Friday, July 8, 2011

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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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Team Provides Broadband Expansion Model to Morgan County Officials


Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Team Provides Broadband Expansion Model to Morgan County Officials

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2011

Connect Ohio’s model would allow high-speed Internet to reach a majority of Morgan County households.

COLUMBUS – Connect Ohio technical outreach staff presented Morgan County officials with a financially viable and sustainable broadband expansion model in a meeting Wednesday, March 16, at the Morgan County Extension Agent in McConnelsville, Ohio.

Following months of data collection, cost estimation, and propagation studies by Connect Ohio technical outreach manager Bart Winegar, coordinator Ira Dye, and Matthew Pepper of Chesterhill municipal wireless Internet service provider, the model was presented to Morgan County officials for review. The model leverages efforts from local eCommunity Strategy planning that began in 2009 with the assistance of Connect Ohio. Many local leaders participated in these early meetings and provided valuable input.

“This presentation was the culmination of a lot of work,” said Winegar. “I’m encouraged that county commissioners and economic development staff were present and agreed to take time to review the model.”

According to Connect Ohio’s 2008 Consumer Technology Assessment for Morgan County, only 25% of households received broadband service to the home, significantly less than the state average at the time, which was 55%.*

“This is positive for the area and the residents of Morgan County,” said Pepper. “(Broadband) adoption is not the issue. Availability is the issue.”

In a few weeks, the group will reconvene to discuss the next steps needed to make the model a reality.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to provide a service to so many unserved households,” said Shannon Wells, director of the Morgan County Development Office.

Those in attendance for Wednesday’s meeting included:

Dean Cain, Morgan County commissioner

Steve Hook, Morgan County engineer

Bo Powell, Morgan County Engineer’s Office

Matthew Pepper, Chesterhill municipal wireless Internet service provider

Shannon Wells, director of the Morgan County Development Office

Ira Dye, technical outreach coordinator at Connect Ohio

Tom Fritz, executive director at Connect Ohio

Bart Winegar, technical outreach manager at Connect Ohio

Chip Spann, director of engineering & technical services at Connected Nation

Morgan County libraries and learning centers have also partnered with Connect Ohio to provide Every Citizen Online basic computer and Internet training to adults. The training will introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online. Interested adults throughout Ohio are eligible to participate in the program, which is being provided locally at the following locations:

-Morgan County Learning Center, located at 4277 N. State Route 376 NW, McConnelsville, (740) 962-2079

-Kate Love Simpson-Morgan County Library, Main Branch, located at 358 E. Main Street, McConnelsville, (740) 962-2533

-Kate Love Simpson-Morgan County Library Chesterhill Branch, located at 7520 Marion Street, Chesterhill, (740) 554-7104

For questions regarding the Every Citizen Online program, contact Amanda Murphy at amurphy@connectohio.org.

*A 2011 Residential Technology Assessment for each county will be available later this year.

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About Connect Ohio: 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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