Plugging In: Empowering communities to ensure digital literacy access for youth

Executive Summary

The Digital Literacy + Coding Pilot tested a flexible, scalable model for delivering effective and accessible digital literacy and coding education in after-school settings in partnership with youth-serving community organizations across Ontario. The pilot reached over 2,400 youth between February 2018 and October 2019, many of whom were underserved by, disengaged from, and/or experiencing barriers to accessing formal digital literacy education.

There is a wealth of digital literacy programming in the province—however, the majority of it is offered through formal K–12 education, for-fee after-school, summer, and March break programs, or intended for more advanced or older learners.1 Even within K–12 schools, the implementation of digital literacy and coding education remains fragmented and uneven. Variations between school boards, schools, and individual teachers can impact content, learner progression and confidence, and the availability of computers for in-class use. The Digital Literacy + Coding Pilot—later renamed “Digitally Lit” by participants—filled a vital gap in the ecosystem by using an informal after-school model at no cost to participants, operating out of existing community spaces rather than using a traditional classroom format, and focusing on introductory lessons with the flexibility to adjust to participant knowledge. This helped ensure that the program was welcoming and not intimidating, particularly for youth who are disengaged from or not regularly attending school, or those unlikely to seek out additional formal learning opportunities. The pilot was designed to reach youth facing a range of barriers, including those who are not usually able to access programs due to fees, a lack of local opportunities to which they can easily and safely commute, or obligations such as caregiving or part-time work.