No Child Left Offline

Anthony Richardson of Lorain knows why having access to technology is so vital.

Without it, he likely wouldn’t have graduated with honors from Admiral King High School. He probably wouldn’t have gone to Oberlin College. And, he certainly wouldn’t have graduated from The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

Anthony is fortunate. He was provided technology training from the Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County. Their program called Club Tech helps children expand into a high-technology world. Anthony is so thankful that he is now working as an employment specialist at the Boys and Girls Clubs’ Teen Center as he prepares for the Ohio bar exam.

There is still a long, long way to go, however, in helping many Ohio students cross the “digital divide.”

Fortunately, Connect Ohio and members of the Ohio Telecom Association are offering more help to community organizations like the Boys & Girls Club. On Feb. 23, Connect Ohio and the Ohio Telecom Association donated 400 new computers to more than 40 after-school and community organizations across the state through its No Child Left Offline program. Included in that list is the Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County which received its donation from Governor Ted Strickland himself last Friday.

Why after-school programs? Even though computers are universal in classrooms, nearly 20 million America school children do not have computers at their homes. According to Connect Ohio’s 2008 Ohio Residential Technology Assessment, more than 844,000 students throughout Ohio do not have home computers.

Furthermore, not having a home computer continues to be a leading barrier to Internet access in Ohio, especially among economically disadvantaged families. This means that thousands of disadvantaged students are missing the opportunity to participate in the educational, economic and civic opportunities just because they do not have a computer in the household.

By leveling this “virtual playing field,” even if it just through an after-school program, children of all ages and circumstances now have access to the same resources and skills that can help them discover their world.

Connect Ohio and the Ohio Telecom Association believe that all Ohio children need access to computers and broadband Internet. It will help them expand their creativity; perform better in school and eventually allow them to take their technology know-how into the workplace.

In short, having this access prepares them to learn and work in the 21st century global economy.

Just like Anthony.