YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Digital inclusion is more than an aspiration within the Lake to River Economic Development region. It is essential to completing one’s education, finding employment, starting a business, accessing health care and more.
State and local governments are working with providers to bring high speed internet to unserved and underserved communities. Inclusion goes further by offering computer access and digital training. It is “absolutely one of the most critical needs to succeed in life,” says Pat Kerrigan, director of the Oak Hill Collaborative on Youngstown’s south side. “If you can’t navigate on a computer, then you are falling behind.”
How this nonprofit organization became so deeply rooted in digital inclusion is a story worth sharing.
As Oak Hill Collaborative opened its doors a decade ago at 507 Oak Hill Ave., Kerrigan was responding to various needs. He promoted neighborhood revitalization by cleaning up vacant lots along the corridor. He started a small business incubator; Trina Williams of A Fresh Wind Catering is a graduate. The area lacked social organizations and institutions, and so he invited block watches and community groups to hold meetings at the collaborative. He and his small staff shared basic skills with residents who visited its computer center. Mutual trust was taking root.
There, Kerrigan met Anthony Hake, who is now the website manager and portal administrator at Youngstown State University. Hake made instructional videos on computer use that were posted on the Oak Hill Collaborative’s YouTube channel, Kerrigan says.
He also met former Warren City Council member Ken MacPherson, who suggested that classes be offered in the Raspberry Pi platform to expose young people to computer coding and making their own devices.
As one six-week session of Raspberry Pi was ending, two kids asked Kerrigan if they could leave their computers at the collaborative. They would not be able to use them at home. They did not have internet there.
“That was eye opening,” Kerrigan says.
Kerrigan began to meet with grass-roots organizations about digital inclusion. Oak Hill received a technical assistance grant in 2017 to conduct a survey of Mahoning County residents about internet use and service speed. From there, a task force emerged, consisting of Kerrigan, Sara Daughterty of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (and now of Brite Energy Innovators in Warren), and longtime technology consultant Steve Kristan of Boardman.
“Sara helped us to get to the multi-county stage,” Kerrigan says. Kristan, with his knowledge of infrastructure, was a natural partner.
Today, Oak Hill is known for its free computer classes and refurbished computers that are available at low to no cost.
“Pat and [his] team are succeeding in this effort as seen by the collaboration and support from diverse organizations around the Valley,” Kristan says. “More importantly, success is really about the full classrooms of enthusiastic learners taking their new skills and free computers to better participate in today’s digital world as they get on the right side of the digital divide.”
The pandemic became another inflection point. Oak Hill Collaborative was offering virtual programming, but many people did not know how to connect virtually.
“People started to recognize the need for internet” but could not absorb its cost, Kerrigan says. The Affordable Connectivity Program within the federal Covid relief package became “my calling card,” he adds.
“Pat and his team were among the first organizations to promote the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, later known as ACP, which provided discounted broadband services to eligible customers,” says Mark Ragozine, Eastgate economic development program manager.
Oak Hill “was able to conduct outreach and work with residents throughout our region to get them signed up for the program and take advantage of the savings,” he says. “All told, Oak Hill was able to work with tens of thousands of residents at a time when the ability to connect and stay connected to the internet for a variety of reasons was very important.”
ARPA funds also enabled Oak Hill to expand staff, marketing and class options, Kerrigan says. A challenge is demonstrating the need for computer literacy to a broader audience.
Some people believe that owning a cell phone is sufficient. With a computer and high-speed fiber internet, they will have better experiences during telehealth appointments, job interviews, even watching movies, he adds.
Kerrigan reflected on some lessons learned. Starting a nonprofit isn’t a part-time job, he says. Leading a nonprofit isn’t about always doing it your way. “The [organization] name is collaborative for a reason,” he continues. “You need well-informed allies to help navigate the scene.”
Kerrigan is pressing on with his allies.
“Pat and his team have been a natural partner as we work to get broadband infrastructure into communities throughout our region,” Ragozine says. “Their work has been recognized as they branch out into communities such as Girard and Springfield. The growth of Oak Hill is another way in which we see the organization’s success as they will soon expand their offerings into Ashtabula County, and potentially into Columbiana.”
Debora Flora is the executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank.