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326 Lisa J. Servon and Randal D. Pinkettwork to foster the potentially positive benefits of the information revolution,while combating its associated problems. CTCs address the digital dividecomprehensively and advance larger social, political, and economic goals inthe process.THE CTC UMBRELLAThe term “community technology center” covers a wide range of organizationaltypes with a broad range of missions. CTCs differ along three dimensions:their organizational type, their programmatic orientation, and theirtarget population. The latter two dimensions shape and are shaped by programmissions. There are three primary organizational types of CTCs: stand-alonecenters; CTCs housed in multi-service agencies; and networks of CTCs(which may comprise one or both of the previous two types). Stand-aloneCTCs are centers that were created explicitly to address information technologyand digital divide issues, which include access, training, and content.Other CTCs are part of multi-service agencies, which means that they are partof organizations or institutions such as a public library, a YWCA, or a communitydevelopment corporation (CDC) that offer a variety of services andprograms to the community. A third model is a network of CTCs connected bya larger organization. The Austin FreeNet (which has 34 locations, includingschools, libraries, community centers, churches, and housing projects) is anexample of this type of CTC.CTCs also differ in terms of their IT programming. Some centers focus onproviding access to technology. A public library, for example, may simplyprovide a space for computers with Internet access, but offer no training. OtherCTCs offer either general or specialized classes. Many CTCs, for example,offer basic classes in keyboarding, how to use e-mail, and popular softwareapplications such as Word and Photoshop. Others are more oriented towardproviding specific training that can help participants obtain jobs in IT-relatedfields. The Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) in San Francisco and PerScholas in the Bronx are two examples of CTCs oriented toward workforcedevelopment. Some CTCs use technology more indirectly. For example, themission of Street-Level Youth Media in Chicago, 2 which uses technology aspart of a comprehensive program plan, much like a number of other CTCs, isas follows:Street-Level Youth Media educates Chicago’s inner-city youth in media arts andemerging technologies for use in self-expression communication, and socialchange. Street-Level programs build self-esteem and critical thinking skills forurban youth who have been historically neglected by policy makers and massmedia. Using video production, computer art and the Internet young people address