Blog

Neighborhood Allies Launches Digital Skills Classes for Adults

Oct 11, 2024

By: Ibrahim Emara, ACC AmeriCorps Member at Neighborhood Allies

This year, Neighborhood Allies is excited to be part of the nationwide celebration of Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) 2024, which runs from October 7th-11th. Organized by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), DIW is an annual celebration dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of digital equity and inclusion. It brings together organizations and individuals across the country to promote actions and share progress in bridging the digital divide.

As an affiliate of NDIA, Neighborhood Allies is celebrating DIW by reflecting on the impact of our digital skills classes, a new program launched in June 2024 designed to equip community members with essential computer and digital literacy skills. These classes are one of several key contributions Neighborhood Allies’ Digital Inclusion and Innovation team is making to advance digital equity in the Pittsburgh area.

Why Did We Start the Digital Skills Classes?

In today’s increasingly digital world, the ability to navigate technology is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Studies show that over 92% of jobs require some level of digital skills, yet 1 in 3 workers lack basic digital proficiency. For many of Pittsburgh’s underserved communities, access to digital skills training is limited in their neighborhoods, creating a barrier to economic and social opportunities.

The Digital Inclusion and Innovation team at Neighborhood Allies launched our digital skills classes to fill this gap and ensure that residents – especially older adults, Black and Brown residents, and recent arrivals – have the digital tools they need to succeed. Our model focuses on a mobile digital skills classroom where we partner with trusted organizations and anchor institutions in targeted neighborhoods to bring the classroom directly to the people we serve.  Our mobile classroom is equipped with laptops preloaded with a Windows 11 operating system and Microsoft Office applications so that any student can participate regardless of their access to devices at home.

As Karen Lue, Senior Program Manager for Digital Inclusion, put it:

“We aim to be intentional with these digital skills classes, focusing on areas and neighborhoods that do not have existing digital skills resources and working with our partner organizations to host our classes in a space that is welcoming and trusted by the community. Our goal is to ensure that all residents are equipped with the skills and confidence to thrive in today’s society.”

What Do the Classes Entail?

The classes are structured into 6-8 week blocks and are hosted at local libraries and community centers. We offer a curriculum based on Northstar Digital Literacy, tailored to meet the needs of our communities. Classes cover topics such as:

  • Basic Computer Skills
  • Internet Basics and Using Email
  • Beginner Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Google Docs
  • Video Conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime)
  • Accessing Telehealth

As of writing, Karen is teaching Basic Computer Skills at the Wilkinsburg Public Library and Forest Hills Library, and ACC AmeriCorps Member Ibrahim Emara has been leading classes at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA focused on Microsoft Word and Internet Basics Each class emphasizes hands-on practice and offers students the chance to set personal learning goals.

Community Impact and Feedback

The response from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. One student from the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, Maryann, shared:

“I wanted to refresh my digital skills since I’ve been retired for some time now. But more importantly, I wanted to support my husband on his digital skills journey.”

Her husband Joe added:

“[Ibrahim and Karen] have made it fun. Usually, I get stressed when learning new tech, but your hands-on approach and fun environment make it easier.”

Maryann also reflected on the most rewarding part of attending: “Meeting new people and getting to know Karen and Ibrahim has been a big highlight for me.” For Joe, the skills he has learned are already having a tangible impact: “It has helped me, no question. I mostly use the computer to read newspapers, but now I feel I can do much more than just that”.

Our collaboration with community partners like the Homewood-Brushton YMCA in providing space and helping us engage participants has also been essential to the success of the program.

Looking Ahead

As we look towards the future, we aim to expand our digital skills program to serve even more residents across Pittsburgh, particularly focusing on refugee, immigrant, and recent arrival populations in Allegheny County. After piloting and scaling our courses in English, we plan to make our lessons more accessible to learners with limited English proficiency. With our team’s internal language skills in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, we will adapt our curriculum to include culturally relevant vocabulary and examples for lower-level English language learners.

Incorporating native languages in a bilingual classroom will ensure a more inclusive learning environment. Through these steps, we aim to empower our students with the digital skills they need to achieve their personal and professional learning goals, regardless of their language proficiency.


This Digital Inclusion Week, we celebrate the progress we’ve made and reaffirm our commitment to fostering digital equity in our communities. Learn more about our digital inclusion work in the community and consider supporting us here.

Top Header Image Photo Credit: Prototyping Larimer Stories by artist John Peña, photo by OPA