Community Stories

Adapted from reporting by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)—written in collaboration with Raynor Avenue Public Affairs—originally published on January 10, 2025, and Computer Reach. The original articles, “How Computer Reach’s Digital Navigator Program is Transforming Communities in Western Pennsylvania” and “Meet your Digital Navigator, Sarah Radcliffe”, reported on digital literacy, rural broadband accessibility, and digital inclusion efforts led by Computer Reach in Western Pennsylvania. This adapted feature combines the two articles to illustrate the continuing need for investment in digital equity, digital skills, and trusted community-based support.

Starting a small business is extremely challenging. Now, imagine starting a small business without internet access. It’s even more difficult in rural areas, where the lack of broadband access, limited resources, and a shortage of digital skills have left entire communities disconnected from today’s digital world.

That’s where Computer Reach, a community-based organization, comes in, working to help communities overcome these barriers in underserved areas in Western Pennsylvania. Computer Reach is dedicated to giving people in Western Pennsylvania access to technology through refurbished computers, digital skills training, and support for communities that need it most. While the organization has helped many different groups, reaching rural areas meant trying something new: community-based digital navigators.

“There’s not a lot of ongoing digital inclusion efforts in Pennsylvania’s western half,” explains Dave Sevick, Executive Director of Computer Reach. “While Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have more services, there aren’t any programs giving out free devices and doing training for rural communities. With fewer people, there are fewer resources.”

That gap is part of what led Computer Reach to develop the Washington County Digital Navigator Program. Computer Reach was selected by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) to create a digital navigator program as part of a grant from Google.org. One of the program’s key objectives was to establish a community-based digital navigator program, and with help from community partners, Computer Reach hired and trained a Washington County resident to serve in that role.

That resident is Sarah Radcliffe.

Meet Sarah

Sarah grew up in the west end of Pittsburgh and attended City Charter High School in Downtown Pittsburgh. She went on to Washington & Jefferson College, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science. She now lives with her partner and their two cats, Mike and Socks, in California, Pennsylvania, on the eastern side of Washington County.

For Sarah, doing this work in Washington County is important because of the specific challenges facing the region.

“It’s important to be doing this work in Washington County because of the unique challenges it faces as a rural coal county,” Sarah said. “Oftentimes places like this have limited access to broadband internet or the community members don’t have the means to pay for the available internet; so providing them with affordable internet options can be really crucial. A lot of people in this area also don’t have the disposable income to buy a new computer device or the time to learn how to use them.”

Those barriers are not limited to whether someone has an internet connection. A person may have broadband available in their community but still lack the money to pay for it, the device needed to use it, or the time and confidence necessary to navigate technology independently.

“That’s another reason these services will go a long way because not only will we provide the community free devices but I will work to meet the needs of each user and I will go to their homes on their schedules and do my best to give them the skills they’d need to continue to grow their abilities on their own,” Sarah said.

For Sarah, the goal is not simply to put a computer in someone’s hands. It is to give people the tools and confidence to use technology in ways that can improve their lives.

“These services will help bring a county of underserved people the tools they need to make their own lives better in a multitude of ways,” she said. “Bringing this area devices and skills will also help contribute to growing and diversifying their economy which will only help the community as a whole going forward.”

What Digital Navigators Do

Digital navigators are trusted community members who provide one-on-one guidance and support to help people connect to and use the digital world. Their work can take place in person or remotely, depending on what works best for the person they are serving.

In Washington County, Sarah works directly with residents to help them become more comfortable using technology in ways that make sense for their individual needs. That can mean helping someone learn basic computer skills, connecting someone with an affordable internet option, providing a refurbished device, supporting a student with technology needed for school, helping someone search for employment, or assisting a resident with accessing health services online.

Since the program launched, it has provided digital skills and tech support to more than 250 end users in Washington County. The program has delivered 200 hours of in-person training and 128 hours of tech support, distributed more than 280 laptops, and helped Computer Reach recover more than 35,000 pounds of e-waste.

The program’s impact reaches across generations and circumstances. Sarah has helped small business owners, students, seniors, and others use technology to access opportunities and services ranging from employment to health care.

“A lot of people who didn’t have a device before, have never had a device, or wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford one, are getting them,” Sarah said at Net Inclusion 2024. “Those who need it are getting the necessary digital skills to build confidence in themselves, to do anything, go to school, work, do a telehealth appointment.”

That combination of devices and skills is central to the program. Having a computer is only useful if someone can confidently use it, and learning digital skills can be difficult when a person does not have consistent access to a device on which to practice.

Helping a Local Business Owner Build His Business

One of Sarah’s favorite examples of the program’s impact is Ronald Garett, known as “G,” who is starting his own painting business.

“He’s motivated and passionate about learning,” Sarah said. “We’ve been teaching him how to use ChatGPT to help him set up his business. He’s so eager to learn, and it’s amazing to see how much confidence he’s gained as a business owner.”

G himself said, “I know that the skills I’ve learned will benefit me in the best way.”

His experience illustrates how digital skills can become part of a much larger process. For someone starting a business, technology can be used to organize information, communicate with customers, research opportunities, market services, and develop the practical tools needed to operate a business.

For Sarah, helping people build those skills is about more than completing a single task. It is about helping people become more independent in their use of technology.

