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Interim Reports

Interim Report: August 1st– January 31, 2009

I. Project Overview

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, in collaboration with the Extension statewide 4-H network, proposes to recruit youth into library and information science (LIS) careers with a set of engaging, educational activities centered on community informatics in after-school programs. These activities help underserved communities address their needs through the use of information and communication technologies. By involving youth in service projects related to their communities, the activities demonstrate possibilities for LIS careers and simultaneously make the case for an expanded view of LIS in the new century.

II. Project Activities: August 1 – January 31, 2009

Accomplishments with Respect to Goals

We originally identified five of what we now call YCI Sites. Our model envisions working with youth in these communities through extended engagement, not simply one-time recruiting efforts. Starting in January 2008, each semester was to involve intensive work with a new focal site. We're now moving to a model in which we have on-going work with all five of those focal YCI sites, additional partner sites, and connections with even more network sites around the world.

Curriculum development is proceeding well, with collaboration from youth leaders in the various sites. We've also identified a standard technology package to support this kind of work in local communities. Both the first annual Youth Community Informatics Forum in June, and a followup two-day workshop for international librarians through the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs were very successful.

Project Organization

Research Assistants on the project bring expertise in the technologies required for different curriculum modules (see Appendix A) as well as knowledge and experience with specific community sites. To facilitate communication and collaborative design among project team members we currently:

• use a wiki for internal communications: https://apps.lis.uiuc.edu/wiki/display/CII/Youth+Community+Informatics
• use a project listserv: GSLIS-YCI@listserv.uiuc.edu
• hold weekly meetings in the GSLIS building

We have been using the term "Youth Community Informatics" to highlight the fact that we are not simply providing community informatics services for youth, but enabling them to become active agents in informatics activities in their own communities.

Our objectives for the third six months of this grant included:

1. Work with focal community sites
2. Develop the inquiry units
3. Continue data collection and analysis
4. Develop web-based means for sharing resources
5. Plan and host the 2009 summer forum
Progress on these activities is outlined below.

Objective 1: Work with focal community sites

At any given time we now work with a variety of sites, including 4-H clubs, after-school programs, boys and girls clubs, community centers. We also collaborate with various other projects. Our work in communities can be described at three levels of increasing connection and commitment:

Network Sites. We’ve found that many others are doing work similar to the YCI project. Network Sites can be any group or individual with similar goals connecting to us through the Internet or other means. Our work is available for download by anyone who might find it useful. Network Sites may also be contributors to our site content.

Partner Sites. Communities where we are working and connecting with host organizations we consider Partner Sites. Local community organizations generally begin at this level of engagement with us, where we are connecting with existing programs of youth engagement or exploring possibilities for collaboration with local staff. Examples include working with library staff to plan youth focused workshops, collaborating with youth in a 4-H club who are creating a map of community assets, or helping in an after-school program engaging teens with community journalism activities.

YCI Sites. At the highest level of engagement, YCI Sites have established a deeper connection with our team to develop challenging programs dedicated to engage young people with community issues. A commitment of local resources to maintain sustainable programs is matched with increased commitment of YCI staff time and grant funds for digital literacy tools. YCI Sites have dedicated space and staff time to partner with us in longer term projects that deeply engage youth. One example is the YCI site partnership with Paseo Boricua where this summer students curated an exhibit, Puerto Rican History Through the Eyes of Others at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

Objective 2: Develop the inquiry units

We use inquiry units as a curriculum framework for the LIS curriculum modules. In the sites, we expect to directly impact many youth and youth leaders. A larger impact is through sharing these units, which will be made available on our website and through 4-H. Although we had proposed 12 "modules," we have now gone well beyond that and have developed 25 inquiry units <https:// et-drupal2.cites.uiuc.edu/ilabs/node/422/inquiry-units>.

As outlined in Objective 2, the pilot sites serve as an important context in which to develop and adapt the activities for these modules. One change has been to focus more on the community
activity, e.g., oral history or community journalism, as opposed to the specific technologies employed.

Objective 3: Continue data collection and analysis

Evaluation of the materials and activities will allow participants to provide feedback on what is working, what needs to be changed, and how the program can be improved. Feedback from these formative assessments will be used to tailor the inquiry units, topics, content, materials, and techniques of presentation.

