What is a Circuit Rider?

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... AND WHY DOES THE WELFARE LAW CENTER'S LINC PROJECT HAVE ONE?

horsehd1.gif"Circuit Rider" is an old term applied to a new role in advancing technology in the Non-Profit world. In the 1800's a Circuit Rider was a preacher who traveled within a particular geographical area on horseback to help connect those within a denomination. Today's Circuit Rider still does a lot of preaching, evangelizing about technology, and is usually focused on a particular issue. A "Rider" no longer rides a horse, but still does quite a bit of traveling - giving hands-on assistance to the groups s/he is working with.

Circuit Riding is a trend appearing within the non-profit community to help address the technology shortcomings of the progressive sector. The for-profit sector will spend, on average, $1200 per person on technology training, whereas the non-profit sector averages around $50. The Circuit Rider helps to put the focus of technology on the user rather than the technology itself.

The Low Income Networking and Communications (LINC) Project is the Welfare Law Center's innovative effort to encourage greater and more effective participation of low income individuals in public discussions and policymaking on welfare issues by increasing the ability of low income membership organizations to use computer communications technology both in their advocacy and in leadership development activities.

The LINC Project circuit riders work specifically with groups who are organizing low-income individuals around welfare issues. By giving hands-on assistance and training, circuit riders are able to help resource-starved groups overcome many barriers to technology use. Circuit riders operate on the group's timetable, helping them to assess their needs and implement realistic plans that fit into their goals and objectives. Circuit riders help groups to locate resources in their own communities, leaving them independent at the end of the process.