Today, technology impacts almost every aspect of our lives. We go online to pay bills, track medical appointments, apply for jobs, check weather, or news and connect with family and friends. With that level of saturation, it’s hard to remember that in 1997 only 36 percent of households in America had a computer in the home. Only 18 percent of households had internet access. The growing difference in technical literacy between the “haves and have nots” even got a label – the “Digital Divide.” With an estimated 77 percent of jobs in 2020 requiring digital competency, closing the gap by providing education and access for children and adults, particularly those in underserved populations, is critical if all citizens are to enjoy the benefits of the new economy.
As the country continue to address the digital divide, this October we have the opportunity to recognize and applaud a local program which has gained a national reputation for helping over 7,000 people bridge the digital divide. On October 9, Fast Forward, a community technology center, will celebrate 20 years of continuous service in Columbia.
In 1999, a small group representing the City of Columbia, Midlands Technical College, Richland County School District 1, and United Way collaborated to develop and submit a proposal for a Community Technology Center (CTC) to the United States Department of Education.
Fast Forward would become one of 40 grantees across the nation, receiving a three-year grant. Twenty years later Fast Forward is one of only two CTCs funded by those grants that is sill operating.
Fast Forward got its start in a room in Hand Middle School. In the beginning, the target audience was mostly children and their families and senior citizens. Fast Forward would develop programs for youth, including state of the art technology summer camps, which utilized a number of youth volunteers. As technology within the schools became more mainstream, Fast Forward secured a new 3,000 square foot space on Devine Street with two labs and multiple portable labs located on two bus lines. The new location would be more accessible to adult clients, including homeless veterans.
While the target programs have changed with community needs, Fast Forward has continued to serve children and senior retirees, employed and underemployed, veterans and people with disabilities highlighted below:
•2,000 children attended summer camps and out of school programs
•2,500 adults attended classes or participated in programs
•2,250 veterans participated in programs
•1,000 veterans have been placed in jobs Why Should We Care?
Industry depends on a level of technical expertise to compete in the global economy. The absence of technology access is a preindicator of academic difficulties. A recent New York Comptroller study found that 42 percent of citizens without broadband access achieved less than a high school education. Digital competence is a critical component in finding a job and career advancement.
Now our lives are both enriched and burdened by our access. Without learning how to properly use and understand technology, our access can become overwhelming and even dangerous. We need to be able to find, create, evaluate, communicate and use information appropriately.
We should take pride in a locally developed program which has brought national recognition as a model program. Fast Forward was twice a national case study by the United States Department of Education and the America Connects Consortium. In March 2016, Michael H. Michaud, Assistant Secretary, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor visited Fast Forward. In late January 2019, Fast Forward was a stop on Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s “Dignity of Work Listening Tour”. Both its youth, their families and Executive Director Dee Albritton have received local and national awards.
What Can You Do to Help Fast Forward Bridge the Digital Divide?
If you are an employer, call about jobs you have open.
You can become a corporate or individual donor. In 2019 Fast Forward initiated an annual membership campaign. Contributions can be sent to Fast Forward or you can donate on the website at www.fastfowardctc.com.
You can donate a working bike for clients to get to work.
Call 803-343-2577 for more information.
We’ve come a long way since 1999. Access to technology has greatly increased. We have more power in our phones than we did in our 1999 desktop computers. With that access comes a need for knowledge to promote the responsible use of our technology.
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