A youth survey was developed and administered at the Youth Community Informatics Forum in June.. Data from this survey will be used as a baseline of youth knowledge, interest and background related to topics in the LIS curriculum modules. We are also collecting field notes, student projects, comments from participants, and other data for on-going evaluation. The YCI staff is engaged in a self-development process with regard to the most suitable evaluation theories, methods, and instruments, which could be used to better make sense of the practices promoted by the project.

Objective 4: Develop web-based means for sharing resources

We have placed greater emphasis on developing web-based means for sharing resources:

• The Youth Community Informatics website is used for communication with sites and larger public <http://yci.illinois.edu>.
• CIMA, or the Community Informatics Multimedia Archive, is an online archive of multimedia materials (images, videos, audio, etc) that showcases examples of community
informatics and reflects the involvements and experiences of the Community Informatics Initiative. The YCI sites will use this for youth work. <http://www.communityinformaticsprojects.com/CIMA/>
• iLabs is a web-based suite of software tools that can be used to form an interactive Web site and create inquiry units. It is free of cost to all users. Users create an iLab by filling out a simple Web form that determines which tools and features they want to include on their Web site. The iLabs concept grew out of the Inquiry Page, a collaborative endeavor of people interested in inquiry pedagogy and philosophy. iLabs development is carried out by an ever-changing and growing group of participants, whose members include university researchers, students, community activists, and educators representing a variety of settings and grade levels. Development work is supported through volunteer work, in-kind institutional commitments and grant funds. <http://ilabs.inquiry.uiuc.edu/>

Objective 5: Plan and host the 2009 Youth Community Informatics Forum

In the Youth Community Informatics Forum held June 27-28, 2008, about 40 young people and youth leaders came to Champaign from a variety of disadvantaged, minority communities throughout the state. They spent the morning working in one of four small groups to investigate "information spaces" in the community. These included the Center for Children's Books, Champaign Public Library, the Independent Media Center, Espresso Royale, Native House, Cafe Paradiso, Transit Plaza, Illini Union, and bronze plaques around campus. The group leader introduced a staff member from the center to the students for a small tour and helped them use a Flip video camera and a GPS receiver to record their observations.

We found that the students learned technology skills, problem solving, cooperative work, writing, public presentation, specific information spaces, community journalism, university life, and much more. Although the activity made use of diverse new technologies, it is important to note that the focus was on learning about the community, asking questions, and sharing findings with others, not on the technologies per se. The most effective use of these technologies in libraries and similar settings would likely involve embedding that use in a larger, purposeful context. That context in turn could be a way to help connect youth with other resources, such as books and structured activities.

Our efforts for the 2009 YCI Forum are to ensure sustainability past the end of the grant period. Accordingly we are working closely with Illini Summer Academies <http://4-h.illinois.edu/ events/annual004.html> to establish it in a way that can be sustained without direct grant support.

III. Significant Findings or Accomplishments

We have had successful visits with all of the focal sites, about twice as many as originally proposed. This has meant direct contact with well over 200 youth and youth leaders. In addition, through the GIS Showcase, the Youth Community Informatics Forum, the Mortenson Center, and various presentations, we have engaged with several hundred additional people.
Awareness is building among extension educators of LIS project opportunities for youth through presentations and involvement of project staff in program planning meetings. Design, implementation and adaptation of initial activities for LIS curriculum modules continues and will be a key mechanism for reaching more youth.

A successful Youth Community Informatics Forum was held in June. Both youth leaders and young people said they enjoyed the Forum, learned a lot, and hope for more. One youth leader said that next year he’d like to bring a much larger group. Another wrote, "I believe, in the not too distant future, that this conference will be seen as a landmark in developing a new perspective as part of the partnership between those marginalized sectors of civil society and the university in bridging the digital divide." A follow-.on two-day workshop for international librarians was equally successful.

We now have a long list of presentations and publications, which will appear soon on the YCI website.

