CTN’s Bilingual Digital Skills Courses, a Free Cookbook, and More!

Happy holidays from CTN! As a thank-you from our staff to our supporters, CTN is offering a free cookbook to everyone who contributes to our Bridge the Digital Divide fundraiser before January 1.

In 2022, CTN provided over 3,000 hours of digital skills training, and we plan to continue to grow in order to bring digital equity to as many people as possible. For as little as just $9 a month, you can help us reach our goal of raising $17,300.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far, including Okta, the Jackson Family, the Hansen Family, the CTN Board of Directors, Celia Hamman-Cueto, Hilary Naylor, Karen Travis, Erika & Bobby Clary, Hyewon Park, John Prochnow, and Emily Tung, Kat Steinmetz, and those who have made contributions in honor of Georgia Whitaker and Margaret Yanco.

COMMUNITY TECH NETWORK SPOTLIGHT

FUNDER SPOTLIGHT: OKTA

Conference swag, such as pens, shirts, and tote bags, often ends up in landfills. Okta, a committed partner and funder of CTN, decided to make better use of its funds and donated $75,000 to Community Tech Network instead of offering swag at its recent Oktane2022 conference. Read more about Okta’s commitment to bridging the digital divide.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: AGE OF CENTRAL TEXAS

When the pandemic began, AGE of Central Texas told older adults to order groceries and medication online. However, the organization realized that many individuals did not know how to get online. AGE worked with CTN and Senior Access to create Senior Connect. Says AGE, “CTN’s established curriculum, process, tablet setup, learning materials, language translation, and ‘Train-the-Trainer’ support provided AGE with the resources and expertise to immediately roll out the program.” Learn more about AGE and the success of Senior Connect.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: HUMANGOOD PIEDMONT GARDENS

When CTN began working with HumanGood Piedmont Gardens, a housing community for older adults, we realized that our typical basic skills curriculum did not meet the learners’ needs. After meeting with residents and facility leaders, we decided to change our approach and initiate a workshop format, which has been a great success. Learn more about how CTN adapted its programming to better serve its clients.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: JOSH CHAN

Josh, CTN’s new volunteer coordinator, is committed to our mission. “Individuals from marginalized communities that do not speak English as their primary language have to overcome two barriers — the digital literacy and the language one — to apply for and access the services that they need. … I grew up in a Cantonese-speaking household, and the fact that CTN has culturally responsive programs for digital equity is really cool to me.” Read more about Josh.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: HYEWON PARK

Hyewon joined CTN as a bilingual digital literacy instructor and has been supporting Korean-speaking learners through CTN’s partnership with the Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI). Says Hyewon, “One of the older adults in my class mentioned that learning new technology has changed his life. He said that after taking the iPad class, he felt younger, more independent, and more confident. … I’m proud to work as an instructor at CTN.” Learn more about Hyewon.