WeCAN - Wireless Enabled Community Access Network

Wireless Enabled Community Access Network

About WeCAN

WeCAN (Wireless Empowered Community Access Network) is the City of Houston’s Digital Inclusion Initiative, established by Mayor Bill White to bridge the digital divide. WeCAN is managed by the Houston Public Library.

Wireless Neighborhood Access

WeCAN is providing free public broadband Internet access across underserved Houston neighborhoods through qualified community access locations. Public WiFi is being extended in these neighborhoods through Houston WiFi.

WeCAN Skills Training

WeCAN Works is a public/private partnership that provides the means to train the underserved, unskilled, and underemployed for sustainable career paths and jobs.

Wecan Community Portal

WeCAN is providing a trusted community resource portal that enables community members to easily connect with each other, and citywide and neighborhood quality of life programs.

Empowering Houston Communities and Citizens to Succeed in the 21st Century through:

Digital Literacy and Workforce readiness training
Free Neighborhood Broadband Service
Affordable Equipment
Expanded Neighborhood Computer Access locations
Trusted Community Portal Services

Microsoft Joins the BET HBCU College Tour!

Microsoft is thrilled to be joining the annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) HBCU College Tour! This year marks the eighth year of BET's annual Black College Tour, which remains the largest event of its kind targeting Black colleges and universities. While on tour, Microsoft will be talking to students and encouraging them to consider careers in technology. They will also be conducting a Microsoft Tech Trends session (click HERE to learn more about the Tech Trends program) for the students as well as supporting a booth, where they will be disseminating information about DreamSpark, Microsoft IT Academy Student Pass, Zune, and the Xbox 360. Other corporate participants that will be joining Microsoft this year at the tour include Verizon Wireless, Coca Cola, and BET et al.

Be on the lookout for the Black College Tour in the Houston area at one of these campuses:

Texas Southern University
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
TSU Plaza
NEW INFORMATION - Microsoft Technology Trends, Student Life Center, Room 2007, 11am-12pm

Prairie View A&M University
Friday, November 13, 2009
Student Center Lawn

See http://www.bet.com/blackcollegetour for more information on the tour.

Houston Receives Largest Donation from Microsoft for WeCAN Works!

Mayor Bill White, the Microsoft Corporation, and the Houston Public Library (HPL) today announced a $4.5 million grant benefiting WeCAN Works, an innovative digital literacy and workforce preparedness effort recently launched as part of the Houston Digital Inclusion Initiative Wireless Empowered Community Access Network (WeCAN). The Microsoft Unlimited Potential grant awarded to the Houston Public Library Foundation for WeCAN Works represents the largest donation on record from the corporation. This public/private partnership includes participation by local community organizations to offer training in digital literacy and job readiness to Houstonians. Read more ...

Press Release

President Barack Obama signed into law the sweeping US Economic Stimulus Bill on 17 February in Denver. One of the most anticipated sections of the Bill for the technology community was Broadband Stimulus. The lack of cheap, ubiquitous broadband connectivity throughout the US has been a large stumbling block that has prevented technology more affordable solutions from being adopted by a larger number of American businesses and consumers.