 

 

Interim Report: February 1 – July 31, 2008

I. Project Overview

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with the Extension statewide 4-H network, proposes to recruit youth into library and information science (LIS) careers with a set of engaging, educational activities centered on community informatics in after-school programs. These activities will help underserved communities address their needs through the use of information and communication technologies. By involving youth in service projects related to their communities, the activities will show them possibilities for LIS careers and simultaneously make a case for an expanded view of LIS in the new century.

II. Project Activities

Accomplishments with Respect to Goals

The project is ahead of the schedule we proposed. We originally identified five pilot sites: Chicago, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, East Saint Louis and Rockford. Our model envisions working with youth in these communities through extended engagement, not simply one-time recruiting efforts. Starting in January 2008, each semester was to involve intensive work with a new focal site. We now moving to a model in which we have on-going work with all five focal sites, and connections with additional sites.

Curriculum development is proceeding well, with collaboration from youth leaders in the various sites. We've also identified a standard technology package to support this kind of work in local communities. The first annual Youth Community Informatics Forum was a big success.

Project Organization

Five graduate students work as Research Assistants on the project. They bring expertise in the technologies required for different curriculum modules (see Appendix A) as well as knowledge and experience with specific community sites.

To facilitate communication and collaborative design among project team members we currently use:

-a wiki
-a project listserv: GSLIS-YCI@listserv.uiuc.edu
-the GSLIS computer lab
-weekly meetings in the Prairienet building

and plan to use a moodle site and the university’s podcast server to share youth-created products: https://podcast.ics.uiuc.edu

Initial information about the project has been posted on the Community Informatics Initiative website http://www.cii.uiuc.edu/imlsgrant. A special-purpose Youth Community Informatics website is under construction and will be launched soon. We have been using the term "Youth Community Informatics" to highlight the fact that we are not simply providing community informatics services for youth, but enabling them to become active agents in informatics activities in their own communities.

PI Bruce held a Fulbright Distinguished Chair this past year. He participated in the project via the wiki, the listserv, and skype. He was able to build useful links between the project and similar projects in Europe. Co-PIs Lisa Bouillion and Ann Bishop managed the daily operations during this time.

Our objectives for the second six months of this grant included:

1) Work with focal community sites

2) Develop the LIS curriculum modules and a curriculum framework

3) Design evaluation instruments and begin data collection

4) Design technology package for use in focal sites

5) Plan and host the 2008 Youth Community Informatics Forum

Progress on these activities is outlined below.

Objective 1: Work with focal community sites

At any given time we now work with a variety of sites, including 4-H clubs, after-school programs, boys and girls clubs, community centers. We also collaborate with various other projects.

Five of these sites are designated as focal sites, meaning that they participate in the research, are expected to participate in the annual Forum, and may receive extra attention or other resources.

Some of the desired features for the set of focal sites include the following:

• economically-disadvantaged communities
• minority youth
• connections with 4-H
• connections with libraries
• likelihood of developing activities that could benefit multiple sites
• full collaboration with local youth leaders

Between July 2007 and January 2008, project staff met bi-weekly with the first of these sites, Paseo Boricua in Chicago, to plan for spring 2008 activities. Deciding to go beyond initial visits with the other pilot sites, project staff spent over 60 hours of direct contact time with youth in Champaign, Urbana and Joliet. This work engaged youth with LIS professionals and pre-professionals in collaborative community informatics projects. Experiences from these field site activities were used to inform the initial design of curriculum modules related to the field of LIS (see Objective 3 below). Communication with East Saint Louis, Danville and Rockford (pilot sites scheduled for Years 2 and 3 of the grant) are on-going.

For year 1 (2007-08), the focal sites were:

• Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Paseo Boricua
• East St. Louis
• BT Washington Afterschool Library Program
• Urbana Middle School after-school program (SPLASH)
• Ford-Iroquois County 4-H

Details of activities there are in our first interim report and will appear soon on our project website. For year 2 (2008-09), the focal sites will be the first three above, plus at least two to-be-determined. Possibilities include:

• Rantoul, especially the migrant education programs
• Urbana Free Library
• WILL Youth Media Workshop
• Peer Ambassador program
• additional sites within BT Washington
• additional sites within East St. Louis, including the 4-H GIS sites and a new youth media initiative
• Urbana High School Newspaper group

Objective 2: Develop the LIS curriculum modules and a curriculum framework

In the aforementioned sites, we expect to directly impact many youth and youth leaders. A larger impact is through the development of twelve curriculum modules related to the field of LIS and student projects that will be made available on our website and through 4-H. As outlined in Objective 2, the pilot sites serve as an important context in which to develop and adapt the activities for these modules. Updates on the development of these modules are included in our first interim report and in Appendix A.

