Digital Navigation - Closing the Digital Gap in Petersburg, Virginia

In Petersburg, Virginia, nearly one-quarter of households lack access to a computer. This digital divide leaves families without essential services like telehealth, education, and employment. To address this issue, LISC Virginia has launched the Digital Navigation program, a collaboration with Rural LISC, Virginia State University (VSU), and other community partners. This program aims to support digital equity through digital literacy workshops and the provision of laptops to residents of the Crater Region.

Achieving Digital Equity

Achieving digital equity requires robust support for digital literacy efforts. The need for digital skills to access opportunities in the increasingly digitalized U.S. economy has been recognized for years. However, there has been a lack of prioritization in investing in the necessary tools to address the digital literacy gap. Robust investment in digital literacy efforts can ensure widespread availability of education and training, providing participants with the range of digital skills needed to succeed. Community-based digital education and training can help individuals find jobs, develop new skills, and access affordable financial services. Read more about LISC's framework for digital inclusion here.

Workshop Structure and Curriculum

Monthly Digital Navigation sessions will be held in two workshops each month. LISC Virginia staff and VSU Digital Navigators will lead the workshops, utilizing NorthStar’s digital literacy curriculum. Participants who complete at least four Northstar courses will receive a laptop. Our instructors will walk learners through two courses per session, so participants must attend two sessions to receive the laptop. Our curriculum includes information related to basic computer skills and specialized skills that can support telehealth, online education, and job-specific skills. Available courses are listed below:

Basic Computer Skills
Using Email
Internet Basics
Accessing Telehealth
Using Microsoft Office
Career Search Skills
Information Literacy
K-12 Distance Learning

Workshop students will receive a certification of completion in addition to a laptop upon finishing the course requirements.

We will be holding two digital navigation sessions in Fall 2024. To complete the course, learners are required to attend both workshops within one session (either both dates in September or both dates in November). The dates are below:

September 2024 Session Dates

September 21 (9:30AM to 12:00PM)
September 28 (9:30AM to 12:00PM)

November 2024 Session Dates

November 9 (9:30AM to 12:00PM)
November 16 (9:30AM to 12:00PM)

Workshops will be held at the Petersburg Family YMCA (120 N Madison St, Petersburg, VA 23803). All course materials and snacks will be provided. Our capacity is limited to 24 people per session. Please only sign up if you can attend both workshops within one session (Either 9/21 AND 9/28 or 11/9 AND 11/16).

You can sign up for our digital inclusion newsletter here to be alerted as soon as additional workshops are scheduled.

Contact

Victoria McKelvey, Assistant Program Officer