Last night I had the privilege to share a sneak peek of the new Geeks on Ice vision at the monthly Cybersocial. We shared the list of symptoms many non-profit agencies in our region face due to the digital divide. For those who are not familiar with the term digital divide, it is best described as the gap between those with physical access to technology hardware and, more broadly, skills and resources which allow for its use and those without this access.
Attendees heard me explain how Geeks on Ice have invested in hardware and software upgrades, however; without the access to professional expertise these agencies struggle to maximize the full extent of the equipment we provide. Digital illiteracy is crippling to organizations that have to correspond, collaborate and request funding through the electronic forum of the participation age.
To respond to an obvious gap to the Geeks on Ice mandate, our vision committee reinvented the mission to purchase computer equipment and software using funds raised through the annual hockey tournament, offer professional expertise to member agencies and promote community collaboration. In short, Geeks on Ice will not stop skating until the digital divide is eliminated!
In order to fill the need for professional expertise, the United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeastern NB was on hand to collect names of volunteers ready to be Geek Warriors who will serve on the front lines in our battle to defeat the digital divide in our communities. These heroes, individuals and organizations, will provide a few hours of their time to lend their professional expertise to local member agencies.
Participants were also very enthusiastic to hear that Geeks on Ice wants to see the group of volunteers evolve into a formal committee which will work towards the creation of a Geek University where not only the non-profit sector benefits from workshops and mentoring, but where small to medium sized organizations can also participate in the process to help our entire economy overcome the challenges caused by the digital divide.
If you are interested in learning more about the Geek Warriors or Geeks on Ice, please send all inquiries to geeksonice@gmail.com.
Click here to download a copy of our Cybersocial presentation.
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