We are now working to organize these modules into a full curriculum framework, as suggested in the figure below. One change has been to focus more on the community activity, e.g. oral history or community journalism, as opposed to the specific technologies employed.

 

 

Objective 3: Design evaluation instruments and begin data collection

Evaluation of the materials and activities will allow participants to provide feedback on what is working, what needs to be changed, and how the program can be improved. Feedback from these formative assessments will be used to tailor the module(s) topics, content, materials, and techniques of presentation.

A youth survey was developed and administered at the Youth Community Informatics Forum in June.. Data from this survey will be used as a baseline of youth knowledge, interest and background related to topics in the LIS curriculum modules. We are also collecting field notes, student projects, comments from participants, and other data for on-going evaluation.

Objective 4: Design technology package for use in focal sites

The original project proposal included plans for purchase of the following Technology Kit for use in each pilot site.

• Multimedia computer with external speakers, webcam, video capture card and basic software $3000
• 15 GPS handheld devices $2000
• Podcast audio setup $200
• MP3 player $200
• Sony DCR-SR100 Digital Handcam 30GB Camcorder $770 (newest model is now DCR­SR200 $800)
• Sony ECMHW1 Bluetooth Wireless microphone $320
• Digital camera: Canon powershot S3 IS $498 (Newest model is now S5 IS)
• CDDVD burner SANSUNG 18x DVDR $33
• Hard drive: Western Digital Caviar WD800BB 80GB $42
• Tripod legs: Berlebach 8043 $256
• Vegas Movie Studio DVD 6 platinum $115
• Adobe Premiere elements 3.0 $100 (newest version is now 6.0 $134.99)

Based on planning discussions with the first of our sites, Paseo Boricua, we will not require a podcast audio set up, nor an MP3 player. To accompany their iMac with external speakers and a built-in DVD burner, they will require licenses for Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS3. We expect that each site will need similar adjustments based on their existing resources and plans for community informatics projects.

Objective 5: Plan and host the 2008 Youth Community Informatics Forum

In the Youth Community Informatics Forum held June 27-28, 2008, about 40 young people and youth leaders came to Champaign from a variety of disadvantaged, minority communities throughout the state. They spent the morning working in one of four small groups to investigate "information spaces" in the community. These included the Center for Children's Books, Champaign Public Library, the Independent Media Center, Espresso Royale, Native House, Cafe Paradiso, Transit Plaza, Illini Union, and bronze plaques around campus. The group leader introduced a staff member from the center to the students for a small tour and helped them use a Flip video camera and a GPS receiver to record their observations.

At each site, the youth asked questions such as:

a) What do we see in this information center? How do we like it?

b) What is this center about?

c) What do we want people to know about the center?

d) How can we give others a clear idea about the center through watching/hearing our report?

In the afternoon, they created a Google map with their videos, text, and GPS coordinates. They also added music (an innovation we hadn't planned on, but perfectly appropriate). See attachment for details. They then shared their findings in a public presentation.

The activity was conceived in terms of an Inquiry Cycle:

• Ask: What are the information spaces in the community?
• Investigate: Visit, listen, explore, video, determine geo-coordinates.
• Create: Make a GIS site with video, music, text.
• Discuss: Share the product and the findings with others.
• Reflect: Think about issues of journalism, democracy, careers, technologies, etc.

We found that the students learned technology skills, problem solving, cooperative work, writing, public presentation, specific information spaces, community journalism, university life, and much more.

Although the June activity made use of diverse new technologies, it is important to note that the focus was on learning about the community, asking questions, and sharing findings with others, not on the technologies per se. The most effective use of these technologies in libraries and similar settings would likely involve embedding that use in a larger, purposeful context. That context in turn could be a way to help connect youth with other resources, such as books and structured activities

 

 

 

III. Significant Findings or Accomplishments

We have had successful visits with all of the pilot sites, and activities are underway with the Year 1 site in Paseo Boricua (Chicago) as well as additional sites originally targeted for Year 2. This has meant direct contact with well over 100 youth and youth leaders. In addition, through the GIS Showcase, the Youth Community Informatics Forum, and various presentations, we have engaged with several hundred additional people.

