Note: This session will not be shown in a live viewing. The video is available to view at any time during the conference.
As digital literacy, internet access, and online education become increasingly essential in everyday life, communities on the opposite side of the digital divide lack access to vital resources. Especially for low-income families in need of digital and educational resources, the laundromat makes for an ideal space to engage with busy families. This is exactly what Libraries Without Borders (LWB US) works to do with its Wash and Learn Initiative. During this session, participants will learn about the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) and how it can transform laundromats into innovative spaces for digital learning and community development. Through WALI, local libraries are able to offer critical services such as early childhood literacy, digital literacy programming, and information services inside of laundromats. By using the principles of human-centered design, LWB US has since developed the Wash and Learn Initiative Community Toolkit, a how-to guide for designing a WALI program for community leaders, librarians, and local organizations. The toolkit provides a detailed breakdown of the tech solutions, collaboration techniques, research methods, and development process for the WALI program. In this session, participants will receive access information for the toolkit, as well as gain the understanding and tools to implement a WALI program in their own communities.
After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
- Gain insight into the digital divide and issues of equity in technology and educational access
- Learn how to design, pilot, and scale innovative education programming in non-traditional learning spaces through the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI)
- Acquire the practical tools and knowledge to build a WALI program adapted to the specific needs of your community by using the WALI Community Toolkit
