MSCSS provides services for immigrants and refugees, including English tutoring and citizenship exam prep. Their participants have a wide range of technology experience: some are highly skilled, while others have never owned a computer or phone. 

But these days, having a device with internet access and knowing how to use it is essential for almost everything. Without these tools, staying in touch with loved ones or accessing vital social services becomes very difficult.

After chatting with program manager Jen about what kinds of issues people generally need assistance with, we decided that generic technology support sessions were a more useful starting place than our structured classes.

Once a week, a representative from Triceratops Tech sets up in a classroom at MSCSS. Over the next couple hours, anyone can stop by and get technology help. People bring all kinds of questions– for example, how do I set up an email account? How do I use Microsoft Word? How do I register my kid for classes? That’s what’s so great about unstructured tech support– we’re not following a pre-packaged curriculum that may or may not be relevant to their situation. We can work on exactly what people are struggling with day-to-day. 

Each week, we get to work deeply with 1-5 people on the technology barriers in their life. During that time, we’ve helped people take online exams, sign up for healthcare, create documents, and much more. 

In one memorable session, a participant told us that they hadn’t been able to speak to their family in another country for months. They didn’t know how to make video calls. With some guidance, they learned how to use FaceTime and Skype right there during the session. The joy of seeing their family face-to-face again was an emotional reminder of how transformative digital skills can be– not just on your employment prospects, but on the relationships that matter most.