Generation West Virginia hosts project planning workshop for digital equity grants - WBOY.com

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Generation West Virginia (WV) hosted a project planning workshop at the Uptown Event Center in Clarksburg on Monday with the goal of identifying local barriers and challenges for residents in connecting and accessing internet resources.

This workshop is one of several and makes up Generation WV’s second round of them. The nonprofit statewide organization focuses on “attracting, retaining and advancing” West Virginians.

A topic of discussion within the workshop (WBOY image).

Those in attendance included community members of the state’s northern region as well as members of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Connect Community and the State Office of Broadband.

Members of the State Office of Broadband spoke about upcoming grant programs, all while listening to the concerns of local community members to ensure the funding is best applied in the communities it will go toward.

12 News spoke with Generation WV’s Broadband Program Director Annie Stroud on the importance of identifying internet accessibility issues through open discussion.

“West Virginia, of course, has a lot of challenges with basic connectivity as well, but this is kind of that next step. Just because someone has a line of fiber running by their house doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the skills or the knowledge or funds to afford that service, so this is really thinking about that next step of what those barriers are and how to put projects together to address those,” Stroud said.

A few projects that were mentioned at the meeting included possible access set-ups at local libraries and bringing in high schoolers to assist seniors with navigating the internet.

Generation WV is currently working within 18 counties across the state that face internet connectivity issues. The organization is also hosting two more upcoming project planning workshops throughout the state on Tuesday, June 25 at Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted, WV and the Larry Joe Harless Community Center in Gilbert, WV. These sessions will last from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You can keep up with and learn more about Generation WV through its website and Facebook page.

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