Lawndale Wireless Community Network

The Lawndale Wireless Community Network is a collaborative project, funded by the Motorola Foundation, that represents a strategic and organic model for extending the public benefits of technology to residents, community based organizations, schools and businesses of Chicago’s North Lawndale community.

The wireless network itself was developed three years ago, and initially created to understand how to locally develop the architecture for a community wireless network, and explore beneficial uses for the local community (for example, education, employment, social and cultural).This project marks the first time that Motorola has funded an initiative like this in the United States.

The goals of Lawndale Wireless Community Network project are:

• Empower users –The Lawndale wireless project is designed to empower households and small businesses to connect with programs to obtain affordable hardware and broadband access.
• Create a multimedia web content – There is an absence of multimedia websites that focus on underserved communities needs and issues. The Lawndale project, via tools like the Lawndale Beehive, provides Lawndale community content that is user friendly, user created, and user maintained.
• Collaborate with existing non-profit Community Based Organizations (CBOs) – The greater Lawndale community has benefited from input from many leading non-profit organizations that currently offer programs to the underserved targeted groups. The Lawndale Wireless Network brings together a broad array of Lawndale CBOs helping each to accomplish its mission through collaboration.

The Lawndale Wireless Community Network (LWCN) also addresses the barriers facing many of the communities underserved groups:

• Access – In Lawndale, LWCN partners are providing affordable computers to targeted groups (i.e., low-income families and school age children) and broadband access through computer purchase programs and partnerships with non-profit organizations that provide refurbished computers to low-income users.
• Confidence – In Lawndale, LWCN partners are working to provide a rich set of educational opportunities via classes, seminars and on-line training to help people develop the skills that they need to leverage information and computer technology.
• Motivation – In Lawndale, LWCN partners are developing and supporting programs that help people discover the value they can achieve by using information and computer technology in their work and life. The goal is to motivate people to invest in in-home computers and broadband access by helping them discover how these tools are directly relevant to their life.

For more information about the Lawndale Wireless Community Network, please email
LawndaleWireless@gmail.com. A list of our partners is below:

The Allison Foundation
Digital Divide Corporation and Oversight Committee
Kellman Corporate Community School
Lawndale Alliance
Lawndale Business and Local Development Corporation
Lumity
Men for a Better Lawndale
Neighborhood Technology Resource Center
North Lawndale Community News
North Lawndale Employment Network
One Economy Corporation