Marylanders Online Newsletter
August 2024 | Volume 2 | Issue 8
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UME Marylanders Online Fiscal Year 2024 Report:
Transforming Lives through Digital Literacy
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Discover how Marylanders Online is closing the digital divide in the Fiscal Year 2024 Report - available now!
Key highlights from FY24 include:
💡Trained 320 digital navigators, including 30 individuals with low vision or blindness
🛜 Expanded digital connectivity and access for 5,404 Marylanders through 89 ACP events and 155 device distributions
💻 Provided digital skills training to 1,400 Marylanders
☎️ Handled 17,120 helpline calls, including1,545 calls for Spanish speakers
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Marylanders Online thanks all the partners who have contributed to the success of this project. Together, we are working to ensure that both present and future Marylanders have the opportunity to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital world. | |
The 2024 Maryland Statewide Digital Equity Summit is on October 15th
Now in its second year, the 2024 Maryland Statewide Digital Equity Summit will be held on Tuesday, October 15th at the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore. This year's event will center around the theme, "Beyond the Divide: Best Practices & Collaborative Strategies in Digital Equity" and will offer a dynamic lineup of panel discussions with ample networking opportunities. View the summit agenda
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Maryland Digital Equity Champion Award Nomination Form is Live
The Maryland Digital Equity Champion Awards recognize individuals or organizations that have demonstrated exceptional work advancing access to reliable, affordable internet, digital skills, and appropriate devices throughout Maryland.
A special awards ceremony honoring Maryland's Digital Equity Champions will take place on October 15th as part of the 2024 Maryland Statewide Digital Equity Summit.
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Nominees will meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrated innovation in addressing and solving digital inequities
- Demonstrated dedication to serving communities and target populations who are most in need of digital inclusion services
- Demonstrated leadership, collaboration, and willingness to share their best practices with other digital inclusion service providers
- Utilized core principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work
- Demonstrated the use of data and evaluation to shape digital inclusion programs and share best practices
- Engaged in sustainable work that can be scaled and replicated by others
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2024 Cultivating Innovation in Maryland’s Agriculture and Technology Conference
The future of farming is here - learn about the groundbreaking technology that's revolutionizing the ag and farm industry. Register for the 2024 Cultivating Innovation in Maryland's Agriculture and Technology Conference on December 12th in Annapolis and enjoy an exciting day filled with exploration into the current and emerging technologies transforming efficiency, profitability, and the future of the agricultural sector.
Learn more or add this event to your Google Calendar.
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Marylanders Online in Action | | |
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Faith-Based Partnerships for Digital Inclusion
Marylanders Online has partnered with St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church to set up a computer lab and provide ongoing digital skills training for the community. Thanks to this collaboration between the parish team and the University of Maryland Extension, there are now 26 desktop computers available and free for community members to use.
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Marylanders Online Presents at the IEEE in AZ
In July, Instructional Designer Uhjin Sim presented at the IEEE ICICLE 2024 Learning Engineering Conference in Arizona. The presentation highlighted the scalability, personalization, and overall impact of the Pratt Adventure & Beyond curriculum, emphasizing its role in creating a sustainable ecosystem for digital literacy.
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Library Digital Navigator Training Continues
The UME Marylanders Online partnership with the Enoch Pratt Free Library continues to thrive. Six sessions in and the Pratt digital navigators are well on their way to developing expertise in digital equity. A big thank you to former Tech Educator Blaise for launching this program and to Naimani for continuing the incredible work! Learn more about the Pratt Adventure & Beyond initiative.
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Digital Wins for Western Maryland
The Marylanders Online team was on the ground in Western Maryland throughout July helping folks get set up and comfortable with their new devices in July. From initial device setup to ongoing tech support, Marylanders Online digital navigators provide resource navigation in English, Spanish, and other languages upon request.
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Digital SkillsTaking Flight
Tech Educator Gabriel Ferraro took his class on a field trip to the College Park Aviation Museum with the College Park Civic Association - showing that digital skills can be learned anywhere.
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Digital Navigator Helpline: A Growing Success
From January to July 2024, the Marylanders Online tech helpline handled 10,902 English calls and 1,675 Spanish calls, totaling year-to-date 12,577 calls. This is a 2887% year-over-year increase, as the first seven months of 2023 saw only 421 calls.
There has been a total of 18,669 calls to the Marylanders Online helpline since April 2023 when the free service began.
Meet our Digital Navigators or Contact the Helpline by calling toll-free 1-866-206-8467.
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Pooja Upadhyay
Ph.D. Student with INFO
Pooja is a PhD student at the University of Maryland's College of Information (INFO). Her main interest is in the topic of the digital divide, especially as it relates to older technology users and the trajectory of information and communication technology (ICT) development. Pooja’s past work involved over four years of research with older Americans to understand their ICT needs and concerns, and how they tap into resources in their social environments to fulfill these ICT-related needs. Pooja's interests led her to explore the diversity of research around the digital divide, learning how this problem is being conceptualized and what solutions are being explored.
Pooja has a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction and a past career in designing clothing for retail in India. We are very grateful to bring Pooja onto the team!
Meet the rest of the UME Marylanders Online team here.
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Marylanders Online Resources | |
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Chromebook device recipients who are receiving an error upon boot-up may need to update the device's operating system (OS). Marylanders Online Digital Navigators are offering free virtual and in-person appointments to help users with this process.
Appointments can be scheduled by visiting https://go.umd.edu/OSAppointment. Support is available in English and Spanish, with other languages upon request. Learn more.
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Get Help Resources
These self-guided learning resources connect learners with free trainings, tutorials, and guides to learn computer basics, how to communicate online, connect to the internet, find jobs, and use government services.
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Give Help Resources
Level up your digital literacy skills and assist others in doing the same. These resources includes trainings, tutorials, and other instructional materials to help digital navigators and other digital equity partners build digital literacy in their communities.
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Digital Literacy Resource Mapping
We invite all digital literacy practitioners to share the digital inclusion resources and programming available in your organization or community.
Complete the resource form here: https://go.umd.edu/MD-Resources.
Thank yuou for contributing to the advancement of digital equity in Maryland!
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Tech Support Helpline
Any person residing in Maryland can connect with Marylanders Online, a free, statewide digital literacy project through the University of Maryland Extension (UME) in partnership with the College of Information (INFO) that offers computer help, digital skills classes, resources, tech support, and more. Learn more at www.MarylandersOnline.umd.edu.
Connect with Marylanders Online today to access free resources and support for
- Computers, tablets, and cell phones
- Getting on the Internet or Wi-Fi
- Finding digital skills classes and training
- Self-guided digital skills learning
- Applying for government services
- Digital navigator resources
- Advancing digital inclusion in your community
The toll-free Marylanders Online Helpline can be reached at 1-866-206-8467 Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or by emailing marylandersonline@umd.edu. Support is available in English and Spanish, with other languages upon request. Learn more.
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University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact your local University of Maryland Extension Office.
Nine Agency Rule Notifications - USDA Notice to Beneficiaries - Marylanders Online
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