Digital Divide

Start the New Year off on the right foot by VOLUNTEERING for the InternetCoast!!!

The InternetCoast has big plans this year, but we need your help to MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Specifically we have the following "committees":

Events - We have 2 major events planned this year, one in the spring and one in the fall
Research Report - We are updating and expanding the prior reports we completed in 2000 and 2005.
Funding/Grants - We have identified a couple of areas to apply
Digital Divide - Continuing to drive regional cooperation
Marketing- The lifeblood of the InternetCoast, our website will go through a complete redesign this year

If you are interested in any of these, please forward your contact information and interest area to markwyllie@internetcoast.com

Chair – Fred Hicks fhicks@cscbroward.org  

Mission: Provide education and access to technology in under-served communities to help strengthen these communities and to improve the quality of life for all South Florida residents.

Digital Divide refers to the gap between individuals who can effectively use new information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who cannot. 

The primary focus has been creating programs to bridge the Digital Divide in South Florida. We want to move the Digital Divide to “Digital Provide.” Part of the objective is to assist small business and entrepreneurs with education and training, start-up support and business development.  The InternetCoast Economic Development Advisory Council received two grants from the Agency for Workforce Innovation totaling $1.6 million to develop Digital Divide programs for the region. The following outlines program details.

The InternetCoast Economic Development Advisory Council hired RES Business Education & Training Corp. to perform the required services of this grant. 

Partnerships were formed with several community groups to provide career preparation activities, job shadowing and internship activities for 900 economically disadvantaged 14-21 year old youths.

The employer outreach portion of the Career Paths for Youth Program involved a  three-tiered effort involving community commerce leaders, business owners, and non-profit organizations charged with the mission of providing opportunities for professional development.  In less than six months, the program served 1,054 youths through collaboration with both private and public partners.

A pre-assessment and post-assessment tool was used to measure the changes in attitude, behavior and performance for participants. Measurable gains were realized in all program categories. The assessment tool effectively measured 11 critical competencies for job seekers.