About Our Project:

California Connects, a three-year program, aims to increase digital literacy and Internet usage and adoption in California through training, access, and resources, with an emphasis on the Central Valley, where there is a high concentration of disconnected residents. Widespread broadband adoption in the Central Valley is hindered by physical/location, lack of access, financial hardship, inadequate exposure to technical education, and cultural barriers.

California Connects breaks down these barriers by increasing the awareness of public computing centers, educating new users about affordable broadband options, providing training in multiple languages, and educating users about how the internet affects their lives. Broadband adoption will increase residents’ access to services and resources in areas such as personal finance, health care, and social services, as well as provide an avenue for maintaining family and community ties online. This initiative aims to gain 61,120 new broadband users trained in digital literacy with 9,168 Californians becoming new broadband adopters.

This project is funded through a two-year grant of$10,944,843 from the U.S Department of Commerce’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

Our Mission:

California Connects also proposes to:

Equip 5,800 community college Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science (MESA) students throughout the state with a laptop computer, broadband access, Microsoft training and certification, and digital literacy training to serve statewide as Community Trainers for their families and other community members.
Enlist a cadre of 18 Community Trainers to conduct outreach and digital literacy training specifically for Central Valley residents across 18 counties who currently do not have access to broadband technology.
Develop open-access, online digital literacy tools that can be used at anytime in libraries, public computing centers, homes, schools, colleges, and places of business.
Conduct a formal evaluation of broadband access, use, and adoption for educational, employment, and economic advancement.

Project Partners:

American River College of the Los Rios Community College District
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
The Great Valley Center
International Computer Science Institute, UC Berkeley

Contact:

Dr. Elisa Orosco Anders

Foundation for California Community Colleges

1102 Q ST 3rd FL

Sacramento, CA 958116549

eorosco@foundationccc.org