Community college students receive laptop computers in exchange for service as part of statewide effort to increase digital literacy

California Connects equips 1,400 MESA students with laptops, software and Internet access to train others in their communities

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—November 15, 2011— California Connects, a federally funded program designed to increase digital literacy and broadband access among underserved communities, is distributing laptops to 1,400 community college Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) students at 33 community colleges throughout California. This marks the second round of laptop distributions through this program, and advances an initiative to increase the number of broadband Internet users in California by more than 61,000 individuals by 2013.  

Students receiving the laptops are also provided intensive outreach and hands-on training, enabling them to educate others and ultimately help increase the number of California broadband Internet users. As community service, the MESA students teach others who lack access to or knowledge of navigating the Internet how to utilize it for essential tasks such as securing gainful employment, exploring higher education opportunities, accessing health and finance resources, engaging with social networks and advancing their general quality of life. 

The results of such an approach are already being felt throughout the state thanks to earlier distributions of laptops and training for community college MESA students. For Cañada College student, Xochi Rios, California Connects equipped her with the tools and training to share her knowledge, which she has passed on to family members and her community. 

“The California Connects program has been meaningful to me since it helped me make a difference in my community,” said Rios of her experience in the program. “The group of people I helped were grateful that there is a group of community members willing to train them on using the Internet, and they were so happy to be able to do small, every-day activities, such as receive emails from their children’s schools or keep in contact with friends and family through social networking sites.”

“This is a meaningful and valuable program that is helping to close the digital divide that still exists in many parts of California. Thanks to the laptops and training provided through California Connects, thousands of students throughout the state have helped their community members uncover new opportunities through Internet access. This program is helping people gain access to education or seek employment through channels that were previously unavailable to them,” said Keetha Mills, Interim President and CEO of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the statewide nonprofit that manages California Connects. 

To date, California Connects has provided 4,400 laptops in exchange for community service to MESA students, including those being distributed this week. An additional 1,400 will be distributed fall 2012. 

California Connects addresses a significant need and a widening digital divide that exists for many populations. A July 2011 study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that while the digital divide has narrowed significantly, a gap persists among some demographic groups. According to the study, the percentage of adults with a broadband connection at home declines with age and rises sharply with income and education. Across racial and ethnic groups, Latinos (55%) are the least likely to have a broadband connection (74% blacks, 76% Asians, 81% whites) or to use the Internet (70% Latinos, 85% blacks, 86% Asians, 92% whites). 

California Connects is funded by a $10.9 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The project was funded as part of more than $200 million in recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants specifically supporting California projects. Additional details about the program are available at www.CAconnects.org. 

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The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official non-profit foundation to the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office and is the grant administrator of California Connects. The Foundation’s mission is to benefit, support, and enhance the missions of the California Community College system, the largest higher education system in the nation. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation and receives no direct state or public support. For more information, visit www.foundationccc.org.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.89 million students per year. The system is also the largest provider of workforce training in the nation. Nearly 25 percent of all the community college students nationwide are enrolled in a California community college. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

California Community Colleges with MESA Programs Participating in California Connects:

• Allan Hancock College

• American River College

• Bakersfield College

• Butte College

• Cabrillo College

• Cañada College

• City College of San Francisco

• College of the Canyons

• College of the Desert

• College of the Sequoias

• College of the Siskiyous

• Cosumnes River College

• East Los Angeles College

• El Camino College

• Gavilan College

• Hartnell College

• Los Medanos College

• Mendocino College

• Mission College

• Napa Valley College

• Pasadena City College

• Rio Hondo College

• Sacramento City College

• San Diego City College

• San Joaquin Delta College

• Santa Ana College

• Santa Barbara City College

• Santa Rosa Junior College

• Skyline College

• Solano Community College

• Southwestern College

• Ventura College

• Yuba College