Connect Ohio Awards Computer to Hardin County Participant of Free Statewide Internet Training Program

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-214-6755 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2011

Twelve Ohioans were randomly selected to receive a new laptop computer following completion of the free computer-training program

COLUMBUS – On Tuesday, July 26, Connect Ohio presented Thelma Young of Kenton with a new laptop computer during a short media event at Forest-Jackson Public Library. Young was selected as a winner in a random drawing following her participation in the Every Citizen Online (ECO) program, a free statewide basic computer and Internet training program.

“The training helped me out a lot,” said Young. “I have a desktop computer at home, but I didn’t really know what all could be done on the computer and the Internet.”

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit public-private partnership, is distributing a total of 12 new laptop computers to Ohio adults who completed the Every Citizen Online free basic computer-training program between April 5 and June 20, 2011. Program participants completed an online survey following the training and were entered into the random drawing giveaway.

“We’re very excited to have one of our students win a computer,” said Karen Moore, library director. “The ECO program has been very well received within our community. We are continuing to schedule free computer classes and have openings in our next class scheduled for Monday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 10.”

Connect Ohio has partnered with more than 200 libraries, community colleges, education and career centers across the state to offer the Every Citizen Online training. More than 8,000 adults have already taken advantage of the training since it launched in late December 2010. The training consists of 2 hours each of Basic Introduction to Computers, An Introduction to the Internet, and Tools and Benefits of using the Internet. Participants are helped to establish an e-mail account and provided with additional training resources to help them continue to learn and use information available online. Connect Ohio plans to train a total of 200,000 Ohioans by program completion in December 2012.

The next Every Citizen Online training class at Forest-Jackson Public Library, located at 102 W. Lima Street, Forest, is scheduled for August 8 and 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information and to register for classes, call the library at 419-273-2400.

Additional training locations can be found by calling 1-855-NOW-I-CAN (669-42260) or by visiting http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/training_facilities.php.

Contest rules and guidelines are listed on Connect Ohio’s website at http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/computer_giveaway.php or you may receive a copy by e-mailing amurphy@connectohio.org.

For more information on the Every Citizen Online program, visit http://connectohio.org/consumer_training.

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Connect Ohio, a division of Connected Nation, is a nonprofit, technology-neutral public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, information technology companies, researchers, public agencies, libraries and universities in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household. For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org.


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