 Digital Navigator Corner
Expanding to Rural Colorado
Through our partnership with the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium, we now have digital navigators in Alamosa and La Plata counties. Please welcome Christina Longoria and Elizabeth “Liz” Paine. Both Christina and Liz are proud residents of Alamosa County and though their home base is the Alamosa Workforce Center, they will be traveling to communities outside of Alamosa, including Blanca, Center, Capulin, Manassa, Monte Vista, Romeo, San Luis, and more.
Michelle Wagner’s digital navigation services are based at the Durango Workforce Center recently co-located with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation at 160 Rock Point Dr, Ste, A, Durango, CO 81301. Michelle will also be serving the communities of Bayfield, Hermosa, Hesperus, Mancos, Vallecito and other nearby communities.
These digital navigators serve community members who have been left behind by the rapid reliance on the internet for the provision of goods and services. We focus on promoting our services to government entities and non-profit organizations who serve:
- People with disabilities
- Veterans
- Justice-involved individuals
- Older adults
- Members of tribal communities
- People with limited literacy and/or English language proficiency
- People from black, indigenous, and people of color communities
For more information about the digital navigation services in rural Colorado, contact Rural Workforce Consortium regional managers Andrew Dalton (San Luis Valley) or Dawn Bray (Durango) at the Rural Workforce Consortium or Jessie Hawthorn on the Digital Equity Team.
Digital Access for Immigrants and Refugees
We have partnered with organizations in Denver and Aurora to increase digital access of immigrants and refugees. Digital navigators (DNs), Chad Cullen, Tsiky Maxey, and Edgar Medina, are providing services weekly at three Denver Housing Authority communities, two of which are communities inhabited by older adults and people with disabilities. These DNs also provide services at three Emily Griffith Technical College locations that provide education and career advising services through the Colorado Refugee English as a Second Language (CRESL) program. In addition, services are available at Hope Communities - Hiddenbrook Apartments, which primarily houses refugees and immigrants, as well as at non-profit organization, The Village Institute, and an Aurora Public Library branch, Hoffman Library.
These DNs began serving community members in May 2024 and they have already had over 350 appointments. The top five requests during appoints are:
- Finding affordable laptops or Chromebooks
- Finding affordable internet service
- Using smartphones
- Searching for employment online, including navigating online employment applications and uploading a cover letter and resume
- Using email, including unsubscribing from emails and reporting spam
To connect someone who needs digital access with a digital navigator, text or call 720-213-8430. You can also email digitalequity@state.co.us or submit a referral form.
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