TechMission
Encyclopedia
TechMission is a Christian non-profit organization located in Dorchester, Massachusetts
which aims to use technology to transform vulnerable communities. Its main goals include bridging the digital divide, protecting youth and families from online pornography, matching Christian volunteers with organizations that need them, and training urban ministry workers in ministry management and development through online courses at City Vision College.
To serve these ends, TechMission currently has over 80 AmeriCorps
interns serving at K-8 and teen after-school programs around the country, is providing free downloads of web filtering software to over 70,000 people per year, is listing over 5,000 volunteer opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.
, Christian Community Development Association, and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions
.
TechMission became a separate non-profit entity in 2002. The next year, following the success of the AC4 program, it launched the TechMission Boston Program which provides full-time workers to serve in after-school, teen, and adult technology education programs, as well as providing the curriculum and software benefits of AC4 membership. In 2004, TechMission Boston received AmeriCorps backing which enabled it to expand to Los Angeles. The program, now known as TechMission Corps, now sends out interns to organizations in Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Western Massachusetts .
In 2005, a Department of Justice grant enabled TechMission to start its Safe Families Program, which promotes online safety through providing free training and web-filtering software. The TechMission Volunteer Network (www.christianvolunteering.org) was launched the following year. In 2007, TechMission introduced UrbanMinistry.org, which is an effort to use Web 2.0
technologies to further promote collaboration and resource-sharing between Christian community development ministries. Finally, at the beginning of 2008, TechMission acquired City Vision College
, It was founded in 1998 by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions as "Rescue College." City Vision College is an accredited online institution designed to equip urban ministry workers to manage and develop their ministries Two certificate and degree completion programs are available: Missions and Addiction Studies.
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
which aims to use technology to transform vulnerable communities. Its main goals include bridging the digital divide, protecting youth and families from online pornography, matching Christian volunteers with organizations that need them, and training urban ministry workers in ministry management and development through online courses at City Vision College.
To serve these ends, TechMission currently has over 80 AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
interns serving at K-8 and teen after-school programs around the country, is providing free downloads of web filtering software to over 70,000 people per year, is listing over 5,000 volunteer opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.
History
TechMission was founded in 2000 as an extension of the ministry of the PREP Computer Center, which was a Dorchester-based computer center run as a partnership between Bruce Wall Ministries and two local churches. Andrew Sears, who was at that time executive director of PREP, and other leaders of Christian community computer centers saw the need for a non-profit which would provide resources to and foster communication between their programs. This was the origin of TechMission's AC4 program (the Association of Christian Community Computer Centers), which now serves over 500 sites, including sites affiliated with the Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Christian Community Development Association, and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions
The Association of Gospel Rescue Missions –formerly known as the International Union of Gospel Missions–is a nonprofit organization founded in 1913 whose member missions work to provide emergency shelter, food, youth and family services, and education and job training programs...
.
TechMission became a separate non-profit entity in 2002. The next year, following the success of the AC4 program, it launched the TechMission Boston Program which provides full-time workers to serve in after-school, teen, and adult technology education programs, as well as providing the curriculum and software benefits of AC4 membership. In 2004, TechMission Boston received AmeriCorps backing which enabled it to expand to Los Angeles. The program, now known as TechMission Corps, now sends out interns to organizations in Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Western Massachusetts .
In 2005, a Department of Justice grant enabled TechMission to start its Safe Families Program, which promotes online safety through providing free training and web-filtering software. The TechMission Volunteer Network (www.christianvolunteering.org) was launched the following year. In 2007, TechMission introduced UrbanMinistry.org, which is an effort to use Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
technologies to further promote collaboration and resource-sharing between Christian community development ministries. Finally, at the beginning of 2008, TechMission acquired City Vision College
City Vision College
-Introduction:City Vision College is the accredited Internet-based distance learning program of TechMission. Its mission is to provide practical online education to those involved in urban ministry, nonprofit management and addiction counseling.-History:...
, It was founded in 1998 by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions as "Rescue College." City Vision College is an accredited online institution designed to equip urban ministry workers to manage and develop their ministries Two certificate and degree completion programs are available: Missions and Addiction Studies.
External links
- TechMission - TechMission's main site
- ChristianVolunteering.org - volunteer-matching website
- UrbanMinistry.org - resource center and social network for workers in urban ministry and community development
- City Vision College - accredited online college with nonprofit management, addiction counseling and urban ministry tracts
- TechMission Corps - TechMission AmeriCorps Program in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Denver
- Safe Families anti-pornography initiative main website
- ChristianFreeware.org