Awareness is building among extension educators of LIS project opportunities for youth through presentations and involvement of project staff in program planning meetings. Design, implementation and adaptation of initial activities for LIS curriculum modules continues and will be a key mechanism for reaching more youth.

A successful Youth Community Informatics Forum held in June. Both youth leaders and young people said they enjoyed the Forum, learned a lot, and hope for more. One youth leader said that next year he’d like to bring a much larger group. Another wrote, "I believe, in the not too distant future, that this conference will be seen as a landmark in developing a new perspective as part of the partnership between those marginalized sectors of civil society and the university in bridging the digital divide."

 

 

Interim Report: July 1, 2007 . January 30, 2008

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with the Extension statewide 4-H network, proposes to recruit youth into library and information science (LIS) careers with a set of engaging, educational activities centered on community informatics in after-school programs. These activities will help underserved communities address their needs through the use of information and communication technologies. By involving youth in service projects related to their communities, the activities will show them possibilities for LIS careers and simultaneously make a case for an expanded view of LIS in the 21st century.

2. Project Activities

Our objectives for the first six months of this grant included:

1. Establishing mechanisms for project management
2. Conducting initial visits with community pilot sites
3. Developing initial activities for LIS curriculum modules
4. Designing web-based survey instruments for formative evaluation
5. Finalizing selection of equipment for use in pilot communities
6. Outlining format for 2008 Youth Community Informatics Statewide Forum

Progress on these activities are outlined below.

Objective 1: Establish Mechanisms for Project Management

* Five graduate students were hired to work as Research Assistants on the project and matched by specialty to work on different curriculum modules related to the field of LIS (see Appendix A).
* A wiki https://apps.lis.uiuc.edu/wiki/display/CII/Youth+Community+Informatics and moodle site (requires internal log-in) were created to facilitate communication and collaborative design among project team members.
* Communication was also facilitated by a project listserv: GSLIS-YCI@LISTSERV.UIUC.EDU
* Project team members conducted monthly meetings during this period.
* Initial information about the project has been posted on the GSLIS website http://www.cii.uiuc.edu/imlsproject/. A more developed website is under construction and will be launched in spring 2008. The university.s podcast server will also be used to share youth-created products: https://podcast.ics.uiuc.edu

Objective 2: Conduct Initial Visits with Community Pilot Sites

This project identified five pilot sites: Chicago, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, East Saint Louis and Rockford. Our model envisions working with youth in these communities through extended engagement, not simply one-time recruiting efforts. Starting in January 2008, each semester will involve intensive work with a focus pilot site. Between July 2007 and January 2008, project staff met bi-weekly with the first of these sites, Paseo Boricua in Chicago, to plan for spring 2008 activities. Deciding to go beyond initial visits with the other pilot sites, project staff spent over 60 hours of direct contact time with youth in Champaign, Urbana and Joliet. This work engaged youth with LIS professionals and pre-professionals in collaborative community informatics projects. Experiences from these field site activities were used to inform the initial design of curriculum modules related to the field of LIS (see Objective 3 below). Communication with East Saint Louis, Danville and Rockford (pilot sites scheduled for Years 2 and 3 of the grant) are on-going.

Urbana Middle School (Urbana)

Activities in this after-school program involved project staff with middle students using podcasting, Internet and multimedia tools to investigate youth-identified research topics. Those topics included: the US-led war on Iraq, obesity, children in Africa, and survival tips for immigrant students in Urbana Middle School. Students who participated in this class were 6-8th graders, including African, Latino/a and Caucasian youth. Depending on attendance, 3-7 students attended the program each week on Mondays from 3:30-5:30pm. This field site informed the initial design of activities for Module 6: The Internet, Module 7: Multimedia and Podcasting, and Module 12: Ethical Issues.

