CyberTribe

History & Structure

CyberTribe was founded on the principle of youth empowerment through education and practical, real-world experience. With this ideal, Tiffanys Garden for Children began recruiting Arcata youth and writing grants. Over the Summer of '98, members came up with the name CyberTribe. The following autumn, they elected officers and began forming various committees that were delegated different tasks within the organization. With computer equipment purchased from grants, CyberTribe became a reality.

The members of CyberTribe learned the skills necessary to set up and maintain their computer network. As soon as the network was functioning, work began on the website and the educational program.

STRUCTURE

Membership in CyberTribe is open to anyone between the ages of twelve and twenty.

When a new person joins, they have the title of Inactive Member. In order to become an active member they must satisfy the following requirements:

Complete an initial training program Attend four of the past 6 General Assembly meetings Complete a project (33 hours minimum)

After completing those three requirements, the person's status changes to Active Member. All Active Members of CyberTribe make up the General Assembly (GA). The GA is the governing body of CyberTribe which approves all important operational decisions through the consensus process. The GA meets every other Tuesday and is open to Inactive Members and guests upon appointment.

The Project Management Committee meets on alternate Tuesdays when the GA is not in session. This committee makes decisions about who will work on the each project, which new projects to take on, the priority of each project among all the other projects. All projects are assigned to at least one Project Manager who gives comprehensive reports to the Project Management Committee about the proress of the project. The Project Management Committee advises the GA on all project related issues. The head of the Project Management Committee is the CyberTribe Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator is a CyberTribe Staff position to which an Active Memeber is appointed by the GA.

The Executive Committee is composed of CyberTribe's elected officers: the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive Committee meets bi-weekly to discuss matters related to the internal affairs of CyberTribe. The Executive Committee serves to provide leadership and guide CyberTribe toward the accomplishment of its goals. The president is the liaison to Tiffanys Garden for Children's, serving as a voting member of the Tiffanys Board of Directors.

The Program Director is an employee of Tiffanys Garden for Children and is charged with providing CyberTribe with direction and facilitating the implementation of the decisions of both the CyberTribe General Assembly and the Tiffanys Executive Director.

The Tiffanys Executive Director oversees CyberTribe and all other Tiffanys Programs and also serves as the liaison to the Tiffanys Board of Directors.