NARUC Presentation – July 2008 NARUC Presentation – July 2008 Brenda Kempster, KEMPSTER GROUP ICT Digital Literacy Initiative

CETF MISSION Provide leadership statewide to minimize the Digital Divide by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband and other advanced communication services to un-served and underserved communities. Ensure that California is a global leader in the availability and use of broadband technology.

Building the Information Society: a global challenge in the new Millennium  Each person should have the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to understand, participate actively in, and benefit fully from, the Information Society and the knowledge economy.

What is ICT Digital Literacy? Ability to use digital technology and communications tools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information in order to function in a knowledge society.

Components of ICT Global Best Practices

Why is ICT Digital Literacy Important? To revolutionize how we work, live, play and learn. To help build and maintain California’s innovative capacity, productivity, standard of living and global competitiveness. To have an educated workforce. To lead to higher profits, economic value, and increased market share for business. To cope with technology-related shifts in the labor demand and to adapt to changes in the skills content of jobs.

CETF STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN PROMOTE ICT DIGITAL LITERACY  Convene ICT Digital Literacy Leadership Roundtable to reach consensus on California Initiative and Action Plan (November 2007)  Promote adoption of California Policy that it is a goal for all residents to gain ICT Digital Literacy skills.  Serve as the catalyst for a multi-stakeholder effort to promote digital literacy in education and the workforce.  Assist State in recognizing and accepting global standards for benchmarking and certification.  Develop a framework for assessment and identify aligned curriculum.  Mobilize to provide computers and broadband to all students.

California ICT Digital Literacy Initiative: Continuum for Success Stages: Addressing the Digital Divide as a state priority: Assign tasks to groups Formulate action plan Leadership/Vision/Policy Public-private sector acknowledge Digital Divide as a real issue CETF Leadership Roundtable Third-party validation Policy framework Adopt Global Standards Monitor and evaluate progress being made toward narrowing the Digital Divide Scale to full scope implementation Continuous monitoring & evaluation CETF serves as catalyst to implement strategies to narrow the Digital Divide Focus: Infrastructure and human capital Scale: 1) Community-wide 2) Statewide Optimization of processes with measurable outcomes Replication across geographies or sectors Stage 1 Digital divide severely limits state’s ability to compete globally Stage 2 Stage 3Stage 4 Divide reduced: state is now able to participate in the global economy Adapted from the World Digital Literacy Report - Certiport 8

ICT Digital Literacy Skills: BENEFITS Access the Outside World (Homebound Residents) Improve workforce skills 21 st Century Job Opportunities Enroll in Web Based Courses Conduct Research for School Assignments Access Community Resources Access the News in Different Languages Obtain Information on Health Issues Connect globally with Family Members and Friends Increase Family Income Participate in e- government services

California’s academic preparedness, global competitiveness and workforce preparation is at the heart of the CETF effort to formulate a California digital literacy policy. Goal of the California ICT Digital Literacy Initiative

5 Third Street, Suite 520 San Francisco, CA N. Alameda Street, Suite 240 Los Angeles, CA