EZLink
Project Investigator 
- Larry Gant
- Rick Lane (deceased)
Project Information
The EZLink Collaborative Project serves at-risk, economically disadvantaged families and youth in Detroit, Michigan by offering an information and communication technology environment that inspires and challenges youth to complete their secondary education, gain employment skills, and become technologically literate.
History and Purpose
The EZLink Collaborative began as a community collaboration activity designed to facilitate a solutions-oriented approach to citizen involvement in neighborhood technology access and use in the section of Detroit's Empowerment Zone (EZ) east of Gratiot Avenue. The project incorporates the community collaboration experience and strengths of EZLink Collaborative and the University of Michigan. Ongoing efforts to coordinate technology initiatives in the City of Detroit would not exist without EZLink's DetroitCONNECT report. Technology initiatives would have continued to develop in a fragmented way, to the detriment of the city.
| Larry Gant, primary investigator, talks about the importance of EZLink. Watch the video. (23 sec) (Requires Quicktime player.) |
EZLink Today
The EZLink collaboratory has created and distributed a 60-page technology policy document, called DetroitCONNECTED, that outlines a plan for bringing high-speed internet access to Detroit. With this plan, they have galvanized a collaboratory of industry, commercial, government, education, faith-based, and community service entities in Detroit. The collaboratory is currently working to leapfrog the digital divide by providing low cost broadband Internet service to homes in low income neighborhoods using WiFi technology and coordinating support services.
Through this plan, deployment centers based in neighborhood faith-based and secular community centers provide computer training and support facilities for youth and families, often integrated with other after-school and social activities. Importantly, they provide the physical presence for the wireless hub that securely interconnects neighboring homes using WiFi technology.By empowering existing neighborhood based organizations, bringing together existing support organizations, recycling corporate computers and tactically deploying WiFi with its tremendous cost advantages, the DetroitCONNECTED™ program makes it possible for even very low income families to have the advantages of broadband Internet in the home.
The Center for Urban Innovation
The EZLink collaboratory has created the Center for Urban Innovation. This Center organizes and integrates technology research, theory, and practice to address urban challenges and opportunities using creativity and technological innovation. The Center provides
- Technology-related multimedia course materials (targeted to urban youth)
- Technology toolkits for urban communities
- Technological expertise on grant-funded projects
- Broadband connectivity for neighborhoods and organizations
- Technology consultation and planning
- Customized research
- Multimedia curriculum development
Awards
Microsoft Corporation nominated EZLink to receive an award, recognition and inclusion in the Computerworld Honors "A Search for New Heroes" Archives Online and the Permanent Research Collection to which the Global Program on Youth as a whole was also nominated.
The project has made significant progress with its technology infrastructure. EZLink technology has expanded to include PDAs, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and InfraRed technology to allow wireless communication between technology users and peripherals. Dr. Gant's receipt of the CARAT Award from UM Rackham Graduate School allowed for the development of several health oriented GIS projects.
Last updated: 1/11/08
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Global Program on Youth, School of
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