Net Literacy and the Clowes Fund to Provide Computers to Thousands of K-12 Students Whom Speak English as a New Language
Net Literacy’s “digital literacy corps” (http://www.digitalliteracycorps.org) of youth volunteers are repurposing almost 700 computers and will donate them to targeted schools that have high populations of students whom use English as a New Language (ENL).
In a response to a request for information from the FCC, Net Literacy proposed that the Commission target ENL populations on a priority basis and provide them resources in the National Broadband Plan. Also in this paper, Net Literacy proposed that K-12 students on free or assisted lunches and without a computer at home have the highest priority and receive free or subsidized computers and broadband ahead of all other population groups with low broadband adoption rates.
This new initiative, funded via a generous grant from the Clowes Fund, will enable 700 ENL families (approximately 2250 K-12 students) to receive a computer to help them with their school work. The program commences in January and will also provide approximately 975 adults in the 700 household access to a computer, impacting a total of approximately 3,000 Hoosiers.
Net Literacy has recently completed a computer and Internet training manual in Spanish, and the training manuals will be available on a refreshed Senior Connects (www.seniorconnects.org) website later this month. The Senior Connects website contains all basic computer, Internet and email lesson plans for the Senior Connects and the Community Connects (www.communityconnects.org) programs. It is available at no cost to all in English, Spanish, and Russian versions.
The Clowes Fund has supported the Computer Connects (www.computerconnects.org) program since 2008, and has recently invited Net Literacy to apply for a multi-year grant in 2010.
For additional information, visit www.netliteracy.org or contact Don Kent at donkent@netliteracyalliance.org.