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Wilkinsburg
Digital Inclusion Project
Inclusion through Internet Access
150 Families Served
*as of July 2022
About the Project
The Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion project seeks to positively impact the life of families in our community by helping them bridge the digital divide. The project is made possible through a grant from the Eden Hall Foundation and is managed by Computer Reach.
The project will provide an internet device with a year's worth of internet access to qualifying participants for free.
Qualifying participants will receive all of the following at no cost to them:
An internet device with a year's worth of unlimited internet access
In-person device setup and orientation
Ongoing virtual, phone, or in-person device & digital literacy support
Who Qualifies
To participate in this program you must:
Be a Wilkinsburg Borough resident
who has K-12 or College Student living at home
or is an expectant/new mother
or babysits k-12 children
How to participate
The process is simple:
Step 1: Parent please fill out the Registration form below.
Step 2: Once your form is processed, you will receive a call from our team to schedule your device set up and orientation session at your residence.
Step 3: After that, you will be ready to start using your internet device and will have access to ongoing tech support.
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Register
Parent Please fill out this form and a Computer Reach team member will reach out to you as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I am an expectant mother?
Do I still qualify to be part of the project?
Yes! If you are expecting, then you automatically qualify to be part of this project.
Is the device, internet access, and the support really free?
The device, internet access, and support ARE COMPLETELY FREE TO THE QUALIFYING PARTICIPANTS.
There are no and there won't be any fees, hidden costs, or any type of charges to the participants at any point.
How do you calculate the duration of the service?
We estimate the one year service from the moment after the completion of the device set up and orientation session (which takes place at your residence).
What happens after the one year free internet access ends?
Computer Reach and its partners will provide funding to renew the service at no cost to the participant.
Can you tell me more about the Wi-Fi hotspot device you are offering to participants?
The Wi-Fi device is a Franklin T-9 Mobile Hotspot. These are its key features:
- Connects Up to 15 Wi-Fi Enabled Devices
- Extended High-speed LTE Internet
- User-friendly Display
- Pocket-sized, Lightweight Device
- Portable: you can take the device with you wherever you need.
What does Ongoing Support mean?
This means that if you were to have any issues with the device, you can reach out to us and Computer Reach will provide tech support over the phone, virtually and in-person, if needed.
This quality and timely support is free to you through our Digital Navigator service.
You can access our support services by following this link:
https://www.computerreach.org/getsupport/
You can also access our Digital Literacy Support page here:
https://support.computerreach.org/
What happens if the device breaks or stops working?
If your device breaks, or stops working, and we are unable to fix it, we will provide you with a new device in a timely manner and at no cost to you.
How many devices will be provided by the project?
We plan to provide 200 devices to qualifying participants. One device per household and while supplies last in a first-come, first-served basis.
Community Outreach
Computer Reach, and its partners, are committed to making sure all underserved Wilkinsburg families are able to learn more and participate of our Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project; thus we continue to reach out and meet with community stakeholders and local officials in Wilkinsburg.
Dave Sevick, Computer Reach's Executive Director &
John Antinori, Wilkinsburg Borough Manager
Sam Garfinkel, Meta Mesh Wireless Communities Executive Director &
Dave Sevick
Will Perez , Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager &
Sam Garfinkel
Jen Blatz, Computer Reach's Business Development,
Sharon Watkins, Partner4Work & Cassandra Masters, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
Outreach at the Wilkinsburg Community Ministry
Wilkinsburg Community Ministry provides services to approximately 5,000 residents per year, including senior citizens, citizens with disabilities, at-risk youth, and families who are economically challenged, unemployed, under-employed or facing emergency situations.
Dave Sevick, Computer Reach Executive Director, Will Perez, Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager, Ruth Kittner,
Wilkinsburg Community Ministry Executive Director, Joe Davis, Wilkinsburg Community Ministry Member-at-large
The Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project registration table at Wilkinsburg Community Ministry's Food pantry.
Outreach at the Wilkinsburg Family Support Center
Wilkinsburg Family Support Center Family support is a family-focused approach to human service delivery. It is community based and there are no eligibility requirements for participation. As opposed to identifying and fixing what is wrong, family support focuses on identifying and building upon family strengths.
Phylicia Tarpley, Director of Wilkinsburg Family Support Center, & Will Perez, Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager
Outreach at Wellness for Wilkinsburg
This was event hosted by Royally Fit, which provides health and wellness resources to neighborhoods that disproportionately lack access to these resources. It was great opportunity to meet our Wilkinsburg families right where they live.
Aquene Watkins-Wise, Royally Fit's Chief Advocating Officer, & Will Perez, Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager
Amil Cook, Director of Technology Programs & Curriculum Community Forge & BootUp, & Will Perez, Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager
Project Resource Center
Our Partners
Contact
Will Perez
Wilkinsburg Digital Inclusion Project Manager
Computer Reach
digitalwilkinsburg@computerreach.org
412.444.8816
Ext. 3
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Hablamos Español
Este programa también está disponible para familias de habla hispana.
Haga click para registrarse en español
Haga click para Información sobre el proyecto en Español
Si desea recibir información en español sobre el proyecto, por favor sírvase contactar a
Will Pérez
digitalwilkinsburg@computerreach.org
412.444.8816
Ext. 3