Advocate!

ITE's Founders Who we are and where we came from... The PCs for MAINE project started in 2002 as a non-profit grassroots initiative.  Our founders understood that families who did not have personal computer skills or access often had limited job marketability or unstable employment which resulted in lower family incomes and frequent unemployment.  Lack of access in many cases also leads to lower early literacy rates among their children.  

PCs for MAINE Participants

Comprehensive computer literacy ... As we were developing the project, we learned that cost (buying a computer) was only one factor inhibiting computer literacy.  Even larger obstacles are confusion and fear of technology, lack of readily available tutoring and training, and unforeseen expensive repairs that would derail great goals.  Providing low cost personal computers would help many self motivated and resourceful people, but to couple this low cost resource with a single point technical support system and convenient accessible training aids made the program a tremendous sucess.  Our users are protected from industry hype, predatory sales practices, and learn to maximize productivity.  This has lead to many unforeseen positive collateral effects and outstanding outcomes.

Measuring Outcomes Quantifying the results to date...The project to date has provided more than 2200 computer systems with support to Maine families, and are used by more than 4000 people to learn new career skills, attend online classes and much more.  The project has grown from its' meager beginnings of an idea, five volunteers and a $500 gift - to a list of more than 40 volunteers, 25 staff members, 200 advocates, 30 collaborating NPO/NGO's, 80 business partners, $520,000.00 in grants and over $1,800,000.00 in donated technology - all leveraged to provide the best results possible for over 650 families in Maine each year.

Bring this valuable resource to your community...

We do not advertise this program through conventional channels - instead we depend on advocates to identify suitable participants.  This maximizes social return from the gifts of materials, time and funds so generously provided to this program.  This is often as simple as putting PCs for MAINE program posters in a visible place in your facility - and as involved as embedding our computer literacy training into your existing programs.

Common advocates are educators (head starts, public K-12 schools, community colleges, adult/continuing education), economic/career development groups (Career center councilors, Voc. Rehab., Economic Development Councils, Small business devepers) the non-profit sector (womens' business advocates, workforce integrators and developers, incubators, literacy programs, individual development & sponsorship groups) and business/community sustainability groups. 

Integrate our resources in your efforts...

The PCs for MAINE project has a natural tendency to collaborate with others toward a common social goal.  This program has often been used as a supplemental technology access and training resource for individuals already engaged in furthering their education or developing job skills among other important objectives. 

Our expertise in providing sustainable, practical technology for people has enabled many organizations to make significant social change within their community without having to become technology experts themselves.  Our unusually low program costs also allow for program expansion, increased program quality and significant increases in existing efforts.

Collaborate and share our resources...

Our lack of propriety and very open nature with advocates has lead to the extensive, high quality pool of resources available to us.  We make as many of these resources available through this website.  This free open thinking has led to a great deal of innovation and helps us develop new ideas and tools that we in turn share with all of you.  

To access 'Advocate' content, use the 'Create New Account" link to left and request an 'Advocate' role.  If this is your first encounter with PCs for MAINE, we ask that you introduce yourself to our staff via telephone PRIOR to creating an account.

If you have any questions or ideas you would like to discuss, you can post them in the advocate forums or you can contact me directly at 207 322-6257 or via email: cmartin@infotechexchange.org.

Thank you for what you do,

Chris Martin - Founder of ITE - The PCs for MAINE personal computer access and literacy project

Advocates have full access to:

Participant Resources - All the private forums, video tutorials, support tools and training areas;