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Community Service |
Community Service is an important part of life for us at NPC. We have been actively volunteering to help with technology questions at local schools and organizations since the company's inception.
The Big Green Bus, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
The Big Green Bus is a student started and operated nonprofit to promote sustainable living and alternative energies. Every summer The Big Green Bus embarks on a summer-long US tour to advocate and educate the public, meet with elected officials, and gain a better understanding of environmental issues and solutions.
NPC is proud to be a sponsor of the 2008 Big Green Bus Tour. In support of their effort, we are developing and maintaining the Bus website for the sumnmer on a pro bono basis.
Services for Brain Injury (SBI), San Jose, California
Services for Brain Injury is a nationally recognized provider of theraputic services to individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury, whether from accident, injury or stroke.
Sharon joined SBI's Technology Committee in 2006, and joined the Board of Directors in 2007. She also serves on the Facilities Committe.
Hospice of the Valley (HOV), San Jose, California
Hospice of the Valley is the oldest non-profit hospice in Santa Clara County, providing compassionate end-of-life care and bereavement support since 1979.
Based on his technological expertise and experience with the agency through Wired For Good, Harris joined the Board of Directors in 2000, serving a 6 year term. He has served on the Finance, Technology, and Board Search Committees.
Using her numerous years of exerience with fund raising auctions for their son's schools, Sharon volunteered with HOV's annual gala in 2008.
Menlo School Website
Menlo School is a college preparatory school for 6th through 12th grades. Sharon was the volunteer webmaster for school's website for two years, until the task grew beyond the scope of a volunteer position.
Menlo School MSA-Sponsored Annual Benefit
Sharon served on the Benefit Executive Committee as general database guru throughout her son's high school years, and continues to advise the committee since her son's graduation in 2004. She rewrote the registration and mailing database and combines information for multiple data sources into a single streamlined tool for easier use by various committee volunteers, and is currently guiding the move to on-line tools.
Digital High School Tech Plan Reviewers
Both Harris and Sharon served as volunteer technology plan reviewers for all cycles of California's Digital High School program.
SASI User Group
The local SASI User Group was formed to discuss mutual experiences and solutions in implementing SASI's school administration software. Harris has been an active participant in user group meetings, and NPC hosted the local SASI listserv until the California site came online.
I-CUE
I-CUE is the local affiliate of CUE (Computer Using Educators). We have participated in I-CUE through both leadership, exhibiting and presenting at the I-CUE annual Technology Conference, and donating goods and services as door prizes at the annual conference. Sharon served on the I-CUE board for three years, two as President and one as Secretary. Sharon has also served on various organizing committees for the annual conference, including Registration and Conference Program layout and production.
Our School Community
Ever since our son started school (he is now graduating from college!), we volunteered in a number of ways at his elementary, middle school, and high schools:
- Volunteering to help with the school's website, and eventually taking over managing the website until it became too large to be a volunteer effort.
- Sharon volunteered with the high school's annual benefit committee all four years, primarily lending technical assistance in myriad ways.
- Fund Raising, as members of the school's Development Council. Harris served a term as President of the Development Council, as well.
- Room parents and field trip chaperones
- Grade Level Representatives
- School Annual Picnic and Fundraiser organizers, workers and just
about everything!
- Harris chaired the Field Setup committee for 8 years
- Sharon chaired the Silent Auction committee for 6 years
- Supervising students backstage and helping with tech setup for performing arts productions
- Stuffing envelopes and other odd jobs that came up from time to time
Smart Valley
When Smart Valley was active in Silicon Valley, in the 1990's, Harris was involved in several roles:
- NetDays — Technology Plan Reviewer, Team Leader, Trainer, Course Developer, installer, and Site Technical Coordinator for all of Smart Valley's Net Days
- PC Days — Technology Plan Reviewer, PC Day Trainer, and Subject Matter Expert for the Networking section of the PC Day Teacher's Guide
- Other Projects (Leaders on Line, Resource co-op, Network Solutions) — Materials reviewer, meeting facilitator, and technical material author
Sharon and Harris both volunteered as Teacher Mentors for PC Days, and the whole family turned out for Weekend Computer Assembly Days.