More than 100 early child care educators are getting access this year to new computer technology to grow their careers, manage child care facility operations and access online resources through an expansion of the Tech Goes Home program that began in Chattanooga seven years ago.
Founded through a partnership with the Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network, the new program is called Tech Goes Home Tennessee and is an expansion of technology and digital literacy program launched by The Enterprise Center in Chattanooga in 2015.
Already, the new program has a waiting list of 468 persons.
With the help of a $1.3 million grant for fiscal 2022 through the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, the new initiative aims to provide computers and training on how to use the internet for early childhood educators whose resources and time are often limited.
“Bridging the digital divide – especially for those who are educating the next generation – is imperative,” said Deb Socia, a former teacher and principal who is executive director of the Enterprise Center in Chattanooga. “This program not only provides opportunities for these valuable employees to access training and certifications for career growth but also ensures that they are equipped with everything they need to prepare the next generation for the future.”
Staff file photo / Deb Socia heads The Enterprise Center in Chattanooga, which is expanding its digital training program statewide with a new initiaitve for early childhood educators known as Tech Goes Home Tennessee.In an announcement of the new venture, Social said the program is expected to benefit 84 licensed preschool programs across Tennessee in the current fiscal year. The program will provide a 15-hour training course that aims to give early childhood educators the tools and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
“Our program not only empowers our early childhood educators with new knowledge and skills, it also helps validate them as professionals,” Christy Finley, one of the program directors for Tech Goes Home Tennessee, said in a statement.
Educators may be eligible to receive a computer tablet or other device to use in their classroom through the program. Others will get need assistance in learning how to navigate Google features, internet safety, and how to access educational tools for early childhood educators.
“This goes beyond equity and speaks to the viability and future of the Tennessee economy, to make sure our educators at every level have what they need to prepare our children for the rest of their lives,” Sammy Lowdermilk, another program director, said in a statement about Tech Goes Home Tennessee.
Patterned after a similar program in Boston, Chattanooga’s Tech Goes Home began in 2015 in Chattanooga and is operated by The Enterprise Center with funding from the city and county governments, along with private donors.
Tech Goes Home Chattanooga helps many disadvantaged persons get better access to technology and digital literacy skills. The program is being offered in schools, libraries, churches and community centers.
Upon completion of the course, participants in the program have been given the option in the past to purchase a new Chromebook for only $50.
– Compiled by Dave Flessner