This semester, five UNC Asheville students provided free tech support for visitors at the Enka-Candler Public Library as part of a course titled “Community Digital Literacy and Tech Support”. This opportunity was part of a continued collaboration with Land of Sky Regional Council to expand digital opportunity in western North Carolina.
As part of the course, students also divided into teams to work on an additional “digital opportunity project”. One group of students choose to provide similar tech support help sessions at the East Asheville Public Library on Saturday mornings. And the other group helped refurbish donated laptops at Land of Sky as part of WestNGN’s Device Refurbishment Program.
The tech support sessions have helped dozens of Buncombe County residents. As a frequent visitor to Enka-Candler library sessions, Russell, put it, “What you’re doing here is really great and has helped me do so many things…before these sessions, I was stuck”. And while it has been helpful for the library visitors, the experience of helping members of our community has been valuable for the students as well–“It’s rewarding to be able to help someone and see how genuinely appreciative they are”, said student Kellan Brown. The last tech support session of the semester will be at the Enka-Candler library on Wednesday, April 29, from 10:00am until noon.
Pictured: students Eliana, Merrylyn, Kellan, Caleb, and Kati, and Professor Kevin Sanft at the Enka-Candler Public Library.
