Summer 2004

by anonymous

Mercedes Soto currently serves as the Project Director for the innovative Community Technology Center (CTC) Accelerator at the IT Resource Center. The Accelerator is a centralized resource to assist nonprofits that provide technology access and training to low-income community residents. Assistance is provided with program development, business planning, staff training, program evaluation, and networking. Mercedes is a certified teacher with experience in curriculum and staff development and technology in the classroom. Since 1995, she has managed five community technology centers and helped to establish and support more than twenty others.

Mercedes describes her work as follows:

"Through the Accelerator, we've provided hardware, software, cash grants, technical support, networking assistance, staff development, and assistance with evaluation to twenty-two nonprofit organizations in Cook County, IL. We've helped some organizations start new CTCs, and others enhance and expand services offered through existing CTCs. We've sponsored new CTCNet memberships and membership renewals for all of the organizations and conference registrations for our partner organizations."

Mercedes has served as a member of the national CTCNet Board of Directors and was a founding board member of the its regional chapter, CTCNet Chicago. The IT Resource Center is a nonprofit support organization and has been a member of CTCNet since 2000.