ISU and Heartland Community College partner for Digital Literacy Week

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University is teaming up with Heartland Community College for Digital Literacy Week, to promote community access and knowledge of technology.

“This will be our second year in the partnership. Last year, we partnered for digital skills training as well as device distributions. The folks at Heartland lead a number of trainings and so we had over 70 people across Heartland’s three campuses that participated in skills training,” Director of Programs and Partnership Harriett Steinbach said. 

Steinbach also leads the initiative Broadband Ready, which works with the University of Illinois Extension office, the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, and Heartland Community College to reach those in the neighboring counties.

“So this year we are expanding our efforts,” Steinbach said. “This initiative that ISU leads comes from a grant through the Illinois Broadband lab and the Illinois Office of Broadband, and we are supposed to engage the entire north central economic region in the state of Illinois, so that’s ten counties, and last year we really focused on the areas where Heartland is as well as Peoria.”

Broadband works with public libraries to work on skills training and device distribution. The skills training includes using applications like email apps or Excel, or even learning how to use a mouse. They also cover avoiding scammers, applying for jobs and making appointments.  

“So when folks do have all of those things, they can access the resources they need to be happy and healthy and provide for families and work and engage with our communities,” Steinbach said.

The initiative’s purpose is to provide quality internet access and ability so that users can have their medical records and other necessary items that may have been moved online.