"Digital Connectors" graduate in Tulare County, Calif.

2010-2011 Digital Connectors class

The 2010-2011 Digital Connectors class is set to graduate in a ceremony at Orosi High School, in rural Tulare County, Calif., in June 2011.  These “connectors” are highly engaged, with top level students headed towards quality higher education, often being the first in the family to do so.  Many of them seniors, “senioritis” has not impacted their enthusiasm for the program!

The Digital Connectors Program is part of the 21^st Century Community Initiative, a joint project of Rural LISC partner Self-Help Enterprises, Inc., (Visalia, Calif.) and One Economy Corporation, a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of technology and information to improve the quality of life in low- income communities.  The 12 month course engages youth ages 14-18 in subjects like Leadership Development, Community Marketing and Training, Life Skills Management, Computer Distribution and Refurbishment, and Digital Arts and Media.  It also requires students to volunteer at least 100 hours in their community. 

Incorporating strategies based around all five of LISC’s Building Sustainable Communities goals, Self-Help Enterprises implemented the initiative in Cutler-Orosi, a rural unincorporated area of Tulare County, with a population of around 16,000, 87% Hispanic.  It is the first such designated community in rural California.  The program has been strikingly successful, and is being expanded beyond its initial scope.