Fran Roehm appointed advisor to Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help eliminate the digital divide

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This just in...

Frances Roehm, SkokieNet Librarian and Community Liaison at the Skokie Public Library, has recently been appointed by Illinois Senate President John Cullerton to serve on the statutorily created advisory committee of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for its Eliminate the Digital Divide program. This grant program, created in 2001, provides digital literacy grants to public computing centers in low income communities across Illinois.

"The committee is charged with advising DCEO staff regarding grants for computer access and training for folks who otherwise would not have it," says Fran. "This agency's grants support digital literacy and reach state residents who are job hunting and receive assistance with their resumes, adults who receive assistance in developing needed computer workforce skills, and others who otherwise would be without the tools to compete or take part in an increasingly digital world."

In 1998, Fran created, and with her colleagues maintains, the ChicagoJobs.org website. Since 2005, Fran has been involved with the development of Illinois CLICKS!, the online information portal designed to provide digital information resources for all in the state, including the 1 million residents without traditional library services. Fran is also a member of Gov. Quinn’s Illinois Broadband Deployment Council and will seek to work with the DCEO and other digital literacy advocates to support the computer technology centers and libraries that offer this important service along with the expansion of broadband and information services statewide.

For more information on IDCEO EDD program see granttracker.ildceo.net.
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Through the All Skokie Photo Project, I'm working with Fran and other at SkokieNet on the All Skokie Photo Contest. I'm an advisor for SkokieNet.  Fran is on Facebook and tweets as SkokieGal.

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