Booker T. Washington School (Champaign)

Activities in this after-school program involved project staff with K-6 students to explore children.s literature. Students were predominately Latino/a and African-American. Depending on attendance, approximately 40 students participated Tuesday-Friday from 3-5 pm. Project staff designed special library programs/activities for Friday afternoons related to Module 10: Finding Books to Read and Module 11: Connection Children with Books. Those activities included a literature exploration related to the Day of the Dead and a Genre Game to engage children in thinking about how to choose a book for reading.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Media Project (Joliet)

Activities in this after-school program involved project staff with students learning webpage and graphic design. This program serves Latino/a youth (predominantly Mexican-American) from the surrounding community. Depending on attendance, 7-8 youth between the ages of 11 and 18 met from 4-6pm on Tuesdays. This field site informed the initial design of activities for Module 6: The Internet, Module 7: Multimedia and Podcasting, and Module 12: Ethical Issues. Youth-created products from this project related to experiences of immigrant youth and families, and the history of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel as a partner in community activism and development.

Paseo Boricua (Chicago) Schedule as Pilot Site for Spring 2008

Co-PI Ann Bishop and Community Liaison Alejandro Molina held bi-weekly planning meetings in Paseo Boricua between July 2007 and January 2008. Paseo Boricua, the setting for one of our core partnerships, is a vibrant, low-income, inner-city community in Chicago, where Mr. Molina is heavily engaged in youth technology learning. This fall, Mr. Molina led two youth courses. In one, young women from the Family Learning Center (in which young mothers receive their high school diplomas while their children are provided with daycare) produced a book about their experiences using a new digital web service called blurb.com. In the second course, young men learned video editing skills in the context of producing their own films. Dr. Bishop had the opportunity to visit both of these classes and meet the young men and women involved.

The outcome of planning meetings and engagement with youth community informatics activities in Paseo Boricua has been to change course from the original plan to implement the networking module there. Paseo Boricua already has networked facilities for youth activities and community leaders there did not feel that a networking module would best serve youth priorities. Therefore, we decided to initiate our youth community informatics program with the multimedia module, which fits better with both community needs and goals and the expertise of Timnah Card, the RA assigned to Chicago. In particular, Mr. Molina was eager to both build on, and share with other grant participants, their current work in digital media production.

The specific projects that Mr. Molina plans to pursue include creating yearbooks and poetry books for one or both of Paseo Boricua.s alternative high schools: the Family Learning Center and the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School. Among the skills the high school students will learn to produce their multimedia texts are digital photography, page-editing, graphic design, video recording and editing, and DVD creation. The planned structure is to conduct the youth multimedia course on Saturdays at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Paseo Boricua.

Objective 3: Develop Initial Activities for LIS Curriculum Modules

In the aforementioned sites, we expect to directly impact over 150 students. However, we expect an impact that goes far beyond this immediate activity through the development of twelve curriculum modules related to the field of LIS and student projects that will be made available through the Internet. As outlined in Objective 2, the pilot sites serve as an important context in which to develop and adapt the activities for these modules. The following provides an update on the development of these modules during the initial six months of this grant.

Modules 1-5: Computer Basics, Storage and Memory, Operating Systems, Local Area Networking, and Wide Area Networking.

These four modules are directly linked to a highly successful graduate-level course offered through GSLIS for over seven years and have a parallel in community classes that have been offered by GSLIS Prairienet staff and graduate assistants to youth, adults, and seniors for over a decade. No development efforts were focused on these modules during this period of the grant. However, this course will be offered in summer 2008 and engage GSLIS students within the East Saint Louis community. Aspects of this module will also be incorporated into the Youth Community Informatics Statewide Forum in June 2008.

Modules 6, 7 and 12: The Internet, Multimedia and Podcasting, and Ethical Issues

Activities for these modules were developed and piloted in both the Joliet and Urbana field sites. Those include:

* Audio issue-based podcast: Youth are encouraged to choose a topic of their interests to make a 1-2 minutes long audio podcast by using Audacity to combine music and their recorded narrative.
* Audio-visual issue-based podcast: Youth are encouraged to make a news reporter style audio-visual podcast by filming themselves from a Mac computer. They record their images and sound from reading their script on iMovie, find still images about their topic, and combine images and sound together on iMovie. This form of podcast catches moving images but avoid using video camera and time-consuming importing process.
* Claymation: Youth are encouraged to tell a story by making an easy stop motion animation. They can catch the clay footage by using software or taking sequential still images using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie as a video editing program.
* Web & Graphic Design: Participants are introduced to a web design suite of tools including Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks, as well as Macromedia graphic design programs to edit digital photos, video clips and other media for inclusion in these sites.

