Computers Uniting America

We have started our new computer program here at the Spanish Community Center. The Connected Living classes that we are hosting and teaching here are the only free computer tutorial classes in this area of Joliet. A few senior citizen homes have similar programs but they do not reach out to the immigrant and low income populations.

Initially we only have 3 people signed up which was very discouraging for us.  We hoped to at least have 8 people signed up because there are 8 computers here. On the morning of the computer class, myself and another volunteer who spoke Spanish were setting up the lab with folders and the registration for everyone.  Around 9:30, which was a half-hour before the class was scheduled to start, we had 2 people walk in and were already ready to go. As we talked with them about computers and what they wanted to learn more people started walking in.

At ten, when the classes started, we had 11 people in the room with us. We were sort of panicking because we didn’t have enough computers for everyone, but we were so excited to see so many people!  It was great to see all the different faces, black, white, and latino all ready and excited to learn everything about computers.

Everyone is on different levels, and when we started filling out all the paperwork it took everyone some time to figure out what exactly had to be done.  It was awesome to see the strangers helping out their partners and showing them what to do. Even though many weren’t really doing the right thing it was still cute to see the people thinking they were doing the right thing.

Our first class wasn’t any fun stuff just paperwork and things like that, but I am so excited to see what goes on at the next class when they start using the computers.  The next class is email and everyone gets to email each other and their friends and setup their online profiles and pictures. I am so excited to see what everyone will learn!!