The Ohio Latino Affairs Commission is an organization that advises state government on issues that impact Hispanic Ohioans, connects the diverse Latino communities across the state, and builds the capacity of community organizations so they may better serve the growing Latino population in the State of Ohio.
To meet the challenges of community organization and communications, the Commission created OLAnet, a statewide database of organizations that serve the Latino population. This comprehensive database has a news service as well as a calendar of events that brings together information for and about Latinos across Ohio.
Why OLAnet?
There is a vital need for Latin@s to have the ability to connect and interact across Ohio’s 88 counties in an efficient way. OLAnet brings together all regions under an easy to use technology platform having local emphasis and reach, with the added capability of instant updating. According to the Director of the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, Mr. Ezra Escudero, “the old community database was outdated, labor intensive, located in one computer, and hard to publish on a website.” As key feature of the OLAnet technology database is its web content management software, which constantly updates community information, news and events, and based on information managed and submitted by Latina and Latino-serving organizations.
Who can join OLAnet?
Any Latina or Latino serving organization is welcome to be part of OLAnet. Additionally, any individual, organization, agency or business that is Hispanic or Hispanic operated can participate. Organizations with a primary or exclusive focus on serving the Latin@ community, and/or that are engaged in community capacity-building initiatives to better serve Latin@s in Ohio may join as well.
Provided those basic requirements are met, a short training session is conducted to introduce new users to the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission website and, specifically its OLAnet components. Since its introduction in November of 2007, over a hundred Latino and Latina serving organizations and individuals across the state have registered with OLAnet. More than two hundred news items and calendar events have been posted.
What is the future of OLAnet?
The goal of the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission is to continue to populate the database with timely and important community information, and to serve as the most comprehensive source of information for and about Latinos in Ohio. In 2008 and 2009, the functionality of the website will expand even further with more document and information sharing options, with ongoing and ultimate goal of increasing virtual collaborations among Latino organizations, state agencies, and the public in general.
Please visit OCHLA’s website at:
http://ochla.ohio.gov
To request further information or become a member of OLAnet, please email
Lilleana.cavanaugh@ohio.gov
Or call (614) 466-8333.
