Connecting Communities: the second wave
Connecting Communities: the second wave (PDF 1831 kb) sets out new strategies and initiatives to assist Victorians to access and use the Internet. It builds on the achievements of the Government's Connecting Communities framework which include:The Victorian Government will allocate $9 million over four years to support initiatives aimed at reducing the remaining barriers to Internet uptake in the Victorian community. Read more about the achievements of Connecting Communities.
Current Initiatives
Public Internet Access Program (PIAP)
The Public Internet Access Program is a Victorian Government initiative providing $3.5 million to help community groups maintain public internet access sites. So far three funding rounds have been completed and 157 organisations have now been funded to set up public internet access venues under the PIAP. A fourth funding round is scheduled for early 2008. An application form and guidelines will be made available for download from the
Grants@DPCD website.Find out more about PIAP (Word 25 kb) or visit the
PIAP website.Skills.net Roadshow Program
The Skills.net Roadshow travels the State, helping reach Victorians who live in metropolitan as well as regional and rural areas, providing them with an introduction to the Internet.
Learn more about the Skills.net Roadshow Program (Word 31 kb) or visit the or visit the
Skills.net Roadshow website.My Connected Community
The My Connected Community (MC˛) program aims to stimulate the development of online groups of interest within Victoria. Community groups are provided with support and tools to establish a website, publish online, network to members, extend their membership and activities, and communicate with other communities of interest. More than 3,400 groups are currently active on MC˛.
My Connected Community is funded by the Victorian Government through Multimedia Victoria and is coordinated by VICNET.
If your group wants to develop an online community, information can be found at the
My Connected Community website.Computer for Every Child
The Computer for Every Child (CFEC) pilot program will provide 400 disadvantaged families with children in Grades 3, 4 and 5 at selected Western Metropolitan public primary schools with an Internet-connected computer for use in their home (with linkages to their schools) and computer based training for the child and a parent.
The program is administered by Technology Access for Social Development Australia. The Victorian government’s project partners include; Microsoft Australia, Gandel Charitable Trust, Myer Foundation. More information can be found on the
Computer for Every Child website.Parent Connect pilot
The Parent Connect Pilot project will provide one hundred families with children attending the Glen Orden Primary School, in the Heathdale Neighbourhood Renewal area, computer and internet training, a computer at their home with twelve months broadband internet access. Approximately 70 PCs have been installed to date.
Parent Connect is a collaborative project between Infoxchange Australia, Glen Orden Primary School, Education Foundation, CREATE (Geelong) Inc, Heathdale Neighbourhood Renewal Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Department of Planning and Community Development. For more information go to the
Parent Connect website.CALD Senior Surfers
The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Senior Surfers program will provide introductory internet training to CALD seniors in their own language. As part of the program, volunteers from 10 community based organisations will be given train-the-trainer sessions so they can train CALD seniors how to use the internet. The organisations have also received funding for public internet access so CALD seniors can use computers and the internet in a convenient and comfortable community setting. Translated training materials have been developed for participants and other community groups.
This program is delivered by Vicnet, a division of the State Library. Learn more about the CALD Senior Surfers program (Word 26 kb).
Web Site Updates
DPCD's websites are progressively being updated to reflect the changes following the establishment of the
department. This means you will continue to see some references to the Department for Victorian Communities
(DVC) as changes are being made.
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