{"id":1311,"date":"2026-03-12T20:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oakhillcollaborative.org\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2026-04-01T18:40:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:40:19","slug":"a-god-given-program-computer-classes-in-ashtabula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oakhillcollaborative.org\/index.php\/2026\/03\/12\/a-god-given-program-computer-classes-in-ashtabula\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cA God-Given Program\u201d Computer Classes in Ashtabula"},"content":{"rendered":"
Connecting residents creates pathways for success. Access to technology and educational resources are lacking across the State of Ohio, especially in the service area Oak Hill Collaborative serves. In Ashtabula County, OHC has been providing these services together with Connect Your Community<\/a> for nearly a year now.\u00a0<\/pre>\n
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Samuel Chatman, at the Ashtabula Community Technology Action Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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One year isn\u2019t enough time to resolve decades-long gaps in access, however, it is certainly enough time to begin making positive impacts in the daily lives of residents who have been disconnected for too long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Betty Jackson, who lives in Ashtabula\u2019s Metropolitan Housing, has never owned a computer, a laptop, or tablet. After suffering from a health incident and becoming disabled, she had been recommended to participate in OHC\u2019s programming to get out of the house and to stay active, which she greatly misses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Jackson began classes just to learn technology. Through the classes she attended, she also qualified to earn a free, refurbished laptop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve never owned a computer. It\u2019s amazing. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night going and getting on it. I can\u2019t believe I have one. It\u2019s been a blessing to me, you don\u2019t know how much it\u2019s occupied me, and my thinking, and everything,\u201d Jackson explained.<\/p>\n
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Now equipped with a laptop from OHC, she enjoys scrolling through Facebook, browsing shopping platforms, and reading up on medications she is prescribed. It’s a long way from where she started.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI didn\u2019t even know how to turn on the device,\u201d Jackson mentioned. With cost being the biggest reason she had never owned a device, she felt nervous to learn, feeling behind the curve. Now, she\u2019s exploring her interests with ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI love music. I have gotten so many old songs from the past,\u201d Jackson explained. \u201cI\u2019m going to make a ledger with all those old songs to play at birthday parties or picnics or barbecues when we throw down.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Cynthia Heath<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Like Jackson, Cynthia Heath has been trying to learn technology for years to help with her hobbies, such as embroidery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI was very excited about these classes and being able to get help,\u201d Heath said. \u201cI have an embroidery program that I\u2019m trying to learn. For two years I\u2019ve had different people try to help me learn [technology] to comprehend how to purchase a product, download it, extract it, put it in a file, in a folder \u2026 I\u2019m still learning. I love the fact we can come in after the initial program and they can help with any questions we have.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Health explained that the instructors, Antoinette and Stephen, are one of the best parts of Oak Hill Collaborative\u2019s programming, always able to help, answer questions, and remain patient.\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s anything that we have asked that they can\u2019t help us with. It\u2019s just wonderful, and this is all free, I mean it\u2019s amazing,\u201d Health said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Samuel Chatman, a retired veteran, helps his church in many ways, but when it came to technology-related tasks however, he needed somewhere to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t know much about navigating through a laptop, or my phone really,\u201d Chatman said. \u201cI wanted to learn how to use [Microsoft] Excel to make a chart for my church, the functions that go on.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Chatman, who earned a laptop through OHC\u2019s Hardware 4 Homes Program thanked OHC for the opportunities we brought to the community, the classes, and its instructors.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI would just like to thank you all for the programs and what you\u2019re doing for the community. This has to be a God-given program, because people don\u2019t just give out computers because they\u2019re very expensive. Plus, you\u2019re taking time to show [residents] how to use it if they don\u2019t know already,\u201d Chatman explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Classes in Ashtabula are at the Ashtabula Community Technology Action Center two days a week. Registration is required. To register for classes, please call (330) 406-0731 or click the link below:<\/p>\n
Ashtabula Computer Class Registration \u2013 Fill out form<\/a><\/p>\n
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Want to support our programming? View our donation options by clicking the button below!<\/h2>\n
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