With summer comes the graduations of dozens of Washington teens from our yearlong Comcast Digital Connectors programs at various locations. This post is about the graduation held by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County at their Lacey branch.
Above, you’ll see a video by one of the students. The Thurston County clubs have always distinguished themselves because every student produces a video for the graduation. Julianna, who produced the above video, told me that the Boston bombings touched her heart. The bombings made her want to do and say something. Julianna found expression in the language of video, which is part of what Digital Connectors is all about.
The video below is my quickie iPhone film with highlights of the graduation. For much of the video you’ll hear from Mason Bassett, ace Digital Connectors instructor, on what exactly Digital Connectors entails. Consider this video a ‘slice of life’ of a graduation. We begin by asking Julianna, what was her favorite part of this year’s Digital Connectors program …
In the video above, you’ll see a whole lot of shaking going on. It’s a simulated earthquake, within the Tacoma School of the Arts’ tech and media lab. The video aims to tell young people about earthquake preparedness.
The film was made by Comcast Digital Connectors who are part of the Tacoma Urban League. I had the pleasure of watching them graduate from the program, the second graduation this year (the first was at Neighborhood House in South Seattle; more info in this previous post)
One of the most fun parts of any Comcast Digital Connectors graduation is watching everyone try to fit into the group photo at the end. These are the 2013 Comcast Digital Connector graduates from the Tacoma Urban League. At far left is Victoria Woodards, CEO of the Tacoma Urban League
The Comcast Foundation supported the Digital Connectors program at several locations in Washington this year. You can meet some of the youth and hear from some of the adults around them, in the film below that I made of their graduation. The video below, shot with an iPhone, is definitely not as well-produced as their video above. But hopefully the film is a little “slice of life” about a caring community at the Tacoma Urban League, about technology and about young people with a great future. You’ll hear from Victoria Woodards, the dynamic CEO of Tacoma Urban League, one of their teachers, Yusuf Word, who also mentors young male teens and boys for the Urban League, and sadly, they let me talk a little bit. You can fast forward through that part. Best to linger on what the youth said, for example, the comments of a young man who will be attending the University of Washington to study tech. Congratulations to all our Tacoma Digital Connectors.
This month, dozens of local high school students will celebrate the conclusion of a yearlong program called Comcast Digital Connectors. Twice a week, after school, the students learn technical and leadership skills. The first group in Washington to graduate this academic year comes from the Rainier Valley area of Seattle. The students attend the Neighborhood House computer center in the Seattle Housing Authority’s Rainier Vista development. I talked to some of these youth before and after their graduation from Comcast Digital Connectors so you can hear their views in the video above.
My favorite part of the graduation are the videos. Digital Connectors learn how to film and edit video as part of the program, giving us all rare, candid insights into the world and perspectives of teen-agers in 2013. We hope, in the coming weeks, to share several with you. Among the other groups that offer Comcast Digital Connectors programs besides Neighborhood House: the Boys and Girls Clubs of Federal Way, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Thurston County in Lacey, El Centro de La Raza in Seattle and the Tacoma Urban League. Our big thanks to the Comcast Foundation for supporting them all.
Here is one of the videos from the Neighborhood House youth. I’ll just say, very candidly, that you will see misspellings and other things that might jump out to an adult. The trick here is to see this and the other videos we will post over the next several days for what they are: an expression of teens in Rainier Vista in 2013. Seen that way, the videos are a perfect reflection of what the teens know and want to share.
Students from the Comcast Digital Connectors program at Neighborhood House in Seattle hold their graduation certificates. Adults in the picture include Technology Center Coordinator Kat McGhee, third from left, and Neighborhood House Executive Director Mark Okazaki, right.
Here is intern Fadumo Ali’s report on one of our community programs.
For the second year in a row, Comcast employees in Washington and the Comcast Foundation are working with Neighborhood House on a program to bridge the digital divide. Digital Connectors is part of an educational initiative which promotes digital literacy among youth ages 14-21 years. Among the highlights of the program are studies that certify the students as technologically adept through the Cisco IT Essentials curriculum.
“We want to bridge the digital divide and help communities that don’t have access to the Internet,” said Kat McGhee, who is the technology center coordinator for Neighborhood House. She noted that each project is targeted at improving digital awareness among students, with the hope that they will apply this knowledge in their everyday lives.
Neighborhood House’s instructor Kat McGhee and student Rut Matwos share memories of the yearlong Comcast Digital Connectors program.
“We made a video using Windows Movie Maker,” said 16-year-old Digital Connector graduate Rut Matwos. “I have never used it before but I learned how to edit. I use this skill for projects related to school.”
“I want to pursue having my own business; one thing I could get out of this is learning how to create a webpage,” said Matwos, who is a student at Seattle’s Franklin High School. “I have also gained a higher awareness of how to use social networking sites, which I use to stay updated on what’s happening around the world.”
