Use this page to create an XML feed that can be used by developers.
Apply your desired filters then click on the RSS icon in the top right of the page to access the resulting feed.
Note: All filters other than "Content type" are applied with an OR as opposed to an AND. For example, checking "Resource" and "In the Community" under "Content type", "Basic Computing" under "Topic", and "Educator" under "Audience" results in a statement like "Show me all content of content type resource OR in the community AND tagged with basic computing OR educator."
In the Community
Visitors at the Petworth Public Library celebrate its reopening with a ribbon cutting.
Government of District of Columbia Opens Computer Centers to Provide Digital Literacy Training
The Government of the District of Columbia is teaching digital literacy courses at three public computer centers across the city to help people develop computer and workforce skills. These centers are supporting a citywide initiative to provide affordable broadband and digital literacy training classes to low-income, unemployed District residents. Each center provides patrons with access to new computers, free Internet access, and digital literacy courses.
For example, the new Community College of the District of Columbia (CCDC) center houses 70 state-of-the-art computers and offers digital literacy and workforce development courses on a variety of topics including resume building, computer literacy, computer basics, online job search techniques, and Microsoft® Office software fundamentals. The Petworth Library also provides new state-of-the-art computers and web-based courses that help job seekers earn a GED, learn basic computer skills, and prepare for professional exams.
This program is made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
District of Columbia
In the Community
Fast Forward trainer works with a student.
New Mexico State Library Provides Digital Literacy and Workforce Training Throughout the State
The New Mexico State Library’s Fast Forward New Mexico project provides digital literacy and small business development training sessions at public and tribal libraries throughout the state. In each community, Fast Forward offers free classes on building basic computer and Internet skills, teaching participants how to become successful online students, as well as helping cultural entrepreneurs (e.g., musicians, jewelers, and writers) and other small businesses through the use of online tools. These classes teach participants how to set up a website, develop a larger strategy for reaching out to the online community, and increase revenue through e-commerce. Each class includes eight hours of training with about two hours of open lab time for up to 15 members of the local community.
This program is made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
New Mexico
In the Community
Visitors at the Western Sullivan Public Library – Callicoon Branch participate in a computer basics course.
New York State Education Department Opens New Computer Learning Centers to Provide Digital Literacy Training
The New York State Education Department is teaching digital literacy courses at computer learning centers in 13 libraries across upstate New York. These centers are supporting a statewide initiative to provide affordable broadband, computer skills, and workforce development training to senior citizens, job seekers, and small-business owners. Each library provides new computers, free access to a wide variety of online journals, reports, and databases, and educational classes that are tailored specifically to the needs of its patrons.
For example, visitors to the Baldwinsville Public Library can attend classes covering a wide range of subjects including computer basics, Internet security and safety, Facebook and Skype, and Microsoft® Office software. The library also provides one-on-one resume and cover letter assistance and hosts a series of workforce development speaking seminars. Aimed at small business owners, these presentations will cover topics such as following correct tax codes, advertising with local media, and applying for health insurance. Patrons at the Western Sullivan Public Library can participate in numerous classes covering topics such as computer basics, Microsoft Windows® software fundamentals, Microsoft® Office software tips, and virus prevention.
This program is made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
New York
In the Community
Students use netbooks from e-Vermont partner, Digital Wish, to learn about online resources.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development and its Partners Provide Digital Literacy Training to Communities across the State
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s e-Vermont Community Broadband Project provides digital literacy training and tools to 24 communities across the state. Through its “e-Partners” and Community Directors, the organization provides a broad range of digital literacy classes such as computer basics, website development, Internet fundamentals, and Internet safety tips.
For example, one partner, the Small Business Development Center, is offering workshops for local community members and small rural businesses with an introduction to how online resources can help improve their businesses. Another partner, the Vermont State Colleges, conducts computer skills workshops and provides webinars on key topics such as Internet Safety for Parents and “train the trainer” programs for community members who want to learn to teach basic Internet skills.
