InfoNet Manager Awarded Fellowship

Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency employee, Julie Plevancic, project manager for A-TCAA’s InfoNet Tuolumne County project, is one of 22 community leaders selected by the Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC) to participate in the first class of Zero Divide Fellows, or “ZFellows.”

The three-year fellowship, a part of CTFC’s Leadership and Advocacy Institute, is designed to build a network of diverse leaders in the State of California who incorporate technology into their community advocacy efforts.

“Our vision for the ZFellows program is to cultivate a generation of community leaders who actively engage in community technology and technology policy as a means to improving the lives of those they serve in their communities”, said Jackie Brand, Chair of CTFC’s Board of Directors.

Plevancic, organized and coordinates Tuolumne County’s Information and Assistance Network, which includes a community website InfoNetTC (www.infonettc.org), an online directory, Neighborhood Information Centers, and future plans for implementing a 2-1-1 telephone information line for referrals on health and human resources.

The project’s website – InfoNetTC – has been up and running since May and now has a comprehensive directory of nearly 400 community non profits and public agencies that offer health and human services. The website allows people to search for services by keywords, and offers detailed information such as a description of services, location, hours of operation, links to agency web sites and email contacts.

Plevancic, a graduate of Washington State University who spent two years with the Peace Corps in Poland, has been working with the InfoNetTC project since its inception two and a half years ago. Her selection as a “ZFellow,” she said, gives her an excellent opportunity to learn more about the field of community technology.

“This is a very new area,” she said, “and this will give me a bird’s eye view of what is happening. I’m hoping to learn and come back with creative ideas to help sustain our community technology projects.”

Plevancic was selected by the CTFC Board through a nomination and application process. During the first year of the ZFellows program, fellows will engage in four group sessions to build their skills and knowledge around community leadership, policy advocacy, and use of technology at the grassroots level.

In the second year, fellows will engage in advocacy projects in their communities and in the third year the fellows will mentor others involved in