Module 8: Exploring Spaces: Going Places

Activities for this module were developed and piloted within an undergraduate course taught by one of the project.s graduate assistants. This module builds on 4-H CCS Geospatial curriculum, .Exploring Spaces, Going Places.. The module provides fundamental concepts of space, measurement, and mapping to help youths develop spatial thinking about the world they live. The module engages youth in mapping the resources of their community and actively analyzing data related to local and global community concerns via geographic information systems. In doing so, youths will be using one or more of the online geospatial tools such as Google Map, Google Earth, OpenStreetMaps, WikiMapia, Flickr to collaboratively map, share, and use geospatial information of their concerns. In addition to piloted activities on campus, the graduate student assigned to this module attended telenet meetings with extension youth educators from six counties in Illinois who are planning for youth community mapping projects in spring 2008. More intensive on-site collaboration with these projects will begin in February 2008, serving as an additional context in which to implement and adapt activities for this module.

Module 9: Video Game Design

A graduate student was identified to work on this module, but due to health problems was unable to continue with the project. We are in the process of finding a replacement. Meanwhile, several game design activities with youth were piloted through the extension network in fall 2007. Co-PI, Dr. Lisa Bouillion Diaz worked directly with adults and youth in these sites and will serve as liaison with the new graduate student to leverage these experiences in support of future module development. Through this connection, youth in these sites were also introduced to LIS fields and applications related to this technology.

Modules 10 and 11: Finding Books to Read and Connecting Children with Books

Activities for this module were developed and piloted within the after-school project at Booker T. Washington School in Champaign, IL. Those included:

* Day of the Dead Celebration: Several different books were selected about the Day of the Dead for each age group. These included information and fiction books. The books were used to introduce the holiday, though many of the students were already familiar with it, and some even celebrated it in their own families. After reading and a short discussion, the younger students created the skull masks. A different set of readings was used with the older kids, after which they created skeletons.
* Genre Game: A map was created to represent different genre zones (action, fantasy, nonfiction, science-fiction, etc.) for the students to visit. At each zone, they found a set of books that they were asked to examine. Students were asked to pay particular attention to the title, cover, and synopsis. The point of the activity was to familiarize them with the different genres and to get them thinking about how they go about choosing a book. The activity was modified for the two different age groups with different book selections.

Activities planned for pilot in spring 2008 include mock Caldecott/Newbery awards, an electronic database of youth-developed book reviews through podcasts and other multimedia, and a design competition where youth envision different uses of their library space.

Objective 4: Design Web-based Survey Instruments

A youth survey is currently under construction and is planned for implementation in February-March 2008. Data from this survey will be used as a baseline of youth knowledge, interest and background related to topics in the LIS curriculum modules. A post-survey will be conducted in June-July 2008 to measure learning objectives related to the specific modules, as well as attitude and awareness changes. Participants will also be asked to complete an evaluation of the topic (relevance and coverage), format, instructor, materials, and facilities. This evaluation will allow participants to provide feedback on what is working, what needs to be changed, and how the program can be improved. Feedback from these formative assessments will be used to tailor the module(s) topics, content, materials, and techniques of presentation.


Objective 5: Finalize Selection of Equipment for Use in Pilot Communities

The original project proposal included plans for purchase of the following Technology Kit for use in each pilot site.

