Program Bridges Technology Gap In Englewood

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Englewood resident Janet Lunn, her daughter, and Joel Washington work on refining their digital access skills at Smart Communities' final September 15 training session. Dozens of graduating participants received free netbook computers at the conclusion of the class, which was designed to improve tech capacity and expand digital access for local residents. The Smart Communities program is primarily supported by a federal stimulus grant from the US Department of Commerce that was jointly applied for and won by the City of Chicago and LISC/Chicago. (Gordon Walek of LISC/Chicago)
Englewood resident Janet Lunn, her daughter, and Joel Washington work on refining their digital access skills at Smart Communities' final September 15 training session. Dozens of graduating participants received free netbook computers at the conclusion of the class, which was designed to improve tech capacity and expand digital access for local residents. The Smart Communities program is primarily supported by a federal stimulus grant from the US Department of Commerce that was jointly applied for and won by the City of Chicago and LISC/Chicago. (Gordon Walek of LISC/Chicago)

Recently, dozens of Englewood residents completed a six-hour computer technology course through Smart Communities Chicago, which ended as a celebratory graduation ceremony on Sep. 15.

Community members in the training class learned basic computer skills and how to effectively use the internet to become civically engaged. The event was held at the Kennedy-King College Center for Working Families located at 63rd and Halsted.

Smart Communities Chicago is a citywide initiative in place to close the technological divide in five target neighborhoods: Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Humboldt Park and Pilsen.

The initiative is a 2 year program funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce that works to ensure digital access for children and families, businesses and agencies.

Smart Communities Chicago began in June 2010 and will continue through June 2012.

We are thrilled that todays graduates are setting off on a path of true digital access and empowerment, said Rosalind Moore, program manager of the Englewood Smart Communities Program Digital access and basic computer skills are vitally important in todays globally networked world, and today these committed individuals have taken the next step in using this critical technology to participate in the civic and economic life of our city and nation.

At the graduation, students received free computer notebooks which are funded through the program.

According to Dionne Baux, a Smart Communities program officer, the computers are distributed to students so they can continue to practice the skills they learned while taking the technology class.

In addition, Baux said the purpose of the program is to grant digital access to individuals with low to moderate income backgrounds.

Smart Communities is a free program and is launching an awareness campaign with door to door promotions, post card mailings and it will also feature advertisements at CTA bus and rail stops. Anyone living in the city of Chicago can participate in a Smart Communities training class; however, only individuals living in one of the five target communities can receive a free notebook at the end of their training.

For more information about Smart Communities or to learn how to join a training class, please log on to www.smartcommunitieschicago.org

By Thelma Sardin

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