including thought leaders, public officials, academics and tech experts — for their predictions on the trends that will have the greatest impact on the public sector over the next 10 years. Their responses, condensed and edited here, provide a glimpse into what may happen in the years ahead. (more)

How to track the status of every Seattle-area bar, eatery during the COVID-19 shutdown, Christina Ausley, Seattle PI
Back in the madness that was March, the city of Seattle released a new interactive map and tool to help restaurants and Seattle foodies connect. The map is part of a larger effort Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office launched with the hashtag #SupportSeattleSmallBiz, encouraging Seattleites to post pictures and videos from their favorite restaurants, bars, and cafes still doling out delivery and takeout options. (more)