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Partners

Community Partners – Local Fire Departments: In year one and two, this project partners with 50 of West Virginia’s local fire departments, which will manage public computer labs and host learning opportunities. Each fire department has its own page on this website. For details, go to <Computer Centers>.  

In the next year, coverage will expand to 60 fire departments. For information on how your fire department can participate, contact Director LeeAnn Shreve at: leeann@future.org.

Instructional Partners:

  • Eastern WV Community & Technical College (EWVCTC) (www.eastern.wvnet.edu) — EWVCTC’s Customized/Contracted Training Services develops and delivers customized workforce education programs. Worker-learners achieve personal and professional growth while enabling businesses and organizations to develop the employee skills, attitudes, and knowledge that will enhance profits and productivity. As individual communities determine their training needs, EWVCTC and Future Generations will identify online training resources to help them reach their goals.
  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (www.hopkinsbayview.org)will offer training in Collaborative Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Resilience; Dr. Henry Taylor will lead the training. Dr. Taylor brings seven years as West Virginia’s State Health Officer and Public Health Commissioner to this project and as an MD (Doctor of Medicine) from Harvard and a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
  • MissionWV— Mission West Virginia, www.missionwv.org, is a non-profit organization based in Hurricane, WV that equips West Virginia’s communities with skills and tools to maximize existing resources and form new partnerships. The organization is well known for providing quality instruction in basic computer skills and e-commerce, and in motivating youth through computer training.

  • Monongahela National Forest (fs.usda.gov/mnf) has a long history of working effectively with state agencies and local stakeholders. The Forest is congressionally mandated to practice sustainable land management on over 900,000 acres in the state of WV. The Forest Service will offer a training of trainers class in “Emergency Management: Introduction to Online Mapping, using Google Earth as a revolutionary online mapping tool.” 
  • New River Community and Technical College (NRCC) is now offering grant-writing training tailored to meet the needs of our local communities. Many of our volunteer fire and rescue squads raise a large portion of their opening expenses each year. One way they do this is by applying for federal grant programs. However, many of these volunteer stations do not have the capacity to write grants. NRCC is working to address this problem.
  • Partnership of African American Churches (PAAC)— PAAC, www.paac2.org, is a non-profit faith based community development corporation, based in Charleston, WV. PAAC trains communities in how to achieve holistic health, which includes education, physical health-absence from disease, economic opportunities, crime prevention, and comprehensive youth development. PAAC will offer training in substance abuse prevention and chronic-disease self-management
  • West Virginia Library Commission has graciously agreed to permit all of our computer centers free access to their entire line of online curriculum offerings at wvinfodepot.org. These courses include (but are not limited to): GED preparation, skills development for elementary, middle, high school, and college students, popular software tutorials, computer and Internet basics, and workplace skills development. This partnership also entitles partrons of our partner centers access to hundreds of free eBooks and occupation practice tests (including fire, EMS, and paramedic tests).
  • West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office (www.firemarshal.wv.gov) works to improve the quality of life of the citizens of West Virginia through the leadership, development and administration of fire safety training programs. The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office has teamed up with Future Generations to promote the usage of online training resources available to firemen and firewomen across the state.
  • WorkForce West Virginia (www.workforcewv.org) provides a one-stop delivery of career services to job seekers, employers, and other interested individuals. They provide West Virginians with personal service and technology solutions for job search and training needs. Future Generations and Workforce West Virginia are working together to provide online job search and training skills to West Virginia communities 
  • Region 7 WorkForce West Virginia (WFWV) - One of the largest employers in our region, American Woodmark, announced in early December they were closing one of their factories. WFWV held a job fair just two weeks later brining in over 250 people. They had set up computers for workers to use in filling out online applications to receive their services. However, only 6 people filled out applications. They realized that they wre not being effective. They had heard about our local computer centers and reached out to us for assistance. We are now partnering to offer job seeking and keeping training programs at our computer centers.

Government Partners

This project is funded through the <Broadband Technology Opportunities Program  (BTOP)> of the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. BTOP supports the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhances and expands public computer centers, encourages sustainable adoption of broadband service, and develops and maintains a nationwide public map of broadband service capability and availability.

Special Thanks

There are several organizations who have graciously donated items from door prizes to concert sponsorships to support this project.

  • Pendleton Community Bank - donated $500 for the New Relics concert as part of the eastern regional grand opening in Moorefield, WV
  • Cabela's - donated two $50 gift cards for door prizes
  • Don Nehlen (former WVU head football coach) - donated two autographed photographs for door prizes
  • Bob Huggins (WVU basketball coach)- donated two autographed photographs for door prizes
  • Timberline ski resort - donated three sets of two (2) adult lift tickets and ski rentals for door prizes
  • Waldenbooks in Mt. Hope - donated two Webkinz stuffed animals for door prizes