15/11/2006
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Mayor Eamonn Maloney on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council
will be launching
TIME TO CONNECT
&
Social Inclusion Awareness Week
On
Thursday 16th November at 2.30pm
In the County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Time To Connect has been organised by South Dublin County Council to promote the Connect project, to raise public awareness of the value of technology, to invite people and local communities to come together and try out technologies available, and to promote other organisations and businesses who are developing and using technology.
Connect is working to deliver a free, easy to use service that enables local communities to use technology in innovative ways to achieve their goals and to put local content on the world wide web. The projects are:
Connect Me presents an extensive range of local information using an online interactive mapping system, creating a place where people can find accurate information easily and quickly about their community
Connect Web supports all community groups in South Dublin County to create their own internet content that will facilitate improved information management and develop new methods of collective engagement
Connect School in St Aidans Community School, Brookfield, is developing student centred technology through an innovative learning culture in order to improve school attendance, participation in class and educational outcomes for the students
Connect Centre is creating a network of Digital Learning Hubs in local Community Centres where local people can access and learn about technology in their own communities, transforming the digital divide into digital inclusion
The programme of activities for the fortnights includes workshops on Searching the Internet, The Wonders of Google Earth, Techie Toys for Christmas, Bebo Awareness for Parents, Video Games of the 1980s, Tours of South Dublin County Councils traffic Management Centre, Guides to Photoshop, Digital Photography and Web Design, Skype Demonstrations, Website training for Community Groups, and a Mobile Computer Gym.
Along with this busy programme of activities, community groups who have developed websites on Connect Web will showcase their work by having Information Stands in the Concourse for the duration of the two weeks. The Council Online Services will be presented in the Concourse from 11am-12pm every day. We are inviting in some local businesses to showcase their online services in the concourse over the 2 weeks.
The Launch also will be presenting, for the first time, the new Connect website at www.southdublin.ie/connect
The purpose of South Dublin Social Inclusion Awareness Week is to highlight and promote Social Inclusion and Anti-Poverty work in South Dublin County, particularly amongst the member agencies of the South Dublin County Development Board. 2006 is the fourth year that a Social Inclusion Awareness Week has been held in South Dublin County.
Social Inclusion is a series of positive actions to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to take up different services and supports all people to participate in their local community and society. It is about being aware of and challenging all forms of discrimination.
Events that have been organized include: Fact Finding Mission for staff from the health services and local authorities to Clondalkin and Tallaght, Brookfield Health Eating Project Seminar in Brookfield Enterprise Centre, Clondalkin International Music Event, and Presentation of Prizes for SLOGO Competition, Diversity Awareness Training, Exhibition of Traveller Culture and Roundtable Discussion Working and Living in Tallaght and finally exhibition of photographs from each council department portraying their contribution to Social Inclusion.