Southwest Human Resource Agency Continues to Bridge the Digital Divide
By: Hannah Thompson
On Friday, February 20th, nine students completed Southwest Human Resource Agency’s computer literacy program at the Bolivar-Hardeman County Library. Each student was awarded a certificate and a Chromebook. Mayor Pulse even made an appearance to congratulate the students on their achievement.
The class, led by Erin Pickle and Chasity Cruz, featured three days of three hour sessions. Throughout the course, each student learned how to individualize their chromebooks.
Erin, Southwest’s Tech Help Coordinator, shared that the curriculum for the class includes objectives like adjusting the font size, accessing hearing and visual impairment settings, and navigating all the Google apps (Play Store, Gmail, Google Calendar, etc.) “We also teach them about cybersecurity and encourage internet safety. The only app we allow them to install is the Libby App.” (Which all of the students will be able to access now after also signing up for library cards upon completion of their program!)
Southwest’s computer literacy program began right after the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2021, before Hardeman County had countywide internet. Erin shared that in the beginning, computer literacy was not the only problem: internet access was the primary issue. “The Senior and disabled population are at a disadvantage; most of the services they are in need of have to be accessed online.”
“I am excited again this year to partner with Southwest Human Resource Agency and sponsor this program. This is a great program for our seniors,” said Mayor Pulse. “They will learn valuable instruction in computer literacy.”
Since 2021, Southwest Human Resource Agency has been able to teach about 200 Hardeman County residents about computer literacy.
“We try to have at least one computer class each month somewhere in the county. We are hoping to partner with TCAT in Whiteville and start classes there,” said Erin.
In addition to group classes, Southwest offers specialists who provide homebound computer classes. If you know someone who would be interested in computer classes, you can enroll by visiting the Southwest Human Resource Agency at 202 Hope Street Bolivar, TN or online at www.swhra.org. Local libraries also have applications available.
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