“I enjoy the video project at the end of the year; the students enjoy the process of it and are able to say ‘we did that’,” McGhee said. “But my favorite part of being involved with this program is getting to know the youth and seeing them become more confident and seeing each of them become friends with one another.”
The program takes place twice a week and runs throughout the entire school year. Upon completion, students are awarded a certification and a laptop. This is presented in a graduation ceremony at the end of the year. In order to effectively complete these courses, students must complete the Digital Connectors curriculum which includes community service, financial literacy training, and media literacy training.
“We did 56 hours (of) community service. During our community service we blogged about it and whenever we had events we would blog and put it on Facebook as well,” Matwos said.
McGhee explained that “students also have the opportunity to finish up the year with a service project.” This allows them to take the skills that they have learned in Digital Connectors and apply them in real life situations.
“We are focused on providing them with skills that prepare them for success,” McGhee said.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire explains why Internet and technology access are important at a news conference about Comcast's Internet Essentials.
COMCAST, WASHINGTON GOVERNOR, TACOMA MAYOR, SCHOOL AND NONPROFIT OFFICIALS SHARE BEST-IN-CLASS DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN WASHINGTON STATE
‘Internet Essentials’ to Provide Families with Children Eligible for a Free Lunch under the National School Lunch Program with Low-Cost Internet Service, Affordable Computers and Digital Literacy Training
Update: Here’s some news stories that describe this development:
(Tacoma, WA) Sept. 15, 2011 – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma School Board President Kurt Miller, Tacoma Urban League CEO (and City Councilwoman) Victoria Woodards, Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Mirra and Comcast Washington Senior Vice President Len Rozek hosted a briefing today to discuss best-in-class broadband inclusion programs.
At a Tacoma Housing Authority computer center in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, Rozek explained a new national initiative called Internet Essentials, which is being viewed as the most ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption program in the state and country to date.
The program addresses three primary barriers to broadband adoption:
A lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful;
The cost of a home computer, and
The cost of high-speed Internet service.
Internet Essentials is available to families living in Comcast’s service areas with children who are eligible to receive a free lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The goal of Internet Essentials is to help ensure more families benefit from all the Internet has to offer.
According to Rozek, “We’re excited to bring broadband and computers to so many young people and families. We have long provided financial and in-kind support to programs promoting digital literacy and increased broadband adoption. To us here in Washington, Internet Essentials takes all that work to a new level. This program has the potential to help thousands of our Washington families cross the digital divide.”
During the briefing at Hillside Terrace, Gov. Gregoire, Mayor Strickland, and other leaders joined Rozek to introduce Internet Essentials and discuss ways to work together to help bridge the digital divide.
“We live in a wired world,” Gov. Gregoire said. “And those who don’t have access to that world are at a real and growing disadvantage. With Internet at home, children can research and complete their homework, adults can seek new or better jobs, and families can explore the world together. I commend Comcast for undertaking this initiative, and encourage other businesses to find new and creative ways to help families succeed.”
“Comcast’s commitment to closing the digital divide is a much needed boost to those who do not have Internet access at home — providing families with important resources that many of us take for granted,” Mayor Strickland said. “The Internet Essentials program is a perfect example of how a local school district, city government and the business community can work together to help families with education, and other quality of life needs that rely on access to information. We’re embracing this in Tacoma.”
“As America increasingly becomes a digital nation, in-classroom learning is being supplemented with digital curriculums and at-home assignments,” said School Board President Miller. “Internet Essentials will help more low-income families benefit from the educational resources and assistance the Internet provides. They will have greater access to the many online programs and educational resources our district has developed to help our students.”
The very first training in Washington State for new users of the Internet will be Tuesday, Sept, 20, conducted by the Tacoma Urban League and its youth Digital Connectors.
“We’re pleased that Comcast wants to bring not only the Internet to these homes, but also knowledge of how the Internet can be used safely,” said Victoria Woodards, CEO and President of the Tacoma Urban League. ”We need parents, educators, community leaders and other government officials to join in this effort, spread the word about Internet Essentials and help increase broadband adoption in our community.”
Service Details:
Qualified Internet Essentials families will receive:
Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month + applicable taxes;
No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;
A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 + tax; and
Access to free digital literacy training in print, online, and in person
Additional benefits include a complementary Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security protection.
Eligibility:
A household is eligible to participate in the Internet Essentials program if it meets all of the following criteria:
Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;
Has at least one child who is eligible to receive free school lunch under the NSLP;
As an example, according to the Department of Agriculture, a household of three would have to make less than $25,000 a year in income;
Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;
Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.
Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at least three years, through the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials provided a child eligible for a free lunch remains living in the household.
For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com for English and visit www.internetbasico.com for Spanish. Educators or third-parties interested in helping to spread the word can find more information at www.internetessentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.
Comcast has about 3,300 Washington employees, including 1,000 local customer service representatives in three call centers, who serve more than 1.1 million customers in Washington. For more information, visit http://www.comcastinwashingtonstate.com.
There’s been a lot written about Internet Essentials; visit our corporate blog for more announcements in other states and more information about the program.
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