Connect Ohio Awards Computers to Morgan County Participants of Free Statewide Internet Training Program

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2011

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

COLUMBUS – On Thursday, July 7, Connect Ohio presented Doris Buchanan of McConnelsville and Becky Obrien of Stockport with new laptop computers during a short media event at the Kate Love Simpson Morgan County Library. Buchanan and Obrien were selected as winners of the computers in a random drawing following their participation in the Every Citizen Online program, a free statewide basic computer and Internet training program.

“The Kate Love Library staff members are simply delighted to know that not one, but two Every Citizen Online computer students won laptop computers,” said Blythe Schubert, director. “We never expected to have one of our ECO student’s names to be drawn in a state-wide Connect Ohio computer giveaway. To receive two of 12 winning computers is a thrill.”

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.

“Of course, all of our ECO computer students are winners, having won increased confidence in their ability to use the Internet and having gained new computer skills,” said Schubert. “We hope that many more adults in our county and the surrounding area will enroll in the free Every Citizen Online computer classes offered at both the McConnelsville [962-2533] and Chesterhill [554-7253] library sites. We encourage ECO students to take the 6-hour training more than once to develop and refresh their computer skills.”

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.

Local 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.


Related Links: Connect Ohio on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConnectOhio


Connect Ohio on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ConnectOH

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