A grant received by Operation: Be Proud will increase the agency’s ability to integrate technology and the skills needed to function in a technical society into the lives of the people it serves.

Monday, September 03, 2001

A grant received by Operation: Be Proud will increase the agency’s ability to integrate technology and the skills needed to function in a technical society into the lives of the people it serves.

The agency recently received a grant from Ameritech to purchase four more computers that will have Internet access. The computers are an addition to the four computers the agency already has in place, allowing more users to take advantage of the World Wide Web and the opportunities that exist in cyberspace.

Director of Operation: Be Proud, Susan Taylor, said the extra computers will also allow the agency to design workshops for adults.

She said many adults are computer illiterate, and because they don’t understand how to use technology they are at a disadvantage in today’s electronic society.

She said several businesses in the area, such as the teleservice firms that are booming in both West Virginia and Kentucky, require prospective employees to have some level of computer competency.

"Some people can’t turn a computer on," explained Taylor, and because they are without a base knowledge in using computers, they are at a disadvantage when trying to gain employment.

With the new computers and classes targeted at teaching adults fundamental computer use, area adults will have a better chance at finding employment.

B.J. Smith, the director of external affairs for Ameritech, said the grant was given by the company to "help bridge the digital divide" between people and technology.

She said the company provides grants to communities in their coverage area, with most of the grants relating to the communication technology field.

Taylor said the center serves about 75 families, mainly from Ironton and the surrounding communities.