Call for volunteers to bridge the digital divide in South Chester County – Daily Local

This is a call to residents of South Chester County to sign up for meaningful volunteer opportunities. Classes for vulnerable communities require a coach and one-on-one digital device assistant.

The Retirement Senior Volunteers Program (RSVP), which serves the counties of Chester, Montgomery and Delaware, has agreed to lead the “Trainer Training” project as a non-profit organization in conjunction with the Southern Chester County Digital Equity Union. low.

Starting with a pilot test, RSVP is working with three organizations: Kennett Area Senior Center, Mighty Writer, and Maternal and Child Health Consortium / Family Center to train staff to become client trainers.

Once this training approach is proven, these organizations will continue to work and new organizations will follow the same steps. The vision is that this process is synergistic. In this process, students work with trusted institutions and volunteers to build confidence in their digital skills and reach out to family and friends to help them become more digital savvy.

Volunteers interested in participating in this initiative should have a basic knowledge of computers, mobile devices, the Internet and applications. The first step is to register as an RSVP volunteer at the following website: https://www.rsvpmc.org/form-bilder .. RSVP will follow up on child abuse and crime audits. RSVP Digital Navigator will contact you to make mutual arrangements regarding the role and time of volunteers. You have the option of zooming in or working face to face. ..

Last year, CSC’s digital equity team worked on a permanent solution by creating a coalition focused on solving all aspects of the problem. The first issue addressed was finding funding for a Wi-Fi connectivity assessment project to identify locations with poor internet access.

Fortunately, the Chester County Midline Unit was chosen to engage in a pilot project to assess the internet services available in southern Chester County with the support of a $ 200,000 grant from the Department of Labor. . paddy field. Once this is completed, it will serve as a model for the rest of Chester County.

The digital divide is the divide between those who have the knowledge, experience and access to reasonably fast Internet services and those without access and functionality. If you are on the other side of the divide, your financial and social disadvantages increase every year. The pandemic has brought these problems to light. Without adequate Internet access, you will not be able to work from home if your job allows it and you will lose your income.
Your child was unable to attend virtual school. This is the only format available for a few months. Suffering from extreme social isolation during the closure. And you couldn’t apply for a financial aid or immunization program.

The second area the Coalition is working on is digital literacy. We are currently looking for volunteers in the community. This aspect of the project aims to ensure that everyone understands how to use the computer and software needed for purchasing, research, educational support, communication, etc.

Improving digital literacy is expected to improve health, social connections, education and employment. Providing educational services in English, Spanish and other languages ​​and providing ongoing support is the way to achieve this. The vision for the future is for the Kennett Library to become the backbone of this effort to ensure sustainability.

It is the time for change and transition. It’s a time when many baby boomers are retiring and looking for meaningful ways to contribute to the community. Unless you take compassionate steps to bridge the divide, it’s time for the digital divide to widen further. Please volunteer!

Kennett’s Story is available for purchase on Amazon and Mushroom Cap. Please contact Joan Holliday ([email protected]).