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Free Geek Twin Cities

Partner Agency: Free Geek Twin Cities
Location: 2537 25th Avenue South, Minneapolis MN 55406
Site Supervisor: Dave Cross, Operations Manager

CTEP Program Description

The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. CTEP is a program of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).
 

Site History and Mission

Free Geek Twin Cities is dedicated to addressing the problems of The Digital Divide and Electronic Waste in our local community through direct, tangible action. We are inspired by the Free Geek concept, originally introduced in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. Our organization started in 2009 and has grown considerably in the past few years. We are a 501(c)(3) public non-profit.

We take donations of electronic equipment and computers. We recycle or refurbish items to make sure they don’t get thrown away. Refurbished electronics go to our thrift store and help us pay for providing affordable computers to the community. Volunteers learn to dismantle & repair computers and other electronics through the refurbishment process.

Preferred Site Schedule for Member

Free Geek Twin Cities’ store schedule is Wednesday through Sunday from 12 - 5PM. We do not expect the Member to follow this schedule exactly, as we hope the member develops a class schedule that accommodates people needing instruction outside of these hours. There is flexibility based on the needs of the community.

In addition, Members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills. These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory. Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day Day of Service, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.
 

Specific Site Responsibilities

With supervision, develop and deliver a program that builds upon the Northstar Digital Literacy program with curriculum unique to Free Geek Twin Cities’ community.

Demographically, our city ward (Ward 6) is home to the Twin Cities’ largest East African community and is the center of the Native American community in Minneapolis. With our store and our volunteer opportunities, we are firmly established as a location for affordable computers and technology; our visitors are already interested in hardware and tinkering.

Our goal is to help our Member develop and deliver an enhanced curriculum that only Free Geek can provide. This begins with a deep understanding of what the Northstar Digital Literacy assessments provide, then determining how to build upon that.

We wish to recruit a member with the maturity & people skills to run a Northstar Digital Literacy classroom while also possessing the drive to treat the classroom as a laboratory for custom curriculum.

  • Curriculum development based on the Member’s unique talents, whether in language, culture or technical skill.
  • Additional curriculum development based on resources at Free Geek, be it specialized hardware, or senior volunteers willing to teach specialized skills.
  • Recruitment and administration of Northstar Digital Literacy assessments and custom curriculum.
     

Site Environment

Free Geek Twin Cities is located in a single-story industrial/office building in South Minneapolis. We are 1 block from an East/West bus stop and 3 blocks from a North/South bus stop. The closest Light Rail station is 0.7 miles away. The closest bowling alley is across the street.
 

How to Apply

Apply online at http://my.americorps.gov/ and click on “Apply to Serve”. Be sure to search for the “Community Technology Empowerment Project” or “CTEP” when asked to indicate what program you would like to send your application to. Contact: Allison Williams, williams@spnn.org, 651-298-8918 for more information about CTEP Member requirements.

CTEP AmeriCorps values an equitable work environment and strongly encourages Black, Indigenous and people of color, speakers of many languages, disabled individuals, LGBTQIA+ identified, and people from other underrepresented communities to apply.

Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.