To help bridge the digital divide, workshops gave people the skills and resources needed to use technology safely and responsibly

Jersey City, NJ, April 5, 2023

What’s the news? Free digital literacy workshops provided by AT&T*, Digitunity and the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) are helping Jersey City residents of low-income households gain skills and confidence to participate fully, safely and responsibly in today’s digital world.

The workshop series is part of AT&T’s collaboration with the Public Library Association (PLA). The latest workshops were held at the TJ Stewart Apartments on March 23, the second in a series of events made available through this collaboration. The first was held on February 15 at JCHA’s Berry Gardens development.

Why is this important?
According to the U.S. Department of Education1, about 16 percent of U.S. adults are not digitally literate. In addition, about 40% of disconnected students face significant adoption barriers including insufficient digital literacy skills, according to a report from Common Sense Media.2 To help close the digital divide, it’s important that families have accessible and affordable internet connectivity, but equally as important is that they have the digital literacy skills needed to use and benefit from the internet.

How it works.
These workshops allow participants to select from a range of video courses on basic digital literacy skills, including using email, accessing a web browser, remembering passwords, and cyber security. To support all types of learners, sessions incorporated presentations and handouts, as well as student activities facilitated by AT&T volunteers and community organizers.

For those unable to attend community workshops, and for learners seeking to continue building their skills, AT&T has created a curated series of free, self-paced digital literacy courses in collaboration with PLA that is accessible online for learners everywhere. Here, people can advance their digital literacy skills through guided instruction, animated demonstrations and hands-on learning in English or Spanish.

The initiative is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative and our 3-year, $2 billion commitment made in 2021 to address the digital divide through investments in internet accessibility, affordability and the safe adoption of technology.

What are people saying?
“Tackling an issue as broad as digital literacy is no easy feat,” said Stephen Cea, Interim Executive Director, Jersey City Housing Authority. “But we strongly believe that on-the-ground, individualized support is the best way to make a difference for our most vulnerable local families. These digital literacy community workshops supported by AT&T create much-needed space for hands-on, digital learning opportunities.”

“Families most impacted by the digital divide need more than just accessible and affordable connectivity,” said Arvind Swamy, regional director of AT&T External Affairs in New Jersey. “To truly thrive, it’s important that we also provide digital literacy resources that teach the skills that students and families need to support online learning and complete other basic tasks. Together with the Jersey City Housing Authority and Digitunity, we’re proud to offer online courses and free workshops to help learners advance those very skills.”

“Digitunity is thrilled to partner with AT&T and JCHA on this project. It’s inspiring as residents recognize how critical having digital literacy skills are to participate in today’s digital society and take part in these high-quality courses,” noted Karisa Tashjian, Director of Programs, Digitunity. “They will use the skills they gain in their jobs, education, healthcare as well as in creative, financial and civic pursuits.”

To learn more, visit att.com/connectedlearning.

*About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

We’re committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities and improving lives. As part of our companywide $2 billion commitment from 2021 to 2023 to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning to invest in connectivity and technology, digital literacy and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008, we’ve committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.

About Digitunity

Owning a computer is critical to participating in the modern economy. Yet, 36 million people in America do not have a computer, thereby locked out of the opportunities the internet can provide. Digitunity, a national nonprofit organization committed to advancing digital equity, is working to make owning a computer possible for everyone. Digitunity works at the systems level to make free or affordable computers available, with communities to support strategies for sustainable device access programs, and as a unique source of knowledge and information for the digital inclusion field. To learn more about Digitunity and our almost four decades of experience in the distribution of free or low-cost devices, visit https://digitunity.org/.

About Public Library Association

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 10,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or pla@ala.org.

About Jersey City Housing Authority

The Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) is New Jersey’s second largest public housing authority, serving 15,000 residents in Jersey City, the most diverse municipality in the country. JCHA is responsible for the administration of approximately 7,100 housing units, including approximately 2,300 public housing units and over 4,700 Housing Choice Vouchers. Recognizing that resident needs go beyond housing, JCHA established its Department of Resident Empowerment and Community Engagement (RECE) in 2018, which has developed innovative partnerships with dozens of government agencies, nonprofits, and institutes of higher education to offer a broad range of services and programming to residents with a particular focus on youth, workforce development, senior, and digital inclusion initiatives. Learn more at www.jerseycityha.org.

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1 Source: U.S. Department of Education
2 Source: Common Sense Media