San Diego's First eBus (Mobile Technology Center) Unveiled Today

Program delivers resources, technology, computer training to San Diego’s low-income communities.

SAN DIEGO – San Diego’s first eBus was unveiled today (March 15, 2002) at the City Heights Urban Village Recreation Center in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating its introduction to the County. A group of 15 children from Rosa Parks Elementary School were the first to board the eBus and experience its technology today.

The first of its kind to be introduced in San Diego County, the eBus is a former public transit bus that looks like an ordinary bus on the outside, but inside has been transformed into a fully functional Mobile Technology Center with computer workstations and two-way satellite Internet access.

The eBus delivers resources, technology and computer training to San Diego’s low-income communities impacted by the Digital Divide, a name used to describe the gap between those with complete access to technology and those with minimum or no access to technology, low computer literacy and a disadvantage in the digital world.

“Nothing like this has ever been done in San Diego,” said Robert A. McNeely, chairman and chief executive officer of the Union Bank of California Foundation. McNeely was instrumental in approving the bank’s $250,000 donation to the eBus project, and led today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Our mission with this program is to provide every low-resource, high-need community in San Diego County with equal understanding, access and use of computing and communication technology. We are giving them the tools to compete on a level field, and in an environment that is free to them so that as many people as possible will take advantage of the opportunity.”

“There is a critical need to introduce kids, particularly in low income neighborhoods, to today’s technology in order to prepare them for today’s world,” said Supervisor Greg Cox, who led the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in supporting the eBus program. “Nationwide, only 30% of families with a household income of $25,000 or less have a computer in the home. The eBus will be a critical bridge to help San Diego’s families integrate technology into everyday life by, literally, bringing computers and the Internet to the front door.”

In addition to being equipped with 20 computers, the eBus has printers, a satellite dish, cables and dedicated staff to answer questions and teach the community about computers, e-mail, the Internet and more. The computers on board are Dimension 2100 desktop computers donated by Dell, with the Windows 2000 operating system donated by Microsoft. The computers also have a DVD and CD-RW combination drive.

This eBus is one of five throughout California that will provide computer training to more than 250,000 people per year.
Use of the eBus is free to the public due to a contribution of $250,000 from the County of San Diego and a $250,000 contribution from Union Bank of California in partnership with the San Diego Futures Foundation and the Community College Foundation.

Joining McNeely in the ribbon cutting ceremony were Supervisor Greg Cox, Chairman Ron Roberts, Supervisor Dianne Jacob and Supervisor Pam Slater from the County of San Diego, David H. Springett, Ph.D, President of the Community College Foundation, and representatives from the San Diego Futures Foundation, Dell and Microsoft.

After the ribbon was cut, the Rosa Parks Elementary School children boarded the bus and used its computers for the first time.
A community celebration – free to the public – will be held tomorrow (March 16, 2002) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Memorial Park at 29th Street and Ocean Boulevard in San Diego. The celebration will feature music, entertainment, a free hotdog BBQ, and a chance for one lucky family to win a Dell Pentium III personal computer.

For more information, or to schedule an eBus visit to your community center or organization, contact 800-400-5881.