The Human Side of Digital Inclusion

The technical skills are only one part of Sarah’s job.

According to Dave Sevick, “This work is 80% social work and 20% tech.”

The work is built around relationships: getting to know people, listening to their needs, understanding the barriers they are facing, and providing ongoing support.

Sarah describes her role in much the same way.

“Community members come to me for more than just computer help—I try to be a resource hub for them,” she said.

That relationship-based approach is one of the defining characteristics of the Washington County Digital Navigator Program. Instead of expecting residents to navigate complicated systems on their own, Sarah can work with them directly and help identify what they need.

Her previous experiences helped prepare her for that part of the work.

“My experience within my degrees and previous jobs have helped contribute to my abilities for this job in many ways,” Sarah said. “Having a history degree allows me to be able to understand where the technological and economic instability stems from and also where fixing those issues can take this community.”

She said her political science degree has also helped her understand the larger systems surrounding digital inclusion.

“My political science degree allows me to understand the way this program and others like it work and also how they can be continued at a governmental level.”

Her previous jobs at City Council, the Clerk of Courts, and Target also taught her how to work with people.

“My prior jobs at City Council, the Clerk of Courts, and Target gave me a lot of skills when it comes to dealing with people and especially helping them as best I can,” she said. “I have not only customer service knowledge but the general empathy and soft skills from these jobs to understand the issues people are having and teach them to the best of my ability.”

Those interpersonal skills are especially important because digital exclusion rarely exists in isolation. Someone who needs help using a computer may also be trying to find work, access health care, complete schoolwork, apply for benefits, communicate with family, or start a business. A digital navigator can help connect those pieces.

Connecting People to Affordable Internet

Digital inclusion also requires affordable connectivity.

Through word of mouth and partner referrals, Computer Reach has been assisting the Washington County community for 24 years. Partnerships with local organizations have helped the organization reach residents and have led to prominent media coverage in newspapers and on radio.

Computer Reach also operates an Internet Lending Program that partners with T-Mobile, COSTARS, and PNC Bank to provide an affordable and flexible connectivity option for community members. The program provides access to a gateway that supports up to 64 connections, with no data cap or throttling, for $35 a month. This allows households to maintain reliable, fast internet while supporting multiple devices and family members. Anyone can participate in the lending program regardless of income.

Community partnerships have also been instrumental in expanding outreach. Through these efforts, Computer Reach has helped 265 residents in Washington County with in-person training and access to computer devices.

The organization uses an asset map to identify nearby resources that may be available to community residents. Computer Reach has partnered with PA CareerLink, the Literacy Council, and Chrome Federal Credit Union to connect residents with additional resources.

A Community-Based Approach to Digital Equity

The Washington County Digital Navigator Program demonstrates why community-based support can be important in rural areas.

The western half of Pennsylvania faces a different landscape from more densely populated areas. Rural communities can have fewer services and fewer resources, while residents may face additional transportation, affordability, and access barriers.

The digital navigator model responds to those circumstances by bringing support directly to residents.

Sarah works around the schedules and needs of the people she serves, including traveling to their homes when appropriate. That flexibility allows the program to address not only whether a resident has access to technology, but whether the technology actually works for that person’s life.

“The best advice I could offer for leading a program like this one is to be flexible, be able to pivot, and stand firm in your boundaries,” Sarah said when asked what advice she would give to a new digital navigator. “Make things work but not at the expense of work-life balance.”

That flexibility has also allowed Sarah to take on a broader role in building digital navigator capacity. Her work has been so successful that she is now helping other counties get their own digital navigator programs off the ground. She also worked with teens through the Technology Trained by Teens program, helping young people learn skills that could prepare them to become future digital navigators.

“If there are people out there that want to do what I do, they already have everything they need: a motivation to help people, empathy, and a drive to do the work,” Sarah said. “It’s really just about being organized.”

Looking Beyond Washington County

The Washington County Digital Navigator Program has already reached more than 250 end users, distributed more than 280 laptops, provided hundreds of hours of training and technical support, and helped residents access technology for school, work, health care, entrepreneurship, and other needs.

With new funding secured, Computer Reach is gearing up to expand to Greene and Fayette counties. Plans are already in motion to bring on more digital navigators, increase outreach, and distribute even more refurbished devices.

The expansion reflects the broader need for digital inclusion support across rural communities. Washington County’s experience provides one example of how communities can combine devices, affordable connectivity, digital skills, technical support, and trusted relationships to help residents participate more fully in an increasingly digital world.

The success of the Washington County Digital Navigator Program shows the potential of community-based digital inclusion efforts. With more communities eager to get on board, Computer Reach is demonstrating the value of personalized, hands-on support in helping people overcome digital barriers.

As more rural areas across the country face similar challenges, programs like this offer a model for expanding digital access and use to everyone.

For Sarah, the work ultimately comes back to giving people the tools and support they need to move forward.

“It’s important to be doing this work in Washington County because of the unique challenges it faces as a rural coal county,” she said. “These services will help bring a county of underserved people the tools they need to make their own lives better in a multitude of ways.”

This feature is an adaptation, not original reporting. This feature is reposted with permission from Dave Sevick, Executive Director of Computer Reach. The original NDIA blog post was written in collaboration with Raynor Avenue Public Affairs.