Digital Inclusion for Migrant Millennials: Improving the ICT Landscape of Yakima Valley Schools

Dosono, Bryan

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/47321 Copy

Description

Title

Digital Inclusion for Migrant Millennials: Improving the ICT Landscape of Yakima Valley Schools

Author(s)

Dosono, Bryan

Issue Date

2014-03-01

Keyword(s)

• ICT
• digital inclusion
• information behavior
• technology policy
• migrant youth
• millennial generation

Abstract

Digital inclusion seeks to bring the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) to vulnerable populations such as low-income families, residents of rural communities, seniors, disabled citizens, at-risk youth, immigrants, refugees and people of color. Despite its thriving agricultural industry, the Yakima Valley in Washington State is designated as an economically distressed area with low wages, significant unemployment and high poverty levels. The area's agricultural emphasis attracts a large population of migrant workers who are generally perceived to be information poor, meaning they face major challenges with finding and using greatly needed everyday information. Little research in ICT access for migrant populations exists because differences in language, culture and other factors make migrant workers and their youth a particularly difficult population to study. Using the Yakima Valley as a research site, this work examines current digital inclusion efforts towards migrant youth and how rising workers of the millennial generation can better participate in today's digital economy. This research involves reviewing literature on the information ecosystem of the Yakima Valley, interviewing school district administrators for their insight into the current ICT landscape of their facilities and evaluating current educational technology access strategies within the region. The work provides recommendations aimed at influencing policy and awareness for digital inclusion within the school system.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2014 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

english

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47321

DOI

https://doi.org/10.9776/14043

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2014 is held by the authors of individual items in the proceedings. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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