SCRANTON — It was Digital Opportunity Day at the Outreach Center for Community Resources. A $35,000 grant was given to Outreach’s Scranton office on 7th Avenue by Comcast, and free laptops and internet access were given to Outreach participants who were at the facility on Wednesday morning.

“We appreciate that very much, and we have to keep that going,” Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said of Comcast’s efforts to create a ubiquitous internet experience for all. “The digital age is not just for the people who can afford it.”

Over the past two years, Comcast has contributed nearly $150 million in cash and in-kind donations to organizations in Pennsylvania.

According to Broderick D. Johnson, executive vice president of public policy and executive vice president of digital equity at Comcast, the grant given on Wednesday will go toward providing one-on-one digital literacy training to more than 150 Outreach participants.

Johnson, a former partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm and White House Cabinet Secretary in the Obama administration, stressed the importance of widespread internet access and application for as many people as possible. He cited a statistic from the National Skills Coalition, which says that 92% of jobs available today require at least one digital skill.

In urban settings like Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, the challenges of internet use surround application rather than access.

“The challenge in many of those urban areas is not with access. … it’s not with deployment. It’s with adoption,” Johnson explained. “We learned that even if people had free access to the Internet through a program under the Biden administration, tens of millions of people didn’t take advantage of it.”

On the other hand, many rural areas struggle with both.

“We have learned from experience about the barriers in urban areas. How do we make sure that people see it as relevant to their lives in rural communities as well?” Johnson asked. “So it’s access, and it’s also adoption.”

Johnson announced to the Outreach participants in attendance on Wednesday that they would be leaving with free laptops, as well as three months of free Comcast service through their internet Essentials program.

Among those who received these gifts from Comcast was Outreach participant Schrece Graff, who shared her inspiring story from someone who could not turn on a computer to a professional who embraces digital literacy.

“Digital literacy has been my missing piece — the golden key, if you will — in my journey to self-sufficiency,” Graff told the gathered audience of elected officials, Comcast representatives, and her fellow Outreach participants.

Outreach in NEPA

Lori Chaffers, president and CEO at Outreach, described the issues that many struggle with when it comes to digital literacy, and how exactly it can impact their ability to jump back into the workforce.

At Outreach, participants can learn how to effectively create and edit resumes, fill out job applications, and become familiar with Microsoft and Google software.

“This digital literacy training that we’re able to give really helps people get on a pathway that otherwise wouldn’t be available to them,” Chaffers said.

For those in Luzerne County, programming at Outreach is largely based on parent courses. However, the Wilkes-Barre office is a satellite of the Scranton office, according to Bridget Matyjevich, home visiting program director for Outreach. That means that the Wilkes-Barre team works alongside the Scranton office to provide needed services to those who seek out the agency’s help.

Chaffers implied in her remarks Wednesday that the grant will strengthen Outreach’s services, and aid those who are trying to get their lives on track.

“The gift that we are receiving is allowing us to remove those barriers to employment,” Chaffers said. “It allows our staff to meet people where they are, identify where they want to be, and help remove the challenges to get there so that they can achieve their goals and become strong, self-sufficient members of our community.”

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