In the last fourteen months, 123 people have showed up for basic computer skills classes at CYC’s Ashtabula Community Technology Action Center or at the Ashtabula Metropolitan Housing Authority’s Gulfview senior apartments.

The classes, taught since February 2025 by Ashtabula residents Antoinette Jackson and Stephen Kellat, were part of the “Digital Advantage” program offered by Youngstown-based Oak Hill Collaborative (OHC). Eight hour-long sessions introduced students to basic laptop operation, office applications, online healthcare tools, finding trustworthy news sources, Internet safety, and AI chatbots, among other topics.

After completing at least five sessions, most Ashtabula Digital Advantage participants qualified to receive free laptops from OHC’s Hardware 4 Homes initiative. OHC was able to buy a hundred refurbished laptops for its Ashtabula effort with the help of the  County Commissioners, who repurposed some unspent broadband planning funds provided to the County by national nonprofit Connect Humanity. All of those laptops have now been distributed to county residents.

In addition to the County’s support, the OHC/CYC  initiative received a small grant in September from the Ashtabula Foundation; Windstream has contributed fiber Internet service to the Center at no cost since classes launched last February; and  AMHA has provided free space for classes for its residents, first in the Gulfview community room and more recently in a dedicated apartment unit.  (Shout out to Gulfview resident Liz Penna, who made this happen for her neighbors!)

Thanks to all this support, we’ve managed to stretch out OHC’s classes in Ashtabula for several extra months, and get all hundred laptops into the hands of residents who needed them.

Now the Center and OHC are taking a Summer break for fundraising and planning. Stay tuned for what’s next!