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Foundry Penticton partners with Penticton Library to help youth keep connected

The partnership aims to help youth keep up with online courses and appointments
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Foundry Penticton and the Penticton Library are partnering together to keep the youth connected and up-to-date on courses and appointments. (Black Press file)

A partnership between the Penticton Library and Foundry Penticton is aiming to help youth bridge the digital divide.

A grant from the Ministry of Education helped the Penticton Library to purchase 10 Chromebook computers to form the base of their digital lending program.

The computer collection will help youths aged 12 to 24 with keeping up on online schoolwork, appointments for counseling and medical appointments during the pandemic.

“Foundry is a place for young people to call their own and access a variety of services like physicians, sexual health, counselling, employment, recreation, peer supports and other social services,” said outreach worker Melisa Edgerly in a news release.

“We often meet youth who are living with different challenges or barriers. During the pandemic we have seen youth struggling to complete schoolwork or attend on-line appointments for mental and physical health. This new program is helping us respond and improve e-inclusion.”

READ MORE: Foundry Penticton makes youth ‘feel like they have a place’

While many have access to the internet, there are some who are living with financial hardships or precarious housing who need supports to bridge a digital divide. More commonly, youths from lower-income households need to share devices with other family members or have devices with limited functionality to fully participate online.

To learn more about the Foundry’s digital lending program for young people, people can drop by 501 Main St. on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons or contact Edgerly at 778-646-2292 or Melisa.Edgerly@oneskycommunity.com.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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