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EAST GREENSBORO, NC (March 16, 2023) – As a high school student in rural Sunbury, North Carolina, Zamaria Kinsey experienced first-hand the digital divide. At Gates County High School, inconsistent Internet service at school and at home requires her to use a “hotspot” to connect to the Internet almost every day.
Kinsey is doing her best to bridge that digital divide, but not just for herself, but for others in her community. In the year She joined the 4-H Tech Changemakers program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2022, and earlier this year the National 4-H Council named her one of three 2023 National Youth Ambassadors for the program.
“Zamaria’s boundless compassion and amazing spark make her the 2023 4-H Tech Change Makers National Ambassador,” said Kira Faith Wharton, director of the Tech Change Makers National Ambassador Program from the National 4-H Council. “She has demonstrated deep leadership in this role, creating customized learning opportunities for program leaders and partners across the country in just a few months.”
The 4-H Tech Changemakers program trains and equips teens to teach tech-savvy adults how to use digital resources to find employment, including online job searching, self-marketing on social media, software usage, and more. A $5.75 million investment from joint venture partners Verizon, Tractor Supply Co. And Microsoft 4-H empowers youth to bring valuable digital skills to more than 35,000 adults 15 and older, with a focus on rural areas and communities of color.
In North Carolina, Tech Change Makers worked with 1,512 adults in Forsyth, Gates, Hertford, Mecklenburg, Scotland, Vance and Wilson counties in the program’s first year. Many of the adult participants were African with experience in broadband and related technologies. Some were teachers who wanted to learn online games and other technologies to engage their students.
“We’re bridging the digital divide by using teenagers as a teacher approach,” said Misty Blue-Terry, Ph.D., 4-H STEM director with Cooperative Extension at NC A&T, who runs the program at North Carolina and 1890s universities. System. “Most teenagers recognize that broadband access and technology literacy are essential in today’s world and that broadband access is unequal across the state. We help them grow their knowledge and share it with others to enrich their communities.
As a Youth Ambassador, Kinsey serves as a spokesperson for the program and regularly meets with her peers and 4-H leadership to discuss strategies to address the digital divide and create economic opportunity in communities.
“The 4-H Tech Changemakers program came at the perfect time for me. I noticed a gap in basic computer literacy skills in my community,” Kinsey said. “When I started leading workshops earlier this year, people of all ages were new to computer basics or how to navigate the Internet. The program helped me set my community up for success as they continued to learn new skills.”
The lack of high-speed Internet access sometimes made it difficult for Kinsey to access coaching calls and virtual meetings, but if anything, those challenges made her even more determined to help her community, Wharton says.
“Among her many accomplishments, the one that amazes me—and drives me the most—is Zamaria’s inner drive to rise above adversity and exceed expectations,” Wharton said. “She has led several trainings and participated in others.”
With support from the National Network of 4-H Cooperative Extension Programs, 19 land-grant universities — nine of which are historically black colleges and universities — are preparing 4-H youth leaders to teach 4 critical digital skills to adults in their communities. – H Tech change makers.
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