Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) was recently awarded $10,000 from the AT&T Foundation to support the college’s Digital Navigator Program. The initiative is designed to help connect local students to affordable, high-speed internet and provide resources to improve digital literacy.
AT&T Foundation representative Kathleen Evans presented the $10,000 check to CCC&TI’s President Dr. Mark Poarch, CCC&TI Foundation Executive Director, Marla Christie, College Transfer and Student Success Dean, Paula Rash and CCC&TI’s Transitional Studies directors and instructors, Shari Brown, Julie Couch, Megan Norwood and Tammy Sanders.
The Digital Navigator Program is a key component of the broader AT&T Connected Learning initiative, aiming to increase access to, and understanding of, technology. In 2023, AT&T committed $5 billion to narrow the digital divide and help underserved communities, including families, students and seniors, to overcome barriers to connectivity.
Locally, the grant will provide funds for mobile hotspots, Digital Navigator training for instructors and directors, workshops for students and community members, and the purchase of dedicated equipment and technology to support the program’s goals.
These funds will also allow CCC&TI to provide free one-on-one assistance from Digital Navigators who will help students gain experience with workplace technology, and provide tips and training on resume writing, using email, completing online forms and the use of basic productivity tools. Students will also learn how to perform online job searches, complete online job applications and more. The combined efforts will support CCC&TI’s mission to reduce digital equity gaps, improve workforce readiness, and ensure that students have the digital skills necessary for success in education, employment and everyday life.
“CCC&TI extends our sincere gratitude to AT&T for their generous support and continued commitment to closing the digital divide. This investment will directly support our mission to expand digital access, build essential technology skills, and strengthen workforce readiness for adult learners and community members,” said Poarch. “CCC&TI is thrilled to be included in this initiative. Thank you so much to AT&T for their generosity and commitment which will allow us to deepen and expand this impactful work.”
CCC&TI is one of eight North Carolina community colleges to receive the grant from the AT&T Foundation to address the digital skills divide across the state and remove more barriers to success for North Carolinians. Research from the National Skills Coalition estimated that up to 91 percent of jobs in North Carolina require workers to have digital skills. The research further emphasized that individuals who obtain a job that requires at least one digital skill earn up to 23 percent more than individuals employed in a job that requires no digital skills.
“At AT&T, we believe that connecting changes everything,” President of AT&T North Carolina Trey Rabon said. “Access to digital skills is essential for education, employment and full participation in today’s economy. Through our support of the Digital Navigators Program, AT&T is proud to collaborate with the North Carolina Community College System to help expand access to technology training and resources for communities across the state.”
To learn more about Digital Navigator workshops or resources available to students and the community, visit www.cccti.edu or call 828-726-2200 (Caldwell) or 828-297-3811 (Watauga).