January 17 I attended the Digital Inclusion Forum organized by the Technology Literacy Collaborative. It is an event attended by people who are very passionate about their jobs. In one way or another they are working to help more people make better use of technology. A lot of good ideas were discussed. I thought it might be most helpful to provide annotated links to the various presentations.

• Racial Equity and Technology.pdf – Technology can empower and equalize. Technology is a path to education. TEchnology can help kids but only if kids want to be helped. Mentioned an interesting article: If I were a poor black kid.
• Governor’s Broadband Task Force and State of MN Initiatives.pdf – The Office of Broadband Development is there if/when you need data to help paint a picture of need for a grant or other purpose. Some quick stats on broadband in MN: 78% of MN households subscribe to broadband, 19% do not want broadband and 13% say it’s too expensive
• TC Media Alliance-Digital Divide.pdf – Technology can give you voice that will help you effect change. If you see something that needs to change in your community (an abandoned house or litter issue) you can start to document the story and the impact and share that story online to reach policymakers and other agents of change. The TC Daily Planet can help by providing training and publishing your story. (Disclaimer: I’m on the board of the TCDP so I’m partial to their work.)
• CTEP Civic Engagement Projects.pdf – AmeriCorps members work on a wide range of digital inclusion efforts. As a team they have been around for years; cohorts of CTEP alumni remain strongly rooted in the effort and in TC nonprofit community. In some ways, their presence and continued communication has been a great way to cross-pollinate and promote digital inclusion efforts around the Cities.
• St. Paul Public Library and Northstar Standards.pdf – ST Paul Public Library has a mobile lab they use to offer computer training. (Not like Lac qui Parle’s Computer Commuter where the computers are on the bus – but a collection of computers that are easily packed up and set up on-site.) Training is available in a number of languages.
• Pillsbury United Communities-Tech Ed-Youth Coding Initiatives.pdf – I really enjoyed their perspective that kids “get” technology but that doesn’t mean they are using technology effectively, efficiently or as a means to an end. Kids need computer science classes to help them use technology to solve problems and also to open themselves up for CompSci jobs.
• Reve Academy Overview.pdf – They take a community/state view of the digital divide. Minnesota ranks #1 in worst black-white unemployment ratio. Minnesota ranks #2 in worst achievement gap. That coupled with changing demographics means Minnesota is suffering a competitive gap. If we want the state to become more competitive, we need to address these issues as a community.