* Multimedia computer with external speakers, webcam, video capture card and basic software $3000
* 15 GPS handheld devices $2000
* Podcast audio setup $200
* MP3 player $200
* Sony DCR-SR100 Digital Handcam 30GB Camcorder $770 (newest model is now DCR-SR200 $800)
* Sony ECMHW1 Bluetooth Wireless microphone $320
* Digital camera: Canon powershot S3 IS $498 (Newest model is now S5 IS)
* CDDVD burner SANSUNG 18x DVDR $33
* Hard drive: Western Digital Caviar WD800BB 80GB $42
* Tripod legs: Berlebach 8043 $256
* Vegas Movie Studio DVD 6 platinum $115
* Adobe Premiere elements 3.0 $100 (newest version is now 6.0 $134.99)

Based on planning discussions with the first of these sites, Paseo Boricua, we will make not require a podcast audio set up, nor an MP3 player. To accompany their iMac with external speakers and a built-in DVD burner, they will require licenses for Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS3. We expect that each site will need similar adjustments based on their existing resources and plans for community informatics projects.

Objective 6: Outline Format for 2008 Youth Community Information Statewide Forum

The first annual Statewide Youth Community Informatics Forum is planned for June 2008. Facilities are currently being confirmed and promotion of the event is planned for February 2008. To support attendance by youth in the fall 2007 fieldsites, adults have been consulted for dates that work with their programs. Other youth will be registered as space allows. We expect this first forum to involve a smaller group of 30-40 youth. That number is expected to grow as we involve a new pilot community each semester. Discussion is also underway as to opportunities for involvement of youth with an interest in communication technologies but no prior connection to the project.


The format for the 2008 forum is still under construction but is expected to include the following:

* A two-day (Friday-Saturday) gathering on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
* Youth sharing experiences and insights from their on community informatics projects
* Interaction between youth and LIS professionals from campus and the surrounding community through: 1) A collaborative CI project experience, 2) Short speaker presentations, and 3) Visits to different sites of LIS practice.
* Skill-building opportunities integrated through the collaborative CI project experience that introduce additional activities from the LIS curriculum modules (e.g. mapping community resources with GPS devices, creating flash animations, exploring campus library resources, etc.)

III. Significant Findings or Accomplishments

* Successful visits with target pilot sites, and activities underway with the Year 1 site in Paseo Boricua (Chicago).
* Over 60 contact hours with youth engaged in LIS curriculum activities and community informatics projects that went beyond planned scope of work for Year 1.
* Awareness building among extension educators of LIS project opportunities for youth through presentations and involvement of project staff in program planning meetings. These activities have already sparked increased interest and demand from within the extension network for ways to get more youth involved in these activities.
* Design, implementation and adaptation of initial activities for LIS curriculum modules that will be a key mechanism for reaching more youth.
Appendix A: LIS Curriculum Modules

Module 1: Computer basics (introduces basic computer terms and concepts

Module 2: Storage and memory (more depth on how storage and memory work within computers, also includes basic information on how to upgrade both memory and storage.)

Module 3: Operating Systems (describes the basic parts of an operating system, including the user interface, the supporting applications, and the kernel; discussion of how operating systems differ and how to choose among them.)

Module 4: Local Area Networking (introduces networking and describes the basic components needed to create a small LAN.)

Module 5: Wide Area Networking (introduces the basics of how LANs can be connected together to create an internet.)

Module 6: The Internet (reviews networking and introduces a few more advanced concepts.)

Module 7: Multimedia and podcasting (introduces the making and editing of digital video and audio; also, basic overview of what podcasting is, possible uses and how to create one. Podcasts will be stored on the university.s new podcast server https://podcast.ics.uiuc.edu, and with permission, made available for other clubs to use.)

Module 8: Exploring Spaces: Going Places (builds on the Geospatial curriculum from the 4-H CCS; engages youth in mapping the resources of their community and actively analyzing data related to local and global community concerns via geographic information systems.)

Module 9: Video game design (linked with the LIS 199 Video Game Design course, this will bring university undergraduates together with K-12 youth in design of video games using free and inexpensive tools available on the Internet.)

Module 10: Finding Books to Read (introduces the concept that choice of reading materials is crucial to fostering reading for pleasure and the professional work of guiding readers to books they want, also called reader's advisory.)

Module 11: Connecting Children with Books (introduces the field of library work with children through an overview of children's award-winning books and library spaces.)

Module 12: Ethics, Equity & Policy Issues (introduces issues of privacy, credibility of information, hacking, plagiarism, and choice of information services; engages youth in activities such as poetry, rap, and video as ways to investigate and express ideas on these topics; introduces the concept of social justice with regard to technology accessibility)