Helping Families Connect If you are reading this blog entry, you have a computer, Internet service and know how to leverage these tools to research information and services. You also know computer literacy skills are critical to achieve educational and employment outcomes. But did you know that close to 35% of Los Angeles County residents do not have Internet at home? And as you might imagine, low-income communities are caught in this one form of the digital divide—lack of affordable Internet access and basic computer literacy skills. With this in mind, EveryoneOn and other partners of the Magnolia Community Initiative, hosted “Get Connected” that took place at the Magnolia Place Family Center. This was a community event to generate awareness and excitement about being “connected”. This means everything from accessing the Internet, building basic computer literacy skills and learning how to find resources and services online. On Saturday, August 2nd, over 100 families gathered in the Magnolia Place parking lot to learn about low-cost Internet service, affordable computers, local computer literacy trainings and services and resources that can be found online. The event was a success! Over 70 families enrolled in the low-cost Internet service (unlimited data for $10/month); close to 60 received a donated desktop from human-I-T; 4 families won printers as part of a raffle; and there were many smiling kids walking away with their Internet modems and desktops. In addition, attendees had an opportunity to learn about computer trainings at the local libraries; how to request city services (i.e. graffiti removal) online; and how to access and navigate the LA County Helps! website. We asked one survey question when families subscribed to the Internet: is this the first time you have Internet at home? Of the 79 families that enrolled that day, 50 responded “YES”. This is a huge stride and EveryoneOn looks forward to continuing to work alongside the various organizations that form Magnolia Place to eliminate the digital divide in Los Angeles and ensure communities leverage the power of the Internet. Lastly, thank you to the Belong Campaign team, Centro Latino, LIFT LA, Para los Niños, the Child Development Center Enrichment Program, the Children’s Bureau Library Program and the many Belong Campaign neighborhood ambassadors and others who helped spread the word about the event and encouraged participation! We also thank the Southeast Community Development Corporation and human-I-T for helping us connect families with Internet service and computers! EveryoneOn is a national non-profit working to eliminate the digital divide by making high-speed, low-cost Internet service and computers, and free digital literacy courses accessible. We partner with schools, community-based organizations, libraries and others, to leverage the democratizing power of the Internet and increase access and opportunity to all unconnected communities. everyoneon.org/la
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:41:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015