In addition, the organization’s partner, Digital Wish, helps schools implement computer learning initiatives by leading digital literacy courses, offering sample curricula, recommending acceptable usage policies, providing basic technical support, and deploying laptops in fourth through sixth-grade classes. This project is made possible with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Vermont
In the Community
Plough Towers Computer Center Allows International Residents to Communicate with Loved Ones Abroad
The Plough Towers Computer Learning Center is combining digital literacy training with free access to computers and the Internet to help spread broadband adoption among senior citizen residents. Residents can attend a wide variety of computer courses including computer basics, Internet fundamentals, Microsoft Office® software training, and Internet search techniques. The center contains state-of-the-art laptops, desktops, printers, and scanners, allowing residents to read publications online, print photos, and continually expand their computer skills.
Additionally, the center provides international software and keyboards, allowing its multi-cultural mix of residents to learn computer basics and communicate with loved ones abroad. With email accounts and Russian keyboards, Russian-speaking residents can communicate in their native language with relatives and friends in the former Soviet Union. Chinese residents are able to type in Chinese with a language setting and read online newspapers and publications from their hometowns and in their native languages.
More importantly, the center provides training classes on Skype, allowing residents to video call their families abroad for free. One example of how the center is changing lives is of a Russian couple. After attending a Internet fundamentals class, the resident couple used Skype to reconnect with a pair of friends in their wedding 48 years ago.
These programs are made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Tennessee
In the Community
Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Bedford Dwellings Offers Free Computer Access and Digital Literacy Classes
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Bedford Dwellings offers free computer and internet access to help residents further their education and find employment opportunities. The Bedford Hope VI Center provides an onsite Technology center and employment training, including GED preparation, job search and workforce development classes, and employment seminars, to low-income residents. Residents can also attend computer classes on a variety of topics including computer basics, Internet fundamentals, Microsoft Office® productivity software, resume writing, and online job searching techniques. As an added incentive, individuals who complete 10 computer training objectives have the opportunity to receive a refurbished computer.
These programs have made an enormous impact on several residents of the housing community. Senior citizen resident, Una Madey traveled to the Bedford Hope Center to attend the Computer Program. At first, she mentioned she was nervous and intimated, but through the basic computer and Microsoft Word® classes, Ms. Madey felt comfortable enough to navigate the computer on her own, and later used her computer skills to find a job as an administrative assistant at a local business. After raising her family, Frankie Willis made the decision to go back to school. With the help of Bedford Dwellings’ GED program, she was able to accomplish her goals. As a young adult, Taneka Davis spent time at the Bedford Hope Center researching potential career paths of interest and decided to further her education at Point Park University. Ms. Davis, now a college student, still comes to the computer lab to work on her college assignments and research job leads. Leslie Bailey, a handyman by trade, came to the computer lab with an interest in writing poetry. After completing a Microsoft Word® training course, Mr. Bailey now uses the program to create and distributes his poetry to his neighbors.
All of these programs are made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Pennsylvania
In the Community
A CSD staffer takes a caller request for computer and broadband equipment.
Communication Service for the Deaf Opens Contact Center to Provide Digital Literacy Training
Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) provides digital literacy training and other services to people who are deaf and hard of hearing at its contact center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The center supplies discounted equipment, high-speed Internet access, and offers life-skills training.
The center offers 10 web-based “how to” training videos using American Sign Language to teach computer basics, technical troubleshooting solutions, and Internet search tips. Additionally, the center is focused on increasing employment opportunities. It hosts several career training workshops which teach interviewing skills and job search techniques for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The digital literacy training offered by the center in conjunction with the career workshops will allow individuals to facilitate the job search process online.
South Dakota
In the Community
disAbility Resource Center Offers Computer Training
The disAbility Resource Center provides free instruction on computer accessibility and digital literacy to people with disabilities in the Wilmington, North Carolina community. Computer classes offered at the center include a variety of tutorials. Some courses teach basic computer skills and internet navigation, while others educate visitors on resume creation and the job search process. The classes offered empower visitors with necessary skills to succeed in the workforce.
Gary Perry, the center’s IT specialist, explains, “Our goal is to make all equipment accessible for people with any type of disability.” The center goes to great lengths to ensure that the needs of all of its visitors are met including offering tools such as high-contrast displays and text-to-speech software.
In addition to classes and accessible equipment, the disAbility Resource Center offers additional services. Visitors can attend events to help transition to independent living and receive information about other assistive organizations.
