Mission: Tech Goes Home empowers communities to access and use digital tools to overcome barriers and advance lives.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- Digital Inclusion Beyond the Pandemic
- Expansion into Essex County
- TGH Welcomes Staff Members & Interns
- 2020 Annual Report
- Partnership Spotlight: Jewish Vocational Services (JVS)
- TGH in the News
- Digital Inclusion Reading Round-Up
- The Emergency Broadband Benefit
- Volunteer Opportunity: Annual Follow-Up Survey
- Stay Connected with TGH through Social Media
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DIGITAL INCLUSION BEYOND THE PANDEMIC |
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We are finally starting to see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. With the gradual reopening of in-person services, we are so excited to connect with our learners face to face soon, with a mix of on-site and distance learning programming happening this summer.
The pandemic has led to a greater awareness of the issue of the digital divide and stronger momentum towards solving it. We must acknowledge, however, that digital exclusion will persist beyond COVID. At Tech Goes Home, we are committed to maintaining that momentum until the digital divide is completely eradicated. Until then, low-income people and people of color will continue to be disproportionately excluded from the opportunities opened by the digital world. As we begin to exit this pandemic, we are as motivated as ever to make strides towards lasting digital inclusion.
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A learner from one of our programs at BPS Parent University. |
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EXPANSION INTO ESSEX COUNTY |
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Tech Goes Home is excited to announce our expansion into Essex County! An initial grant of $250,000 from the Essex County Community Foundation will support a pilot in the key communities of Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen, Peabody, Gloucester and Salem. In collaboration with our five new partners – Action Inc., MakeIT Haverhill at Community Action Inc., Lawrence Community Works, North Shore CDC, and Pathways Inc. – we look forward to launching programming in Essex County by the end of 2021.
“Narrowing the digital divide is one of the most powerful steps we can take to expand opportunity for people across Essex County,” said ECCF Executive Vice President & COO, Stratton Lloyd. “TGH does incredibly impactful work and ECCF is thrilled to work with them to bring greater visibility to this pressing challenge."
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TGH WELCOMES STAFF MEMBERS & INTERNS |
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Tech Goes Home is excited to introduce four members of our team: |
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Catherine Gross (she/her) recently graduated from college with degrees in public health and psychology. She is returning to TGH this summer as the Research and Media Intern. She runs the video campaign to collect stories from graduates, as well as the annual survey to check in with our 2020 TGH graduates and gauge program impact.
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Leann Dobranski (she/her) joined TGH as Program Operations Manager after spending time in Namibia, Africa, where she supported the Ministry of Education to expand internet access in schools and train teachers to implement a K-12 ICT curriculum. At TGH, Leann manages program data, technology stock, course approvals, and other key program operations.
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Lily Abha Cratsley (she/her) is a college junior studying art, activism, and art as activism, and she is currently taking a gap year to work full-time in politics and non-profits. Lily joined the TGH team in January as a Development Intern, and she will continue working with us this summer as Community Engagement Coordinator. Lily supports TGH’s development, advocacy, and communications work.
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Mei Ngo (she/her), a TGH instructor at BEST Hospitality Training where she serves as Technology Manager, will be working with us this summer as our Curriculum Coordinator! After running 8 TGH courses with BEST, Mei is well prepared to create professional development tools for our instructors. This summer, Mei is running webinars and producing lesson plans to help all of our instructors better support their learners.
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A year has come and passed since our world was turned upside down. However, through this crisis our communities have come together in miraculous and inspiring ways. We would like to express our gratitude for how the Tech Goes Home community weathered this unprecedented year by sharing our 2020 Annual Report. We hope all of our learners, graduates, instructors, volunteers, and supporters take pride in the accomplishments you helped make possible in 2020.
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PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: JVS |
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Earlier this month, Tech Goes Home announced a new partnership with Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) to connect hundreds of workers across Massachusetts with the digital tools and skills they need to find employment and complete key job responsibilities online, including remote work, and access other critical resources online. Through this partnership, JVS will fund TGH programming for up to 500 learners over the next year at their sites.
“We know that a strong, inclusive workforce is essential for a strong economy,” said JVS Chief Operating Officer Kira Khazatsky. “For many workers and families, lack of digital skills has been a barrier to economic opportunities for too long. As we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, it is critical that we equip workers and families with the tools and the skills they need to participate in today’s workforce. We are excited about the opportunity to work with Tech Goes Home to help address the digital divide, for the sake of workers, families, and our economy.”
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Share this video with your networ to promote digital equity, informed voting, and holding elected officials accountable!
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DIGITAL INCLUSION READING ROUND-UP |
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THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT |
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The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may be eligible for a discount on your monthly broadband service or the one-time purchase of a new device! Find more information on the EBB, eligibility guidelines, and the application process at https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: ANNUAL FOLLOW-UP SURVEY
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Tech Goes Home is currently in the process of launching our annual follow-up survey, which we conduct every summer to measure our impact and learn how we can adjust our programs to best support our community.
With all the changes that came in the past year, we need support now more than ever to make calls and collect survey responses over the phone. This is a great opportunity to hear how TGH and our volunteers have impacted the lives of our graduates first hand!
We will be training all of our volunteers at the start of the phone banks on Zoom. We are planning to hold one-hour sessions at the following times:
- Friday, July 16 at 11:00am
- Wednesday, July 21 at 3:30pm
- Tuesday, July 27 at 12:30pm
To sign up, click here and fill out a brief form. We’ll be in touch with next steps!
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Follow us on social media for more news, resources, and updates.
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Tech Goes Home’s work is only possible with contributions from donors, like you, and municipal, corporate, and foundation grants. Thank you for supporting TGH.
An extra thank you to the following lead donors for their extraordinary support!
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