$100K Grant to Support Digital Literacy and Career Development

Humboldt State University has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the California State Library to promote computer literacy to HSU students and the local community.

The Innovative Digital Literacies Grant, awarded to the HSU Library through the California State Library’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), will fund programs for career development and computer literacy skills. This grant supports the improvement of digital literacy skills for HSU students and the surrounding community and invests in student professional development, as well as community college student academic growth. Digital literacy is a crucial skill for expanding career opportunities and supporting professional growth in the community.

The HSU Library and community partners (Arcata Chamber of Commerce, College of the Redwoods Library, and Humboldt County Library) will develop programming that supports community conversations and archiving family histories, and covers resume writing and essential computer skills.

These programs will address the needs of the community such as access to technology, job market readiness, and application of digital literacy skills in everyday life.

Starting next spring HSU Library, Humboldt County Library and College of the Redwoods will host a variety of workshops. Professional development workshops will provide best practices for writing resumes, discovering career opportunities, and developing interviewing skills, such as elevator speeches.

HSU students will create business proposals and presentations and will have an opportunity to connect with businesses in the inaugural Business Showcase Day. The Innovative Digital Literacies workshops at College of the Redwoods will also help students explore academic pathways for transferring to a four-year university program that matches their academic interests. In October, HSU Special Collections will also host a History Digitization Day—an opportunity to scan family archives and learn how to share them on the web or store them on a personal hard drive.

The HSU Library and community partners are grateful to the California State Library for this opportunity and are dedicated to the grant’s objectives: digital literacy skills growth, student academic and professional achievement, and community engagement with innovative technologies.

Note: This story was originally published on July 12.