North Carolina
In the Community
Several people using the computers at the STAR Center computer lab during its open house.
STAR Center Lab Offers Technology and Digital Literacy Training for People with Disabilities
The Special Technology Access Resource (STAR) Center provides accessible technology and digital literacy assistance to people with disabilities in the Center Park community of Seattle, Washington. Its mission is to empower people of widely varying abilities and disabilities to use computers, the Internet, and assistive technology. The center offers voice recognition software, special keyboards, Braille translators, mouse alternatives, and other useful hardware and software tools.
STAR Center’s “Rite of Passage” program provides technical training for people with disabilities in transition. The program offers instruction on basic Internet and software usage, publication design, job readiness skills, and civic engagement skills. Each program volunteer helps train future volunteers through “peer-to-peer support” in order to sustain the program.
In the Community
Common Sense Media Launches Digital Citizenship Curriculum for Middle School Students
Common Sense Media launched its digital citizenship curriculum for middle schools, Digital Citizenship in a Connected Culture, a free program that empowers students to think critically and make informed choices about how they live and treat others in today’s digital world.
The curriculum is based on the digital ethics research of Dr. Howard Gardner and the GoodPlay Project at Harvard Graduate School of Education. It covers topics such as privacy, social media, and cyberbullying. “Given the amount of time kids spend with technology, digital ethics education is just as important as reading and writing,” said James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media. “It is essential that every school in America teach digital literacy and citizenship so that all students have the opportunity to gain the skills they need to make safe, responsible, and respectful decisions in today’s 24/7 digital world."
In the Community
California Connects Trains Community Members in the Central Valley Area
The Foundation for California Community Colleges launched California Connects, a Recovery Act-funded program to increase digital literacy skills and broadband adoption by providing training and learning support to underserved communities in the Central Valley region.
California Connects is utilizing local college students in the Central Valley to provide training in area communities, home to many low-income, Spanish-speaking residents. More than 5,800 socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are enrolled in the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program at 33 local community colleges will serve as trainers in their communities. Many of these students have already received laptops, Microsoft IT Academy training, and access to on-campus certification exams. As of April 2011, the Foundation has already launched the “Train-the-Trainer” digital literacy program and held two workshops. The Foundation expects to distribute an additional 3,000 laptops to MESA trainers by the end of this summer.
MESA trainers will teach residents to navigate the Internet, search for jobs online, and access important health and finance information.
California
In the Community
County of Monterey Improves Facilities to offer Digital Literacy Training
The Central Coast Broadband Consortium Public Computing Alliance, led by the Monterey County Office of Education, is working to open three new public computer centers, improve 26 existing centers, and offer free digital literacy training to residents of California’s Salinas River Valley region. The Alliance, made up of education organizations, libraries, and other community organizations, hopes that improved broadband access will help address the needs of an area where over half of the population speaks a language other than English at home, and high school graduation rates are low.
On May 4, 2011, Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue joined the Alliance to celebrate the reopening of the Chinatown Community Learning Center. The Center’s 16 lab stations are used to provide free training classes to the community. Classes include an introduction to the digital world as well as classes for Spanish speakers and job seekers. The Center also offers classes for the local homeless population. Students say the Center feels like a community and that classes are creating opportunities for them, helping them to advance and rejoin the workforce.
The Alliance’s primary public computer center is located at the Media Center for Art, Education and Technology (MCAET) in Salinas. In addition, MCAET is launching a mobile digital classroom in September 2011. The semi-tractor trailer truck will travel throughout the Salinas Valley to provide digital media and computer classes to students of all ages. Additional public computer centers and community partners offer training including basic computer and Internet skills, word processing, animation, web design, digital photography, and audio and video production.
California
In the Community
Mexican Institute of Greater Houston Offers Computer Training in Spanish
Digital illiteracy is a barrier to community participation and family progress for many adults across the country. The Mexican Institute of Greater Houston (MIGH) addresses this digital divide and also focuses on populations with an added barrier: English is their second language. MIGH’s goal is to engage these populations, as well as improve broadband adoption rates in the Greater Houston, Beaumont, Dallas, and San Antonio areas through broadband outreach and training for Hispanic and minority communities. The project is utilizing its network of over 100 existing community centers, many located at K-12 public schools in the region, to conduct basic computer technology training sessions in Spanish for students and their families, as well as expanding the network to accommodate the program’s growth and development.
