Hardin County and Montgomery County ECO Participants Receive New Laptop Computers

On Tuesday, July 26, Connect Ohio presented Thelma Young of Kenton and Patricia O’Connor of Centerville with new laptop computers during a short event at Forest-Jackson Public Library and the University of Dayton. Young and O'Connor were selected as winners in a random drawing following their participation in the Every Citizen Online (ECO) program, a free statewide basic computer and Internet training program.

Karen Moore, Thelma Young, and Heather Delany

“The training helped me out a lot,” said Young. “I have a desktop computer at home, but I didn’t really know what all could be done on the computer and the Internet.”

“We’re very excited to have one of our students win a computer,” said Karen Moore, library director. “The ECO program has been very well received within our community. We are continuing to schedule free computer classes and have openings in our next class scheduled for Monday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 10.”

The next Every Citizen Online training class at Forest-Jackson Public Library, located at 102 W. Lima Street, Forest, is scheduled for August 8 and 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information and to register for classes, call the library at 419-273-2400.

“The (training) program was great,” said O’Connor. “I didn’t get online much before the training. I learned some things I had never known. My husband also took the training and is online a lot since. We even told our friends about it, who also took the training and loved it too!”

Don Shirley, Patricia O'Connor, MaryJo Borrows, and David Wright

"The University of Dayton is proud to be one of the sites for the free computer training as part of the Every Citizen Online program," said David Wright, University of Dayton director of curriculum innovation and e-learning. "Awarding a free laptop to one of the participants in the Every Citizen Online program is a great way to showcase how important it is that everyone in the State develop familiarity with modern computers and the Internet. This will help drive greater citizen participation online and the growth of our economy."

For more information on Every Citizen Online training classes at the University of Dayton or to register, call 937-229-2347.

Additional training locations can be found by calling 1-855-NOW-I-CAN (669-42260) or by visiting http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/training_facilities.php.