Employers believe that there is a suitable balance between the computer proficiency of business graduates and the skills required for the workplace. However, a study conducted by Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (2020) found that some graduates had minimal or no formal computing training, and most participants had only a limited understanding of the necessary computing skills for a professional work environment. Without digital literacy education, 36% of North Carolina's population with only a high school diploma (2021 NC Digital Inclusion Profile) may face challenges in becoming employable.

North Carolina provides the civilian workforce to our local military installations and we need to be digitally ready.

With increasing reliance on digital platforms for essential services, high school students, job seekers, and the aging population of NC are at greater risk of being excluded from vital healthcare, education, and economic systems. A comprehensive approach is required—one that not only provides technology and training but also integrates digital skills with other critical aspects of daily life, including healthcare and privacy awareness.

Digital Navigation Mobile Computer Lab

Access to digital tools and literacy is essential for thriving in today's interconnected world. In eastern North Carolina, significant barriers persist, including 29% of the population being aging individuals who struggle with digital skills, rural community members lacking access to technological resources, and over 15% of individuals facing challenges due to low technological literacy. These obstacles hinder their access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, thereby perpetuating cycles of inequality and isolation. Often, these issues span generations, where inequalities experienced by parents are passed down to their children, creating entrenched systems of disadvantage. Limited healthcare access means a higher prevalence of untreated illnesses, impacting overall community health, while inadequate educational resources result in lower literacy rates and limited job prospects.

Digital Skills for Ownership and Sustainability (DSOS) aims to addresses this need through innovative programs, such as the Mobile Computer Lab, which provides underserved populations with on-site tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the digital age with confidence and safety. DSOS is deeply rooted in the history and fabric of Carteret County, North Carolina, with the visionary behind the organization coming from a lineage that traces back to the original settlers of the Down East region. With a keen understanding of the local community's heritage and challenges for being biologically intertwined, the foundation aims to bring digital literacy skills to each underserved community in Eastern and Northern Outer banks of Carteret, Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Tyrrell, Washington, Chowan, Bertie, Hertford, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, and Currituck.

Your donation can help support our vision in bridging the digital divide in the Eastern NC!