Get Connected Alameda County!will host a free Education, Sustainability and Digital Technology Expo at the Alameda County Office of Education on Saturday, November 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The day-long event for educators, students and parents will provide hands-on instruction as well as free and reduced cost computer equipment and services, raffle prizes and a chance for a school to win a free refurbished computer lab. A special guest presentation will be provided by Oscar nominated Pixar Animator, Jim Capobianco.

The Alameda County Office of Education announces the Expo as the first county-wide collaboration between the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and the k-12 education community. Organizers stress the need to tackle what’s known as the digital divide from multiple angles -- addressing critical gaps in access to technology as well as quality online content and skill building.

Addressing the Digital Divide
A host of ACOE programs will be highlighted at the Expo addressing  how parents and educators can use online digital technology most effectively -- areas of emphasis include art, science, health and wellness, history, language arts, service-learning, and environmental studies.  “There’s a critical need to develop youth’s digital literacy -- to increase their ability to leverage digital tools towards a successful future,” said Superintendent Sheila Jordan.  “It takes more than a computer to accomplish this.  Educators have an important role to play to help students navigate an online world to become informed, engaged analytical thinkers.”  

“Outdated computers, and slow internet connections prohibit full participation in today’s society -- one that increasingly relies on digital tools to access jobs, education, and critical services,”said Jonathan Allen, IT Director at ACOE and Chair of the Expo planning committee. “Our partnership with CETF helps to focus the digital inclusion discussion beyond access to include the skills that youth need in a fast-changing, technological society.”

Although computer and broadband access at home increases a student’s chances of graduating from college by 7%, unfortunately, access remains a barrier for many communities. According to a 2010 Pew study, Just 45 percent of households that earned less than $30,000 a year had broadband in their homes compared to 87% of households that make $75k/year or more.

About Get Connected Alameda County!
The Education, Sustainability and Digital Technology Expois a project of Get Connected Alameda County!  A partnership between the Alameda County Office of Education and the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF).  Get Connected Alameda County! is part of a statewide effort to narrow the digital divide by educating targeted populations on the economic and social benefits of broadband connectivity.

About Alameda County of Office Education
The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) promotes student achievement and development through leadership, innovation, and accountability in partnership with the public, educational community, and parents.  The ACOE serves as liaison between the California Department of Education and the eighteen Alameda County public school districts -- overseeing seventeen K-12 school districts and one K-8 district in Alameda County with approximately 10,000 teachers serving 225,000 students.

ACOE serves as a regional leader in K-12 technology, to provide quality programs and services to improve student outcomes, promote professional growth, improve school efficiency, and centralize and leverage technology resources.

About CETF
The mission of the California Emerging Technology Fund is to provide leadership statewide to close the "Digital Divide" by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband to unserved and underserved communities and populations.  CETF works to ensure that California is a global leader in the availability and use of broadband technology by making investments in programs and projects to improve access, affordability, applications, accessibility and assistance to broadband—the “5As” of the Digital Divide.

                                                                #   #   #