Project Page: Contentbank.org

Contentbank.org
Date Initiated: June 2001

Following rigorous research with regard to Online Content for Low-Income and Underserved Americans: The Digital Divide's New Frontier, Markle and the Children's Partnership built a web portal (Contentbank.org) to assist low income families and the organizations that support them in the use of digital technologies. The features of the web portal included critical online resources targeted at staff of community technology programs, after-school programs, libraries, and other technology help centers for those with low incomes. Contentbank.org also provided site-building tools and robust content on jobs, housing, health care, legal and educational services to the growing number of community-based organizations working to meet the needs of these families.This project was another initiative undertaken under Markle's Domestic Digital Divide Initiative.

March 15, 2000
Markle Foundation Commits Resources of Nearly $1 Million to the Development Of Online Content and Services that Meet the Needs of Low-Income Communities

July 26, 1999
Markle Announces 5-Year, $100 Million Initiative Aimed At Using the Internet and Other New Media For Public Benefit

July 1999
Online Content for Low-income and Underserved Americans: The Digital Divide's New Frontier
Wendy Lazarus and Francisco Mora
One aspect of the digital divide has been consistently under-examined is that of content. While the lack of infrastructure has received significant attention, the lack of locally relevant content, along with the shortage of skills to use that content, have not been recognized as an important barrier to access. This report measures both the content barrier (which is particularly severe among low-income Americans), and suggests solutions such as including increasing local information, enhancing general literacy, and addressing language barriers.

Download Report (852K)

Click here to download Adobe Acrobat.

Picture of children at a bank of computers


	The Children's Partnership


	Contentbank.org Benton


	Online Content for Low-income and Underserved Americans: The Digital Divide's New Frontier


	Domestic Digital Divide Initiative: Online Content and Services for Low-income Communities Educational Netcasting Foundation: Support for the Martin Luther King After School Program 2000 and 2001 One Economy Corporation The Children's Partnership 2000 and 2001 Benton Youth e-Vote Leadership Conference on Civil Rights


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