TFA’s activities to coordinate and manage the project testbed
Co-PI, Will Reed and Managing Directors, Phil Cayton, Omar Leal and Ken Cruz at Technology For All (TFA) have led activities at the TFA testbed to coordinate, identify and manage the deployment sites and develop the infrastructure needed for the deployment of these sites: the three stationary nodes at Milby High School, Lopez Tire Shop and Deady Middle School and the tower node at TFA. Additional nodes have been deployed at Crespo, Daniel Garcia Home, and Southmayd and Davila schools are scheduled for deployment in the TFA testbed. The TFA team is also working to maintain a productive relationship with the communities participants. Omar Leal has led the interaction of the project with the user population as a bi-lingual Community Engagement Coordinator for the TFA Community.
Co-PI Reed has met with school officials at Houston Independent School District and local political leaders for project support. TFA has an important role in narrowing the educational opportunity gap for students and their families in this community. TFA is working closely with the schools to provide devices, connectivity and training for the parents of students who want to be more involved in the education of their children. This role is enhanced by this project’s research goals, because TFA and Rice together will be able to inject additional bandwidth into key geographical zones that can then be distributed to the community through conventional wireless technologies. Thus, students will be able to continue their education at home after school and parents will better be able to support their children and participate in the digital world that most of us take for granted.
The PI’s have maintained joint participation and collaboration to discuss project thrusts and identity problems and research directions. TFA has also leveraged corporate and nonprofit partners for the support of the project.