On July 10, Oak Hill Collaborative hosted its first class in the latest Digital Learning Center at Springfield Fire Station 21.
OHC saw an increase of four new students from its first class to its most recent held July 17, and plans to keep growing in numbers.
“The Springfield Township attendance has exceeded my expectations, word of mouth has been one of the best tools we could have hoped for and it worked miraculously. Make sure you tell your friends, neighbors or anyone who may need this kind of assistance,” said Sarah Russell, a digital navigator and outreach specialist for OHC. “Our students’ enthusiasm has enhanced our class over the past week, and we’re excited to see students attend”
Students over the past few weeks have begun connecting and chatting more often as well. OHC encourages a “partner compatibility” learning style for anyone who may be nervous. If a student would like to bring their husband, wife, child or friend to learn alongside, OHC is more than welcome to the idea.
Students are also encouraged to make new friends and partner up. Last week after class, a group of returning students stayed for a bit after class ended to chat over some doughnuts and coffee.
Russell said that since Springfield Township is a more rural location, its important students let other community members know about the program, especially if they know someone who does not already have internet access or has expressed interest in learning computers.
The first two classes in Springfield Township covered Intro to Laptop and Email Basics. Coming up on July 24, OHC will cover an introduction course on Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft Excel is an online spreadsheet application. Students interested in learning how to properly budget, organize and prepare functions have continuously shown interest in learning Excel, and OHC is excited to bring its intro course to Springfield.
Classes in Springfield Township will be every Wednesday, and start at 5:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is not required, but if interested, students are more than welcome to call ahead and leave a name, phone number and other important information.
Students interested in pre-registering may also visit oakhillcollaborative.org and click on the “Register for Classes” button on the Home page.
Springfield Township residents who complete five courses at Springfield’s Fire Station 21 qualify for a free, refurbished laptop through our Hardware for Homes Program.
Students who are interested in the Hardware for Homes Program but are not Springfield residents may qualify at another location. For more information, call our main branch at (330) 406-0731.
Next week, Russell will be joined by our digital navigators Terri Singleton and Kelly Baer.
For any other questions, concerns or more information, emails are welcome at:
sarah@oakhillcollaborative.org or oakhillcollaborative@gmail.com
