We are so grateful to all those who donated to this project. This was an incredibly successful project! We were able to provide digital literacy training to over 120 adult refugees and immigrants in the Denver metro area. This project showed the importance of mobile classrooms to improve digital equity and inclusion in Colorado.
In Februrary, in partnership with the State of CO, Teach by Tech offered 6 workshops at the temporary housing location for newly arriving Afghan refugees. These were drop-in sessions for adults to receive assistance with state provided Chromebooks. We worked with individuals and small groups to set-up Chromebooks; create email accounts, pair Chromebooks to mobile phones and connect to wi-fi. The instability of wi-fi made hotspots necessary. TBT explained the significance of a hotpot and the availability of hotpots at public libraries. At the end of each session, we had participants sign off and login to their computer/email to determine understanding. For repeat attendees, we taught students how to read, compose and reply to emails, use the camera feature and how to use a variety of personalization features on a Chromebook.
In March, TBT offered 5 weeks of consecutive training classes divided by gender: Tuesday Women’s class 5 weeks 10 hours of training and Thursday Men’s class 5 weeks 10 hours of training.
We had between 18-25 women arrive to each session. The women were interested in learning and excited for the opportunity. Challenges arose because few women had access to a computer, despite all families receiving a computer. Most lessons were focused on digital literacy skills that could be taught and implemented using a mobile phone and/or computer. We provided 12 laptops each class and modeled all skills on computers and mobile phones. Topics covered: Opening, reading and sending emails; Connecting to wi-fi; Google Maps, Google Translate; Internet Basics and searching and registering in Connecting Colorado.
The men were on average more knowledgeable about computers and had access to the computers on a more consistent basis. However, there was a great fluctuation in attendance. For those who consistently attended, we were able to register in Connecting Colorado and use Google Docs to begin writing resumes and skill sets. Because, most men had an email account set-up, we worked on writing emails with proper formatting and etiquette. The men were mostly focused on finding jobs. We were able to help about 50% register in Connecting Colorado. Several we could not register because they had not received SS#’s. TBT spent a few sessions on practicing internet searches and looking at reputable websites for job discovery. Most were able to find jobs that were interesting and save job ads for a later date. We introduced Google Docs and taught features as related to developing a resume.
In partnership with Asian Pacific Development Center, we offered 2, 8-week training courses. Each cohort received 16+ hrs of training. The first cohort consisted of 8 men and women and the 2nd cohort consisted of 7 men and women. With each cohort we followed the Northstar Digital Literacy curriculum and registered students into the online portal.
Thank you so much for all your continued support of Teach by Tech and making refugees feel welcome and supported in their new homes.
Warm regards,
Linnie Pawlek
Dear Teach by Tech supporter,
Our Mobile Digital Literacy Lab has seen incredible success since implementation in Februrary 2022. We now have 15 laptops and 2 hotpsots that are providing refugees access to devices. We have served over 125 adult refugees with digital literacy training and computer set-up.
In 2019 and 2020, Colorado resettled about 450 people each of those years. By comparison, nearly four times that number have arrived in Colorado since September of 2021, with new families arriving at Denver International Airport daily and weekly. The lack of available housing placed many new arrivals in temporary housing. It is here where Teach by Tech began teaching with our mobile digital literacy lab. We began working on the ground teaching people how to set up computers, create email accounts, read and send emails, navigate the internet, create Connecting Colorado accounts to find jobs and gain confidence using technology.
Afghans are not the only refugees coming to Colorado. Working with the Asian Pacific Development Center we were able to expand our digital literacy skill classes to refugees from Burma, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Benin and Ethiopia. These students were able to improve their computer skills and move into intermediate categories of learning. Many participants were excited to use their new skills in their current jobs or leverage their new skills for a better job.
We are so excited for the new partnerships we have developed and the generous support we have received from donors like you. Our work is creating new possibilities and enhancing opportunities for refugees seeking new skills and transitioning to their new lives in America. Thank you for your continued support!
Warm regards,
Linnie Pawlek
Links:
FOSTERING DIGITAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION!
Our Colorado community is growing and diversifying; today, one in ten Coloradans is an immigrant. Almost a full quarter of individuals living in Colorado are, or live with, an immigrant, which makes Colorado a state prosperous thanks to immigrants’ experiences and skills. Despite the many benefits of our amazing immigrant and refugee populations the digital divide remains in Colorado, especially for women. Teach by Tech is working hard to overcome obstacles to digital literacy training and access to devices and digital tools.
Women have much to gain from boosting their use of digital tools. While going digital can be enabling for all, the digital gender divide means there is important scope for women to extract more value from their use of digital tools. Female users currently tend to use fewer services than men and are less confident in using the Internet. For instance, while mobile money accounts offer an effective way to boost financial inclusion, it remains the case that fewer women are likely to own and use such an account. Online or video-based upskilling and tutorials may especially help women make better use of digital tools and extract more value from them.
This is why Teach by Tech's mobile digital literacy lab is breaking barriers to education and meeting our clients where they live. To date, we have provided 3 computer workshops to 45+ Afghan refugees. Here we were able to help people set-up new chromebooks, create and use e-mail accounts, navigate the internet, register for workforce centers and find jobs. Next month we will conduct a 5 week class with newcomers from the Afghan community; a 4 week class with newcomers from the Asia Pacific community and another 4 week class with newcomers from many backgrounds.
We are so grateful for your continued support! Every opportunity we have to go out in the community overcomes obstacles to education and helps to narrow the digital divide. Thank you for all your support and sharing our work with friends and colleagues.
Warm regards,
Linnie Pawlek
Links:
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