Are you interested in the effects of technology on economic and social development? Do you wonder if mobile phones will replace PCs? Interested in the role libraries play in communities and development? Curious about open data and open research? Passionate about digital inclusion & literacy, access to technology, communication, and information resources? Well, we have a great event for you! Come learn about the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA)<http://tascha.uw.edu/> and the U.S. IMPACT Study<http://impact.ischool.uw.edu/> on November 12th, 2015! At this event, we will introduce TASCHA and the U.S. IMPACT Study, two research groups focused on issues like digital inclusion, impact & evaluation, and access to information, communication, and technology resources. While especially targeted to newcomers to the university community, both TASCHA and the U.S. IMPACT Study are always coming up with new interests and projects so people who know us already are encouraged to come as well. We’ll cover the fields we operate in, our missions, research projects, and other activities. You’ll meet some of the researchers, program staff, and students who work at TASCHA and the U.S. IMPACT Study. For those interested, we’ll also discuss how you can get involved with our research. There’ll be plenty of time for questions and discussion, and of course, lunch! We hope to see you there! • What: Overview of the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) & the U.S. Impact Study – lunch provided! • Where: University of Washington, Bloedel Hall, Room 070 (lower level of Bloedel – follow signs for the Information School) • When: Thursday, November 12, 2015, 12:30-1:30pm • Online: Not in Seattle? Can’t make it person? Join us online via Adobe Connect via https://ischool.adobeconnect.com/tascha/ About TASCHA<http://tascha.uw.edu/> The Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School explores the design, use, and effects of information and communication technologies in communities facing social and economic challenges. With experience in 50 countries, TASCHA brings together a multidisciplinary network of social scientists, engineers, and development practitioners to conduct research, advance knowledge, create public resources, and improve policy and program design. Our purpose? To spark innovation and opportunities for those who need it most. Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/tascharesearch> | Follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/taschagroup> About U.S. IMPACT Study<http://impact.ischool.uw.edu/> The U.S. Impact Study research group conducts research and evaluation aimed at advancing digital inclusion initiatives at the national, state, and community levels in public libraries and community technology centers. Much of our work is aimed at developing common measures of impact and identifying the critical aspects of digital inclusion programs that lead to life-enhancing outcomes for users. Our work has provided a substrate for digital inclusion frameworks in a number of initiatives including the national Digital Inclusion Framework<http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/BuildingDigitalCommunities_Framework.pdf>, a tool to support the development and growth of digitally-connected communities; the Edge benchmarks framework<http://www.libraryedge.org/> for public library technology; and the Impact Survey<http://impactsurvey.org/>, an online tool to help organizations measure the impact of their programs.