Through a partnership with the City of Philadelphia, Temple’s Community Gateway is helping residents build digital literacy skills and share their knowledge with others in their neighborhoods.
Temple's partnership with the city’s Digital Literacy Alliance engages residents and community members as volunteers, peer leaders and community ambassadors.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Over the summer, Temple’s Community Gateway, the university’s neighborhood resource center, hosted a series of free digital literacy workshops for North Philadelphia residents on Main Campus. Part of the city’s Digital Inclusion Discovery Passport project, the workshops used a game-based approach to help participants learn essential digital literacy skills.
Temple received a two-year, $40,000 grant from the City of Philadelphia’s Digital Literacy Alliance, a coalition of digital inclusion partners working to overcome the city’s digital divide. Through the project, the Gateway connects North Philadelphia residents with existing city digital resources and encourages them to share what they learn and become ambassadors in their neighborhoods.
“We wanted to explore how Temple could help the city make technology more accessible, particularly with older adults and lower-income households, who often lack support when learning new digital skills,” said Antonio Romero, director of the Community Gateway. “Our goal was to build a network of support that not only helps our neighbors develop those skills, but also become digital literacy ambassadors in their own communities.”
The Gateway has since trained 27 North Philadelphia residents to become ambassadors with the support of the resource center’s navigators Keiyona Abdullah and Ramond Nelson, who together have connected approximately 4,526 individuals to resources within the city’s digital inclusion ecosystem. In particular, the ambassadors have helped connect residents to many of Temple’s existing digital equity programs, increasing engagement and enrollment.
One of the participants who found success is Sacharja Cunningham, who now works at the Kingsessing Library, where they teach an adult basic literacy class on foundational reading, writing and smartphone skills. They also tutor a fourth grader through a connection that was made with the Gateway.
Cunningham, who was exploring the option of starting their own adult education business, connected with the Digital Passport program when the Gateway tabled at the June 2025 Small Business and Entrepreneur Expo hosted by Temple for aspiring business owners.
Through the Digital Passport program, they took the Advancing Basic Computer Skills class and an Excel class where they learned how to create spreadsheets. They also took cybersecurity workshops covering topics such as online scams and fraud, good cyber hygiene practices, AI deepfakes, privacy, and cybersurveillance.
“You hear a lot about a push for digital innovation in everyday life, so I feel like the program works to really address the digital divide in the city because the topics are very timely and relevant,” said Cunningham. “This program allowed the students to take our time to become familiar and more confident with different digital technologies."
During the summer, as part of a four-event workshop series that ran from June to September, Temple’s Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships collaborated with Verizon’s Total Spark program to host workshops that support individuals with education, employment and career goals. Held at Total Wireless stores in North Philadelphia, the workshops covered career exploration, resume and cover letter development, job search techniques, networking strategies, interview preparation, understanding employer expectations, cybersecurity, and more.
Another participant who found success is Carol Williams, a retired North Philadelphia native who was looking for programs at Temple for her grandchildren before realizing that there were also good options for herself. She completed a basic computer class for adults ages 50 and over at Temple’s Digital Access Center where she learned how to use the Dell computer and its various functions, including how to assemble and disassemble it. She also valued learning how to create spreadsheets in an Excel class and taking the Estate Planning and Great Health Is the New Wealth course through Temple’s Pan-African Studies Community Education Program, a free and low-cost, non-credit adult and continuing education program.
“What really piqued my interest was that the classes were free to those who were in the community and that they offered the classes during the daytime, which made it very convenient since I am retired,” said Williams.
“I appreciated how the instructors taught the classes for all ages and knowledge levels where they meet you based on what you knew and your needs,” she added. “They provided an atmosphere where you felt comfortable asking any question and explained everything in a professional and easy to understand manner.”
At the very end of the computer classes, all of the participants were given a refurbished Dell computer to take home.
Williams is now an active digital literacy ambassador in her community, sharing information about the Digital Passport program at meetings of the Black women’s educational group she belongs to, within her union and at a nearby recreation center to spread the word about the digital learning services available at Temple.
“'I'm just really thrilled that Temple is finding different ways to reach out to the community,” she added. “This program has proven to me that Temple cares about the community.”
For more information on how to get connected with resources and services through Temple’s Community Gateway, visit their website.