Grant provides digital literacy access across the region

This article originally appeared on and was written for DRIVE by Golden Shovel Agency.

Over the past year, DRIVE partnered with the Bloomsburg Public Library and other libraries throughout the region to address a critical need: improving digital literacy. Residents in Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties registered for computer classes and one-on-one support to learn new skills and gain confidence in the digital world.

With a $125,000 grant from the 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation., DRIVE launched the Atlas Digital Navigator Program to help improve digital literacy across the region. The program covers a range of computer-related topics, and the funding was used to support teaching equipment, library fees, and the salary of Digital Literacy Educator Delia Rincón.

“We all had a first time using a computer,” says Rincón. “Most computers don’t come with a printed manual anymore, and the instructions for how to use the device are online. Without this program, people have to figure out how the computers work on their own.”

The Program Supported Learners of All Ages and Abilities 

Rincón helped students of all backgrounds develop skills they can use long after they leave her classroom. She has helped people as young as 17 and older than 90. The Atlas Digital Navigator Program was divided into five sessions. The first session covered the most basic elements of computer usage, including concepts like the keyboard and the mouse. As students completed each module, they learned more advanced skills like how to use different types of software, how to use the internet, and how to avoid fraud and scams.

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