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Past WEVH projects
Women's E-Business Support Project |
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The Women's E-Business Support Project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Its objectives were to support women working in small businesses and sole traders to make more effective use of ICTs. Find out more about WEBS within the business section of our site.
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ICT Learning for Healthy Communities |
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This project, funded by Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities, run from October 2004 to July 2005. One aim of this project was to develop new first step ICT learning opportunities which focus on health. A second aim was to increase the resources and skills available in the voluntary and community sector, within regeneration areas of Manchester, for using ICT to promote health related activities to women.
New curricula was developed which take health as a starting point for women to participate in learning which embeds learning about ICT as a basic skill. Health and well-being was used as a starting point to learning about ICTs, in particular the retrieval of health related information from the Internet and other electronic sources and the creation of local health information.
Resources and training was developed in community organisations for multi-language computer use (hardware and software) which widened participation in learning by women who have English as an Additional Language who were excluded from learning.
Community groups and community workers active in areas of health were involved in these activities to build their capacity to develop and deliver learning activities in these areas once involvement in the project has ceased.
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netWISE - (Network of
Women In Small Enterprises)
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netWISE was an ERDF funded initiative aimed at supporting
women in small businesses and community enterprises in using
ICT's (Information and Communication Technologies).
We co-ordinated various services and events including:
Free one-day training sessions including
Women's Business Network
On-Line Discussion Group
Web Site
We intended to develop our web site to include a business
section. We planned to include a database of women owned
and/or run small businesses as well as useful links and
resources.
Individual Advice and Support
We offered consultation and if we didn't have the knowledge
needed we aimed to provide a contact who did.
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WICOP (Training and Computer
Access for Women in the Voluntary Sector)
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The Women's Information and Community Outreach Project (WICOP)
provided help and support to women in voluntary groups to
use technology more effectively. As part of this project we
ran monthly training courses and a weekly drop-in for women
who were workers, volunteers or management committee members
in a voluntary organisation.
Also we provided placements in community groups for women
with existing computer skills.
Visit
the WICOP web site
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Clever - (Continuous Learning
for EVERy woman)
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In partnership with four other organisations across Europe
we worked together on a project to improve access for women
to lifelong learning. WEVH hosts the CLEVER
website.
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Odyssey
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Funded by the ESF under the NOW (New Opportunities for Women)
Community Initiatives, Odyssey was a three year project, using
multimedia technologies in innovative ways to encourage more
women to enter training and careers in this sector. Working
in partnership with local and transnational organisations,
the project aims to share learning and experiences with training
providers and women's educators in order to improve women's
participation in Information and Communication Technologies
and Multimedia.
During the first six months of 1998, a new training course
was designed and materials developed, and two groups of women
participated in the pilot programme. Our community based local
partners (Salford Way and Ladybarn Community Association)
were involved in the development and delivery of the course,
with the intention that they would be able to continue providing
part or the entire course programme after the end of the project.
The course involved the use of an innovative methodology
with an unusual combination of technology and group work.
Rather than focusing on learning specific work related skills,
multimedia skills were developed alongside a personal development
programme, culminating in the production of an interactive
multimedia CV or personal profile, which each participant
took away with her on a CD-ROM. The methodology is therefore
ideal for working with women returners enabling them to explore
uses of technology in the context of counselling and guidance.
The second part of the project involved the design and development
of a multimedia CD-ROM that will encourage a diverse range
of opportunities, choices and routes into working life. This
will be used to support guidance and advice for women entering
careers or further training using ICT's, with positive images
and role models of women in these jobs. During 1998, a group
of volunteers completed the first version of the CD-ROM. It
was then developed and refined, with the final version being
launched during 2000.
The development team included a full time research assistant
from UMIST and women artists who had completed multimedia
courses at the Women's EVH.
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Opus
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OPUS - Opening up the Information Society. The aim of the
OPUS project was to improve women's participation in the Information
Society through a better understanding of its impact in their
everyday lives, work and training experience.
During 1998, we continued to participate in the European
wide OPUS project. We contributed to the development and testing
of a new training package consisting of a manual of specially
designed and tested exercises to run workshops about the Information
Society for women; a CD ROM information and resources tool;
an information pack for trainers including a collection of
articles on the Information Society and a Web site.
At the Women's EVH we ran a series of one-day workshops
for a total of 72 women from the voluntary sector. The workshops
included a mixture of hands on Internet skills and discussion
about the impact of the Information Society on work and everyday
life.
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Leonardo
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In partnership with IBM and a wide range of women's training
agencies across Europe, we developed a new training course
aimed at women in the corporate sector to raise their awareness
of technology and encourage a positive attitude towards initiating
change in their own work environments.
After participating in the research and development of the
course structure and materials, we delivered a pilot version
of the new course in June and July 1998 to a group of women
working in local authorities and the private sector.
This course aims to motivate participants, raising their
level of awareness about the Information Society. The intention
is that women's career opportunities will be improved by developing
a dynamic attitude to technology and by using technology in
their work environment.
The course included modules on:
- Implications of the Information Society for the way we
work and learn
- Technology and tools familiarisation
- The impact of technology on the working environment Leadership
and the role of women Vision and action plan for change
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Women's Technology Centre
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This major new initiative involved the refurbishment of a
building for use as a women's technology centre. Ada
House opened on April 28th 2003.
The Women's Technology Centre Development and Capital Projects
are supported by Manchester City Council and funded by the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Capital Modernisation
Fund and a loan from Community Loan Fund for the NW.
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Internet Mentoring Project
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The Internet Mentoring Project (IMP) was funded by the Adult
and Community Learning Fund (ACLF). It focused on supporting
women in refugee communities to use ICTs to access information
and communicate with their communities, families and friends.
Over 70 refugee and asylum seeking women were involved in
the project, which ended in 2004. The project supported women
to develop skills in using the Internet and email and then
pass these skills onto other women in their communities.Women
involved in refugee community groups received support and
guidance to put together a personalised learning plan to suit
their needs and prior experience. They were then supported
through their community groups to pass on their skills through
one to one tuition, group tuition, events, whatever is appropriate
for their situation.Organisations were supported through the
process of providing Internet access to their community, e.g.
where and when to provide access, good practice in maintaining
equipment, help with providing equipment and telephone costs
may also be available.WEVH worked closely with Manchester
Refugee Support Network and Electronic
Immigration Network on the IMP Project. This project led
on to a short project, funded by the Community Learning Chest,
to produce and publish a magazine for Refugee Week 2004.
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