Established in 1992 as a small start-up program with a $450,000 budget and a 10 member staff, Plugged In has since transformed into a $1M organization with 45 employees and 2 new buildings. It has developed strong partnerships with high-tech corporations, public service groups, and community-based organizations, partnerships which have allowed it to vigorously pursue its mission and develop a wide variety of outreach programs directed towards all segments of the population. As a result of these efforts, it has received national recognition as a model for connecting low-income communities with the information economy.

The education of children has always been one of Plugged In's primary concerns. Local public schools often do not have the resources necessary to provide their students with adequate exposure to computers and related technologies. In response to this need, Plugged In has developed a very successful after-school program called Community Kids." This program teaches neighborhood children basic computing and Internet skills through learning games and hands-on project activities, while providing them with a safe after-school environment in which they can learn and play. In addition, a variety of teen and adult education classes are offered through Plugged In's Technology Access Center.

The Technology Access Center provides virtually free computing access to all members of the East Palo Alto community. The Center itself consists of over 20 IBM-compatible and Macintosh computers, each of which is loaded with the latest software applications, from productivity suites like Microsoft Office to Internet browsing software, such as Netscape Communicator. The majority of the equipment and software used at the Center were donated by corporate sponsors such as Intel and Hewlett-Packard as part of their on-going partnership with Plugged In. Community members of all ages are welcome to drop by the Center to use the facilities, whether it be to create a resume or web page, or simply to do homework. Tutorials are offered for many major applications, and classes in basic computing, using the Internet, and computer programming are also available. In addition, Plugged In is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship within the community; to this end, a small business workstation is available at the Center for budding entrepreneurs to use for e-mail, faxes, photocopying, and phone services.

In keeping with its committment to youth and entrepreneurship, Plugged In has recently begun a new initiative called Plugged In Enterprises (PIE) which employs young adults in the communities of East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park. PIE aims to provide community youth with employment experience and teach them the social and technical skills necessary to work in today's high-tech job market. In doing so, PIE is fostering in them the self-confidence and skills they need in order to move beyond the confines of their social and economic situation and realize their full potential. Three distinct groups comprise this initiative: web page design, desktop publishing, and multimedia. The web page design team focuses on "providing design and consulting services for individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in making information available on the Internet." The desktop publishing group provides quality publishing services (e.g. flyers, brochures, business cards, logos, 3D images, and other original artwork) for community members as well as outside companies and organizations. The multimedia group "strives to provide high quality multimedia production services for corporate clients, small businesses, and individuals." All three groups have had remarkable success since their inception just a year ago, and have completed work for numerous clients, including Stanford University. In addition, PIE students also gain exposure to the industry through field trips and workshops, and receive valuable technical training to support their professional development.

The final component of the Plugged In infrastructure is an organization called, appropriately enough, Plug In! Plug In! is a multimedia online discussion forum created and run by Plugged In teenagers. Local teenagers from the surrounding communities volunteer to host this weekly online discussion forum on America Online, complete with video conferencing and chat rooms. Each week, the forum moderators prepare a new topic of discussion, ranging from serious social issues such as sexism and ebonics, to the less serious, such as bad teachers and the latest fashions. These topics are then discussed online with many other teens around the country. In their own words, Plug In! "mixes the pointed irreverence of Politically Incorrect, the lively factional debates of crossfire, and the gossipy, streetwise feel of the Real World chatter that goes on in the corridors, playgrounds, cafeterias, and parking lots of every American high school." In short, Plug In! uses teen-created content to provide a context for online teen interaction.