MIGH programs enrich the lives of Hispanic adults through education. Classes at Keeble Early Childhood/Pre-K Center began in February 2011. Students at the center are primarily young mothers who want to learn how to use computers. The skills learned in the class help the mothers participate more actively in their children’s education and develop their own lives. Any MIGH student can also go to the Mendenhall computer laboratory for courses in basic computer skills, such as how to use word processing software, navigate the Internet, and open an e-mail account.
Additionally, MIGH’s computer center open labs allow visitors to gain additional computer practice and knowledge. Instructors and tutors typically are selected from MIGH program graduates and receive additional instruction through program instructor/tutor classes. These individuals have the additional opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills to teaching others. One former student is a teacher by trade but her disability made it difficult for her to find a job. She has enthusiastically enrolled to receive training to become a MIGH on-line tutor. These are just a few of the many success stories from MIGH’s training classes, where students are gaining marketable workforce skills.
Texas
In the Community
Digital Literacy Training in New York City for Middle School Students and their Families
The New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) launched the NYC Connected Learning program in 56 low-income middle schools across New York City. The program is a citywide initiative to boost sustainable broadband adoption and enhance educational outcomes among sixth grade students and their families. DoITT and DOE partner with a range of non- and for- profit organizations to provide free computers, discounted broadband service, comprehensive digital literacy training, and technical support to participating families.
Computers for Youth (CFY), a national non-profit focused on improving the educational learning environments for low-income children, hosts Family Learning Workshops at these schools, teaching students and their parents about the educational uses of home technology and broadband. CFY also provides participants with a broadband-ready Home Learning Center, broadband enrollment guidance, and access to high-quality, online educational software focused on math, English, social studies, and science. The program’s professional development partners, Teaching Matters and the Australian United States Services in Education (AUSSIE), provide each school with an Instructional Technology Coach (ITC) responsible for training teachers to use computers to enhance classroom activities. The program also provides teachers with digital literacy curricula through its partnership with Common Sense Media. NYC Connected Learning partners with The City University of New York (CUNY) and MOUSE Squad to help schools set up a student-run help desk that provides technical support and general troubleshooting. NYC Connected Learning participants also receive discounted rates for high speed Internet from Cablevision and Time Warner Cable.
As of May 2011, approximately 13,832 students and family members have participated in the program. The program has subscribed 2,566 families to broadband, trained 360 students in MOUSE help desk operations, and trained 1,287 teachers in ITC courses. By the end of the project, the NYC Connected Learning program will be operational in 72 schools.
New York
In the Community
Broadband Access Project in Minnesota offers Technology and Workforce Training
The University of Minnesota Broadband Access Project (BAP) is a collaboration of 12 community organizations—four in St. Paul, three in South Minneapolis, and five in North Minneapolis—to expand access to high-speed Internet.
The organization has renovated 11 public computer sites and now offers training classes. The training classes at each site are targeted at a wide variety of groups including small/disadvantaged/minority-owned businesses, nonprofit organizations, individuals, and community groups. Currently, users can choose from training classes including introductory Internet classes, Microsoft Office® suite basics, job search help, resume building, and college prep. BAP staff develops additional courses as needs arise.
BAP helps a wide range of people from all age groups, unemployed and underemployed, immigrants, and refugees – develop important computer skills, search for jobs, and enhance their education. In addition, non-profits affected by significant levels of funding cuts will have the opportunity to support staff development and small business owners will learn how to use technology to increase their customer base through online promotions and other communications.
In the Community
Local Agencies offer Digital Literacy and Workforce Training in Philadelphia
The Freedom Rings Partnership offers digital literacy and workforce training opportunities at computer centers in Philadelphia. The 77 computer centers include 19 recreation centers, 29 community-based organization sites working with high-risk populations, 10 homeless shelters, 15 other affordable housing sites, and four mobile labs that will reach communities lacking space or the capacity to house a computer center.
In addition to services provided at citywide computer centers, the Freedom Rings Partnership will encourage Philadelphians to “get connected” to technology in their homes. The participating partners expect to serve approximately 15,000 people per year and use a citywide outreach campaign to deliver information about the importance of broadband technology to more than 100,000 households.
