Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Hispanic Center of Western Michigan seeks volunteers to help bridge gap between techie kids and parents who can't compute


Like many moms, Gildara Gaona of Grand Rapids wants to help her children with homework. She wants to monitor Facebook activity in their teen years, and someday guide them through the college application process. But first, she is working to conquer email.

Gaona is a recent graduate of the digital connectors class at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, a 15-week course teaching basic computer skills like Microsoft Word, Internet browsing, and email use.
“The digital divide in Kent County is huge,” said Jaenelle Ott, the adult education coordinator and lead teacher at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. “It creates inequality, and the gap continues to widen.”