Spectrum’s Digital Education program last week gave two Cleveland neighborhood nonprofits a combined $35,000 in grants to help close the digital divide.

Olivet Housing & Community Development Corporation (OHCDC) in Fairfax and Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center (ASC3) in Hough were each recognized during separate events that paired funding announcements with hands-on technology training for local residents—many of them older adults working to build or strengthen their digital skills.

Spectrum awarded $15,000 to OHCDC during an event on Wednesday, April 15 at Riverside Park Community Center in Westpark, where seniors participated in a digital training course.

Then, on Thursday, April 16, ASC3 received a $20,000 grant as part of the ASC3’s Super Tech Day at PNC Fairfax Connection—offering both group instruction and one-on-one support from volunteers.

Super Tech Day participant Charlene Traylor.The grants are part of Spectrum Digital Education, a national initiative that partners with nonprofits that are committed to using technology as a tool for opportunity. Participants get the training to accomplish many objectives, like pursuing education, finding employment, accessing healthcare, staying connected to news, or connecting with friends and family.

“Technology is a powerful equalizer, but only if people have access to a computer and then know how to use it,” Rahman Khan, Spectrum group vice president of community impact, said in a statement. “Through Spectrum Digital Education, we’re helping our nonprofit partners turn connectivity into real opportunities for their communities—from education and employment to everyday connection and independence.”

ASC3 works to provide digital literacy training to Cleveland’s inner city residents by addressing the needs of older adults with limited income. The programming includes education, resources, and access to technology.

Spectrum presented the grant on ASC3’s Super Tech Day, while community members participated in group and one-on-one tech support from Spectrum volunteers.

“For individuals who face mobility challenges or live with ongoing health concerns, technology is more than a convenience—it’s a lifeline that keeps them connected to friends, family, and essential services while staying safe at home,” said ASC3 executive director Wanda Davis in a statement. “When we provide technology training, we’re not just teaching people how to use a device.

“We’re opening doors to communication, independence, and opportunity through laptops, phones, and tablets,” Davis continued, “opportunities that simply wouldn’t be possible without Spectrum’s generous support.”

Hands-on involvement at ASC3
The Super Tech Day participants took advantage of the help Spectrum volunteers willingly offered.

Spectrum technical support supervisor and volunteer Nicole Waldren, L, and Glenville resident Wilma Miles.“I find these digital skills training classes easy to understand,” said Glenville resident Wilma Miles, who says she always participates in ASC3’s Senior Tech Gadget Day. “A lot of us seniors maybe don’t have children or grandchildren around every day to guide us if we have questions about our smart devices, like our phones. So, guidance is useful.”

Nicole Waldren, a supervisor in technical support at Spectrum’s North Canton customer service center, says the one-on-one work underscored how impactful even basic digital skills can be. She says Miles was enthusiastic about learning a new skill.

“Wilma and I went over how to delete recent calls and where to find pictures that someone sent you,” says Waldren. “[Finding] the pictures then prompted [a discussion on] the difference between texts and emails. We also updated her ‘In Case of Emergency’ contact, which we were assigned to do for every interaction.”

It was just a typical day of helping community members, says Waldren, who adds that she enjoys helping the residents.

“Every day we assist people just like Wilma who want to be able to complete a task but do not know where to start,” she says. “The willingness that all the participants showed by coming in, the questions that took a couple minutes to walk through resolving, in combination with the gratitude everyone showed, was absolutely the best time I have spent helping in a while.”

Olivet group, L-R: Spectrum's Steven Williams, Cuyahoga County Council member Martin Sweeney, OHCDC's Daisy Alford-Smith, Spectrum's Rahman Khan, OHCDC instructor William Alford, CMHA's Gabrielle Jones.OHCDC closes the divide
OHCDC invests in disadvantaged individuals and groups by providing programming to enhance their social and economic conditions. With the Spectrum grant, OHCDC officials say they will be able to offer additional technology courses and provide devices to those in need.

"OHCDC remains steadfast in our commitment to bridging the digital divide that persists in our most vulnerable and marginalized communities," OHCDC executive director Dr. Daisy Alford-Smith said in a statement. "Over the last five years, we have focused on transforming lives through comprehensive digital literacy training.

“By providing hands-on instruction in essential skills—ranging from professional email communication to navigating the future of AI—we are ensuring that every individual has the tools necessary to achieve economic stability and thrive in an increasingly digital-first world," continued Alford-Smith.

Now in its ninth year, Spectrum Digital Education continues to support initiatives that make a tangible impact in communities. Spectrum has now awarded $1.1 million to 55 nonprofit organizations in the past year alone.

Since launching in 2017, the program has committed more than $12 million to 204 organizations across Spectrum’s 41-state service area, helping distribute nearly 20,000 laptops and support more than 50,000 training sessions benefiting nearly 200,000 people nationwide.