The State Library of Louisiana’s, “Louisiana Libraries: Connecting People to Their Potential,” has held more than 1,200 free digital literacy and software classes and will supply 640 laptop computers to libraries throughout the state by the end of 2011. With these efforts, the State Library seeks to improve the workforce skills of Louisiana citizens and provide a solid economic foundation for strengthening Louisiana communities.
The free classes offer provide workers and job seekers the technology skills needed to succeed in the digital economy, including professional-grade classes in the most widely used business software, such as Microsoft® Office, Adobe® Creative Suite, and Quicken®. Louisianans also can take business skills classes to improve their proficiency on topics like Getting Your Job Search Started, Mastering the Interview, and Business Etiquette. Additional training helps people make maximum use of technology with classes in Computer Foundations, Introduction to Home Wireless Setup, and Home Computer Security.
For more information about the organization and the project, please visit www.state.lib.la.us.
In addition to the classes, the State Library will deploy 10 Internet-ready laptops to each parish, so citizens can borrow them through their local library and connect to any hot spot to get online. The primary goal is to promote broadband use so that citizens may become comfortable and familiar with this technology. The State Library also created the Louisiana Jobs & Career Center website, www.lajacc.org, which offers career tools and displays searchable job postings for the public.
Louisiana
In the Community
New Jersey State Library offers Workforce Workshops
The New Jersey State Library (NJSL), an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College, has already enrolled more than 1,274 students in over 180 computer skills and workforce development workshops in public libraries across New Jersey. This statewide initiative is designed to provide workforce skills training to unemployed and underemployed residents and boost broadband adoption.
Targeted to New Jersey’s economically vulnerable residents, the workshops focus on teaching computer fundamentals, resume and cover letter techniques, job search fundamentals, and e-mail basics. Additionally, the program provides professional development workshops for library staff members. Librarians learn techniques for managing the computer resources, allowing them to better meet their patrons’ technology requests. The program has already conducted 33 workshops for its library staff and is partnering with a consortium of 19 New Jersey community colleges to provide instructors for these classes.
As of May 2011, the program distributed over 800 new computers to libraries across the state.
New Jersey
In the Community
Youth Policy Institute Works to Increase Digital Literacy in communities in Los Angeles
The Youth Policy Institute (YPI) is working to open 80 computer centers in Los Angeles. Besides accessing computers and broadband Internet, visitors to the centers can attend a variety of digital literacy and educational classes, including computer basics, Internet fundamentals, English for Speakers of Other Languages, SAT preparation, Federal and state tax e-filing, and resume and cover letter techniques.
The centers’ main focus is to provide classes that meet the interests of the area’s low-income, Hispanic population. In response to poor literacy rates in the community, the center created the Leamos Spanish Literacy Program, which utilizes educational software to teach Latino immigrants basic computer skills as well as how to read and write in Spanish. A survey of local middle school students led to the creation of the Game Development Workshop, which teaches participants simple video game coding and design techniques. As of April 2011, more than 1,821 community members have participated in the center’s training classes. The center also houses a YPI workforce development program that is training clients for health careers.
The project also has a page on Facebook with the latest news.
The City of Los Angeles is tackling the digital divide in its most at-risk neighborhoods. Through the Los Angeles Computer Access Network (LA CAN) project, the City’s Community Development Department, Department of Parks and Recreation and various libraries will develop or upgrade 183 public computer center sites throughout Los Angeles. Additionally, the City will purchase 2,600 new computers, in some cases, replacing those that were seven to 10 years old.
The City looked at demographic information such as high poverty and unemployment to determine where to place the new computer centers. For example, one site in the South Broadway neighborhood, originally an abandoned lot full of trash, now hosts the Chicana Services Action Center, including a 25-station public computer center and offering health screenings and job placement assistance. Approximately, one-third of the visitors to the center currently receive public assistance to take computer courses that will enable them to find work.
The LA CAN project expects to serve around 250,000 users each week, including students, job seekers, seniors, and English-as-a-second-language speakers, who use the centers to do homework, find work, learn new skills, and access other Internet-based services.
