Program Benchmarks
-
30 Virtual Classes
-
300 Students Enrolled
-
300% Enrollment Increase
2020 STUDENTS+PROGRAM | ROLE OF VOLUNTEERS | STUDENT SUCCESS+DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE | FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT | SPONSORS+COLLABORATORS | REPORT ARCHIVE
CORE volunteer instructor teaches basic computer skills to bridge the digital divide for adult students in Northern Virginia.
People of Color
Average Age
Women
Students come from diverse backgrounds of experience, education, and nationality. In fact, CORE students come from nearly around the world, representing 97 countries of origin. Most have low-paying jobs, and zero or limited computer literacy—while sharing a common goal to improve their careers and lives through the skills they learn at CORE.
But what happens when a pandemic strikes and students can no longer attend classes to learn how to get online and improve their skills?
CORE went to work on their program. While the fundamental skills remained the same, CORE’s training curriculum underwent adaptations to meet new needs in a virtual classroom. CORE’s dedicated team of volunteer instructors were instrumental in planning an expanded curriculum of 30 virtual classes in five key categories.
30 Virtual Classes
300 Students Enrolled
300% Enrollment Increase
New space in Arlington’s Ballston Exchange allowed for socially distanced volunteer appreciation event, meetings, and is ready for a return to classes [Read article]
Partnerships with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC), and Code Beats coding camp expanded CORE’s reach and ability to bridge the digital divide [Read article]
Volunteer Instructors got creative, adapting lessons to be taught online via Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet
Class registration moved online as the team reached out to students with steps for how to continue classes virtually
Laptop donations to students in need began within a month of Virginia’s COVID-19 shutdown so all students could join virtual classes—class fee was waived to allow equal access for everyone during the crisis
A new lead refurbishment volunteer established an onsite computer lab and prepared over 300 laptops for distribution to students between July and December
Tech volunteer renewed CORE’s Microsoft licensing as a certified Third Party Refurbisher
Volunteer Profile
Lead refurbishment volunteer Lonnie Henley joined CORE in July 2020 and proved instrumental in getting students online. Not only refurbishing over 300 computers for distribution to students, but also he began building a refurbishment team.
A retired Army officer, civil servant, and West Point graduate, Lonnie spent 40 years in defense intelligence, in and out of uniform. Lonnie has been an avid computer hobbyist since building his first Heathkit PC in the early 1980s, hence his deep interest in helping others develop tech skills.
CORE consistently serves students well, even during unprecedented times. A small but mighty staff continued to push forward. Dedicated volunteers helped in generous new ways. Sponsors and donors continued to have trust in CORE’s ability to deliver an effective program. As a result, students not only learned, but thrived!
(Highest percentage of our students achieve this goal!)
The shutdown of our regular services on March 13, caused by COVID-19 has allowed Computer CORE time for deep introspection as an organization as we work to build up the resilience of our adult students to enter or re-enter the workforce, and provide a bridge to improve their career potential.
Just logging into a home computer and working from home is now so obviously a luxury reserved for those with broadband, a computer, and the right skills to have one of those work-from-home (WFH) jobs.
Since that time, CORE’s dedicated classroom team worked hard to address these problems for our students who are among the people hit hardest by the crisis. Step by step we worked to build a bridge across the deepening divide between those who have digital access and those who don’t. Through a gradual process, we have brought back most of our students, many more new ones, and a significant number of our volunteer instructors.
We have done things we have never done before, taught classes we have never taught before, brought in new volunteers in different ways, and re-examined long-standing practices. In time, we’ve gotten to know our students better than ever before through introductions, and constant reintroductions, on Zoom.
Accordingly, we’ve had a chance for students to learn the functions of Zoom chat and to Zoom-raise their hands in order for all of us to fully participate in classroom conversations. In addition to our students, our staff, interns, and volunteer teachers have likewise continued learning and adapted to new methods despite these trying times.
Time will tell what the “new normal” will look like, but surely it will encompass much of what we all learned together in 2020, bridging across the digital divide to lead to new opportunities.
Without a doubt, our 2020 students will now remember—along with all the tech-savvy people in the world—the days and months when they first used Zoom!
Excerpted from article by Donna Walker James published in the VCU Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center Newsletter, PROGRESS: Vol.30, No.4.
2020 MAJOR SPONSORS
ACT for Alexandria
Baker Tilly Foundation
Comcast
E*TRADE
The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
The Rotary Club
2020 COLLABORATORS
Together We Bake
Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington
Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH)
The Dream Project
Casa of Northern Virginia
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV)
National Older Worker Career Center (NOWCC)
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
Alexandria Workforce Development Center
COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIPS
Arlington Chamber
Alexandria Chamber
Connected DMV
National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)
Women in Tech