Bridging tech gaps one child at a time

Children’s faces glowed like the iPads in front of them as they sat inside a 35-foot bus packed with technology and parked in the small town of Jackson, Ohio.

Young visitors to the Ohio 4-H Mobile Design Classroom – provided free by The Ohio State University Extension – were wide-eyed about using its tablets, smart boards, and digital media in the Appalachian foothills, where broadband internet access can be limited.

“The kids get on the bus, and you can see their minds explode with possibilities,” said Liz Harmon of Jackson, mother of two daughters, ages 8 and 6. “It’s opening up all these windows that they might never even have known existed. It’s almost magical.”

Creating special moments is the job of Christy Millhouse, a STEM educator for Ohio State Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This year, she’ll drive the Mobile Design Classroom – and provide on-site teaching – to 30 towns and cities in 26 counties throughout Ohio.

"We are taking what we do in 4-H out into the community,” Millhouse said. “The mobile classroom is an opportunity for young people to explore technology and to have the opportunity to try things maybe they’ve never tried before.”

The Mobile Design Classroom, with its tech devices donated by Apple and grant funding from Google, will reach more than 4,000 youth at camps, schools, county fairs and community events. Millhouse said the mission is to be a partner for underserved areas such as Jackson, which has a population of 6,184.

Located about 75 miles southeast of Columbus, Jackson is the seat of Jackson County, one of Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties. One-third of households and 75 percent of people in that vast region don’t have access to bare minimum internet speed, according to Connecting Appalachia, an advocate for broadband improvement.

“All the children who live out in the rural areas who may not have access to the internet, they’re kind of at a disadvantage,” said Melissa Sowers, youth services assistant at the Jackson City Library.

To combat that challenge, Sowers contacted Ohio State and invited the Mobile Design Classroom for one-day visits the past two years at the town’s library, which provides residents with hot-spot Wi-Fi service and digital literacy programs. Each bus event attracted about 120 visitors.

“Our school system does a really good job, but obviously it can’t do it all,” Sowers said. “Having the STEM bus here to help fill that gap is super important. It gives the children an opportunity to experience something that might spark something in them for later in life.”

The need to keep up with society’s rapid technology changes makes future economic stakes high in Jackson County, where 17 percent of its 32,653 people live in poverty and its 12,619 households have a median income of $48,915.

“It’s important to have opportunities available to our kids because we don’t want our kids left behind,” Sowers said.

Bridging the digital divide in Appalachian Ohio

Maddie Allman understands the state’s Appalachian digital divide because she grew up in Vinton County and now works as an educator for 4-H Youth Development in the Ohio State Extension office in Jackson County.

“We struggle with reaching people,” said Allman, an Ohio State alumna. “We struggle getting them 4-H information because they don’t have email accounts or don’t have reliable internet. There’s still not a lot of cell service. It’s just definitely a different world down here.”

Besides providing tech opportunities, Allman says interaction with the Mobile Design Classroom in Jackson County helps show residents that Ohio 4-H offers more than the agriculture education it's traditionally known for. The bus can broaden horizons.

“If I had not participated in 4-H as a kid, I would not have made it to Ohio State,” Allman said. “I would not have known it was an option. That’s why outreach initiatives like the STEM bus are so important. It introduces people, especially youth, to the idea of attending a university like Ohio State.”

Knowing first-hand how small moments can birth big ideas, Allman helped arrange for the Mobile Design Classroom to be available at Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp two days before its visit to the Jackson City Library, five miles away.

With its generator humming on a humid morning to provide Wi-Fi, the bus sat parked near a creek, nestled amidst a forest of oak, maple and hickory trees. Activity buzzed inside. Campers, grades 5 through 7, listened intently as Millhouse explained the app Keynote.

“Remember friends, technology is fun, but we don’t have to be an expert,” she told her engaged participants. “We have to be open to learning and doing something differently.”

The campers from various Appalachian counties made short stop-motion movies on iPads, filming action they created with small plastic animals, trees, dinosaurs, and cars.

After the one-hour session, a camper approached Millhouse, said he wants to be an animator when he grows up, and thanked her for showing them the app.

“Those are the moments when you know that what you’re doing on the bus makes a difference,” Millhouse said.

Hands-on learning sparks big dreams

Families lined up in anticipation of the Mobile Design Classroom 30 minutes before its arrival at the Jackson City Library. Later, proud parents took photos of their children entering the bus.

Nearby, a woman smiled as she watched her 9-year-old grandson scurry among peers playing on the ground with bus-supplied robotic ovals coded by Sphero and controlled by tablets.

“I see a lot of kids here that aren’t even school-aged kids,” Crystal Finch said. “We’re catching them early and getting them involved. We’re getting them knowledgeable of the opportunities that are out there with STEM – not just the academic things, but the fun things you can do. It’s an extension they can build on through their schooling and parents.”

Finch is a retired teacher, primarily in Jackson’s elementary schools. She said STEM resources and activities weren’t always available to her students, but she always stressed STEM’s importance. She sees that reinforced by the Mobile Design Classroom.

“I'm really glad that Ohio State takes the time and sees value in coming down here and serving our children because we're kind of a forgotten area, especially in the areas of science and math.”

“I’m really glad that Ohio State takes the time,” Finch said, “and sees value in coming down here and serving our children because we’re kind of a forgotten area, especially in the areas of science and math.

“These kids are our future, and obviously our future is moving toward STEM activities and jobs that entail STEM interests and education. If we can get hold of these kids early, we can get them on track to possibly explore those avenues and have a rewarding future as productive citizens.”

Last year, Maddison Wires of Jackson Township enjoyed watching her sons, ages 7 and 5, using the app GarageBand on bus tablets.

“They had never experienced that at home,” she said. “It kind of opened their eyes to the music world and different instruments.”

The family returned to the Mobile Design Classroom this year hoping it would spark future education and career interests.

“It’s awesome that Ohio State takes time to come here to our community,” Wires said. “I grew up here, and I think sometimes it feels closed in, in a sense.

“The STEM bus gives my kids more of an idea that other things are out there. It gives them an opportunity to learn about different technologies, different possible careers, different things outside of this community, which is really important for this area to move forward.”