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This paper explores how homeless young people, aged 13-25, make use of information systems in daily life. Observed in a community technology center, four different examples of uses are described: i) Using digital tools to find employment, ii) Telling stories with representations of the built world, iii) Portraying life on the street with video, and iv) Constructing online identities. From these examples and a discussion of this community, a framework of ecological considerations is proposed. This framework distinguishes between elements of "life" on the street (Self-Reliance, Vulnerability, and Basic Needs) and "work" in the community technology center (Conformity, Youth-Adult Relationships, and Goals). Any information system for homeless young people must engage the tensions and opportunities that arise from these two different perspectives of homelessness.

The gap between research and practice is strikingly evident in the area of information technology (IT) project risk management. In spite of extensive research for over 30 years into IT project risk factors resulting in normative guidance on IT project risk management, adoption of these risk management methods in practice is inconsistent. Managing risk in IT projects remains a key challenge for many organizations. We discuss barriers to the application of normative prescriptions, such as assessments of probability and impact of risk, and suggest a contingency approach, which addresses the uncertainties, complexities, and ambiguities of IT projects and enables early identification of high-risk projects. Specifically, in a case study, we examine how the project management office (PMO) at one organization has bridged the gap between research and practice, developing a contingency-based risk assessment process well founded on research knowledge of project dimensions related to project performance, while also being practical in its implementation. The PMO's risk assessment process, and the risk spider chart that is the primary tool in this assessment, has proven to be effective for surfacing inherent risk at the early stages of IT projects, thereby enabling the recommendation of appropriate management strategies. The PMO's project risk assessment process is a model for other organizations striving to engage in effective and collaborative practices in order to improve project outcomes. The case illustrates the importance of considering the practical constraints of the context of application in order to transform research findings into practices that promote attainment of desired outcomes.

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This paper reports on an investigation of how homeless young people hold themselves in relation to personal digital artifacts. Twelve participants, aged 19-29, took part in semi-structured interviews. Participants answered questions about the acquisition and disposition of personal artifacts, digital and non-digital, including mobile phones, music players, and wallets. The analysis of the interview transcripts reveals that young people often part with their digital artifacts in order to meet immediate needs, including the need to create and reciprocate goodwill. This contingent holding of personal artifacts illuminates both the ordinary and extraordinary circumstances of homelessness. The paper concludes with a discussion of constraints and implications for the design of information systems for improving the welfare of homeless young people.

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In this paper we examine how information-particularly, its organization and presentation-and "space" (i.e., a physical location) can be combined to create a particular "place" (i.e., a location adapted to a particular purpose) for engaging and stabilizing homeless young people, aged 13-25. Over 10 months, we used a participatorydesign research approach to investigate how an alliance of nine service agencies used information resources to support homeless young people. We collected 250 information resources and analyzed how these materials were organized and presented at four service agencies. In general, the agencies used ad hoc organizational schemes and presentations that were not in keeping with the key values of the alliance, which include human welfare, respect, trust, autonomy, and sustainability. To improve information delivery and the projection of common values, we followed a two-step design process. First, based on a card-sorting activity, we developed a new organizational scheme. Second, we developed four interrelated prototypes for presenting information resources: Rolling Case, InfoBike, Slat Wall, and Infold. To convey the use of these prototypes, three short video scenarios were created to demonstrate how the prototypes would be used by stakeholders, including homeless young people, staff, and volunteers. Feedback from stakeholders suggested that these prototypes, when sufficiently refined, could be useful and operationally viable. By investigating the concept of "place," reconstituted through organizational schemes and novel presentations of information resources, this work creates possibilities that may allow grassroots service agencies to give more efficient access to information while expressing their values. IntroductionGrassroots service agencies, formed, staffed, and funded largely by members of a local community, play a very important role in helping homeless people survive and transition out of homelessness (Slesnick et al., 2008). In emergencies, such as when a teenager leaves home to escape physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and has not eaten in several days, service organizations can provide him or her with food, shelter, and clothes. In addition to providing for such basic needs, community organizations can also provide opportunities for respite from the street, through drop-in places for watching television, using a computer, socializing, and engaging in visual art, music, or writing projects. Drop-ins such as these provide places in which homeless young people, aged 13-25, can develop trusting relationships with caring adults. In turn, these relationships can help young people leave homelessness. It is, for example, not unusual for a homeless young person to not have government-issued identification, which is needed for accessing many government services, and to have no idea how to apply for it; thus, making contact with a case worker is a critical step. These places for eating, sleeping, and respite are constituted by a combination of elements, including the physical space, the vo...

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