Grandmothers Getting Inner City Kids Online

AUGUST 2, 2014

Tags: Digital InclusionDigital Literacy

Grandmothers Getting Inner City Kids Online

Our statistics reveal that the majority of those who are involved with our free computer and Internet classes are older African American women who have school aged children in their homes. Why is this so signoficant? View this email in your browser (*|ARCHIVE|*) We did some number crunching recently to understand who has been coming to us for free classes and $50 PCs. It turns out a large majority of them are black women over 50 years old. Most have kids under 18 years old living with them. As they always have, it's women who are looking out for the minority community - especially the children. They are doing it by getting themselves up to speed with the online world. At the same time, thanks to our computer refurbishing program, they are getting a $50.00 computer. By doing so, they're making sure those kids who live with them have an Internet-connected PC in the home so they won't get left behind. Why is this so significant? In the Kansas City Public Schools, 70% of school children do not have the Internet in their homes. Many of these women live in neighborhoods where as little as 20% of families even own a computer or have in home Internet. Think about it. They are not waiting for some new government program to get themselves and the kids who live with them connected to the online world. They are taking the initiative themselves! They are defying all of the research which shows that older, lower income people and minorities are not getting online. Why? It's because they want to see that inner city kids in their care have the same advantages afforded by being a part of the online world that their suburban counterparts enjoy! In 2013. Connecting for Good trained over 1,000 people from under served inner city neighborhoods in basic computer skills like how to use email and how to search the web. And we are on track this year to reach twice that many. Since last April, nearly 2,000 of our refurbished computers have found their way to homes in Kansas City's under resourced inner city neighborhoods. We receive no government money or large foundation grants. Most of our income is dependent on our own income generating activities and the support of friends who believe as we do that accessible technology can transform lives. Currently, we are in the midst of a severe summer cash crunch. We need your support at this time to help us to keep helping under served people become productive Internet users. Together, we can close the Digital Divide In Kansas City!

Older African American women have flocked to our free digital life skills classes.

Based on data we’ve collected, our statistics reveal that the majority of those who are involved with our free computer and Internet classes are African-American women over 50 years old. Most have school-aged children in their homes. Why is this so significant?

In addition to free digital literacy courses, thanks to our computer refurbishing program, they are also getting a $75.00 computer. By doing so, they’re making sure those kids who live with them have an Internet-connected PC in the home so they won’t get left behind.

The Significance

Why is this so significant? In the Kansas City Public Schools, 70% of school children do not have the Internet in their homes. Many of these children live in neighborhoods where as few as 1 in 5 households own a computer or have in home Internet. (2013 US Census)

Our PCs are going to neighborhoods where only 1 in 5 families a computer.

Our PCs are going to neighborhoods where only 1 in 5 families a computer.

 

In 2013, Connecting for Good trained over 1,000 people from under served inner city neighborhoods in basic computer skills like how to use email and how to search the web. We are on track this year to reach twice that many. Since last April, nearly 2,000 of our refurbished computers have found their way to homes in Kansas City’s under resourced inner city neighborhoods.

We need your support at this time to help us to keep helping the urban core get online. Together, we can close the Digital Divide In Kansas City!

Written by Tom Esselman

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