Summary: If your public, academic, school, or special library would be interested in access to a Digital Skills Learning Platform (maybe this: Northstar Digital Literacy) that would allow your library to become a site location for sharing digital literacy skills with your adult patrons (especially covered populations), please fill out the interest survey at this link: https://forms.office.com/g/XNMCzLuQPd as soon as you can.

Sharing this detailed message below from our friends at Labor & Industry to gauge PA library interest in a collaborative project:

A collaborative of Pennsylvania agencies is investigating the purchase of an online Digital Skills Learning Platform that would help facilitate training programs across the state. We are considering ways to provide access to this platform free of charge to a wide variety of service providers and community-based organizations across the state to be used with the individuals they serve on a regular basis.

 

By providing this tool free of charge to community-based organizations, reentry organizations, religious-based organizations, cultural-based organizations or to other community hubs, we can assist individuals in boosting their digital literacy skills in a location they already access and feel a level of comfort. Digital Literacy skills are important to the health and safety of our citizens as it expands access to many basic needs such as health, employment, education, safety, or other vital needs.

 

The learning platform would provide a comprehensive curriculum that covers digital skills and online safety, as well as providing self-administered pre- and post-assessments that allows both participants and providers the ability to track skills growth. The curriculum is appropriate for both distance learning and for use in a classroom environment.

 

Please complete the survey at https://forms.office.com/g/XNMCzLuQPd to register your organization’s interest in using an online Digital Skills Learning Platform by Tuesday (9/10). This short survey has been designed to gather basic information and should only take a few minutes to complete; and your response does not commit you to future participation in the project.

 

Your timely response is very important and will be used to support a federal grant application that would provide funding for this initiative. The PA Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) is collaborating with the PA Department of Education, Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Aging, and Department of Corrections in preparing the application.

 

Because the purchase of the digital learning platform would be supported through federal grant funds, L&I would require that a 10% contribution of an organization’s registration fees for the platform be provided as an “in-kind match”. An in-kind match refers to a contribution of goods or services, other than cash, that an organization would provide to support the program. We do not currently have an exact amount of this in-kind contribution, but we anticipate that offering the platform statewide will keep the contribution relatively small. These contributions may take many forms including, but not limited to:

• Staff/Volunteer Time: The value of staff and volunteer hours contributed to the project can be used as an in-kind match.
• Use of Space: If an organization provides space for the project, such as a classroom, meeting room, or some other venue, the value of this space can be considered an in-kind contribution.
• Use of Equipment: If an organization provides computers and internet access for participants, this use of technology may be counted as an in-kind contribution.

An example may help illustrate how in-kind contributions can be calculated. In this example, a library decides to host digital learning hours in its computer lab. During this time the library assigns a staff member to be on-site as an instructor and to assist learners in gaining computer access and getting online to use the digital learning platform. In this example, there are several contributions that may be considered in-kind including the staff member’s hours, the physical use of the computer lab, and may also include charges for the actual computer used by the participant as well as any related internet access costs. If a foreign language translator is made available for the program, their time may also be considered an in-kind contribution for assisting non-English speakers who may be participating.

 

L&I encourages applicants to thoroughly consider other potential sources of in-kind contributions as outlined in federal regulations; and will also be available to discuss potential options for in-kind contributions that meet grant requirements. Send any questions about this opportunity to L&I’s Bureau of Workforce Development Administration (BWDA) Special Projects unit at RA-LIBWDA-SPCPRGRMS@pa.gov, please include “Digital Equity” in the email subject line.

Thanks for your consideration of this idea.  Libraries are community anchor institutions.  Help PA make progress on the path toward digital equity. Read and take actions to help fulfill the goals of PA’s Broadband Plan and Digital Equity Plan.