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Celebrating 10 years of Transforming Detroit Through Community Technology

Banner with text reading "celebrating 10 years of building community through technology"

As the Detroit Community Technology Project (DCTP) celebrates its 10th anniversary, we reflect on a decade of transforming the city through community-driven technology. From empowering residents with the skills to build their own digital infrastructure to advocating for data justice, our work has been centered on creating a more equitable, connected Detroit. This milestone marks not just our achievements, but a commitment to continue empowering communities to take control of their... Continue reading

We're seeking an Executive Director!

Overview

The DCTP Executive Director provides strategic vision and leadership to the organization, ensuring that the core programs and operations advance the mission, vision, and purpose of DCTP. The Director manages the many moving parts of the DCTP team, ensuring that people have the support and resources they need to do their best work. They coordinate organizational evaluation efforts and support program and project design, training, and communications. They consistently deepen their knowledge of Detroit’s digital ecosystem and strategize around DCTP... Continue reading

Transitions // Farewell to Katie Hearn

Katie Hearn has transitioned out of her role as Executive Director of the Detroit Community Technology project. Katie has been in community with DCTP for many years, first joining as a member of the Digital Stewards Community Group (which was formed in 2012 by Allied Media Projects and partners), and as a member of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition. The work of those groups was foundational for our organization, which officially formed in 2014. Katie joined the team as our IT Manager in 2019, stepping up into the Executive Director role later that same year during a transitional time. Katie infused care and collaboration into this role, building up new scaffolding to support a... Continue reading

Join the team as an Operations Manager!

Role Overview

The Operations Manager is a systems-thinker with a desire to strengthen and streamline the inner workings of teams, matched with an enthusiasm for supporting the people who comprise them. Our ideal candidate is passionate about the principles, policies, systems, and rituals that support the DCTP team in building an impactful, consentful, and exciting work environment. This person is self-directed, extremely detail-oriented, and able to work in a collaborative environment with a broad range of partners. We are seeking a candidate with experience in office management, HR, and/or grants administration with a strong commitment to social justice.

The primary focus of the operations role will be to support the DCTP team in building and... Continue reading

Stepping into 2024 with Detroit Community Technology Project!

10 Years

Since 2014, the Detroit Community Technology Project has been committed to ensuring digital equity and digital justice in our communities. For 10 years, we’ve focused on bringing our communities online through community technology education, building community wireless networks, demystifying tech, and disrupting the dominant narratives about technology in Detroit. Our work is grounded in the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition (DDJC) principles that focus on healthy communities, access, participation and community ownership. The DDJC created Internet-sharing mesh networks around the city beginning in 2012.

Expanding on the work of the DDJC, we launched the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) in 2016 with... Continue reading

Inside Digital Stewardship: Q&A with Monique Tate

Monique Tate standing on a rooftop during an wireless Internet relay point installation, wearing an Equitable Internet Initiative t-shirt

Monique Tate is a Detroiter, community and digital equity activist, long-time Digital Steward, and Co-Director of Community Technology New York. We spoke with Monique about her thoughts and experiences with Digital Stewardship and community networks.

  1. You have been trained as a Digital Steward, managed a network, and trained others as Digital Stewards. Why do you do this work and what keeps you committed?
    I truly do this work because I love it! I love creating Tech based opportunities for our... Continue reading

Why Community Tech Matters to Me

Graphic image featuring a photo of a city street and a photo of an wireless antenna

by Rumi W. [they/xe]

Sometimes it's hard to write about why organizing really resonates with you and makes you want to be involved in whatever fashion you can. It's even harder when you see within organizing a possible future that should be more common in the world and isn't due to a number of different forces. So many of them are systemic, so many have to be drastically changed in order for anything new to come to fruition.

But, with that in mind, it makes it all the more... Continue reading

DCTP is seeking an experienced Curriculum Developer

About the Project

The Community Technology Collective is seeking an experienced Curriculum Developer, to lead a collaborative development process for the Digital Steward Curriculum. The curriculum focuses on community technology and the digital engineering skills needed to redistribute internet connections throughout a community. A detail-oriented developer will refresh our Digital Stewards curriculum to reflect lessons learned from Digital Stewards’ training and work in the field. Responsibilities include creating engaging and interactive lesson plans, developing resource material for student access post-class, and identifying a platform and process for curriculum management and version control. The... Continue reading

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