Category: Digital Literacy
Spring Online: A Great Opportunity to bridge the Digital Divide!
Social housing providers are being urged to engage in “one of the nation’s biggest digital inclusion campaigns”. The Government-backed Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day – delivered by Digital Unite in partnership with UK Online Centres and Race Online 2012 – is one of the biggest campaigns each year to give older people and less confident users a taste of computers and the internet. The campaign – which has been going for 11 years – has helped more than 150,000 …
Categories: Digital Inclusion, Digital Literacy, Europe Leave a comment
Microsoft’s Digital Literacy Curriculum
Whether you are new to computing or have some experience, the Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum will help you develop a fundamental understanding of computers. The courses help you learn the essential skills to begin computing with confidence, be more productive at home and at work, stay safe online, use technology to complement your lifestyle, and consider careers where you can put your skills to work. The Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum has three levels. The Basic curriculum features a course called …
Australia’s Digital Hubs Directory
Australia has been a leader in broadband adoption by creating the Department of Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy. This government ministry is providing $13.6m USD available in grants to communities to increase broadband adoption and digital inclusion programs. A component of Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN), the Digital Hubs Program is an initiative tied to these grants to aid local communities to improve their digital literacy skills and increase their broadband adoption. The Digital Hubs Directory was created to …
Categories: Australia, Broadband, Broadband Adoption, Government Initiatives, Policy, Uncategorized Leave a comment
Public Policy Framework Helps Provide Direction for Libraries Regarding Digital Inclusion
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, the University of Washington Information School, and the International City/County Management Association have developed a comprehensive framework to help libraries identify, evaluate, and improve services regarding digital inclusion and digital literacy. More and more individuals without computer access at home are turning to libraries as a conduit to access the Internet. The document, “Building Digitally Inclusive Communities,” is the product of over 100 organizations’ comments and ideas. The document highlights five important principles: …
The Broadband Commission’s Online Sharehouse
In response to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s directive to encourage the UN to meet the millennium Development Goals, The International Telecommunication Union and UNESCO set up the Broadband Commission for Digital Development. The Commission’s mission is to advocate for the inclusion of broadband on the international policy agendas and is working to increase broadband access internationally. One tool that the Broadband Commission has developed is a user-driven database of best practices ranging from case studies to policy recommendations. This database, …
The UK’s Digital Inclusion Network
The United Kingdom shares a similar demographic distribution to the United States in regards to Senior Citizens and digital inclusion. One way a group of NGOs are trying to bridge the digital divide is through their program called the Digital Inclusion Network. This group, founded in 2006, consists of more than 200 member organizations that provides computer and Internet training to Senior Citizens. Member NGOs sign an MOU and participate in this network by sharing best practices and local information …
NGO WebOrganic Benefits from new Google Datacenter in Hong Kong
Google will inject US$300 million as a long-term investment in its Hong Kong datacenter that will go live in early 2013, said the company after the ground breaking ceremony in Tsueng Kwan O Industrial Estate last week. The company said it will also launch a community program in Hong Kong to provide annual grants ranging from US$5000 to US$50,000 to organizations that focus on the issues such as technology literacy and innovation, renewable energy innovation, and new economy entrepreneurship. To get …
Categories: Asia, Digital Inclusion, Digital Literacy, Digital Literacy Leave a comment
Broadband in Brazil: A Multipronged Public Sector Approach to Digital Inclusion
With 35 million fixed and mobile broadband subscribers, Brazil ranks among the top ten countries worldwide by total number of broadband users. Its large population, however, places the country’s broadband penetration outside the top-50 worldwide. This report explores the challenges, opportunities and successes that define Brazil’s Information and Communication Technology experience. Regionally, Brazil is slightly above the Latin American average in terms of penetration, but behind Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Speed of access follows a similar pattern – Brazil is …
CodeNow Teaches Students How to Code
CodeNow (a non-profit organization) focuses on developing the next pioneers in technology by teaching underserved youth foundational skills in computer science and programming with the objective of narrowing the current digital divide. The organization teaches high school students the basics of computer programming and computer science in free, extra-curricular, off-campus trainings and boot camps. Each student who completes their program receives a netbook, mentoring and assistance finding internships. Working with numerous partners, the organization successfully launched its pilot program in DC …
Public-Private Partnerships to Bridge Africa’s Digital Divide
Innovative partnerships involving governments, software giants and telcoms will accelerate connectivity and bridge Africa’s gaping digital divide. Experts who met at a just concluded third edition of the Africa Public-Private Partnership Conference in Nairobi hailed the potential of structured collaboration between the public and private sectors to transform Africa into an ICT hub. Zaki Khoury, the Regional Manager, Global Strategic Accounts, Middle East, North, West, and Central Africa as well as Pakistan and Turkey at Microsoft, underscored the potential of …