Internet Buddies at the Wray Public Library

Last week I was visiting a few libraries in northeast Colorado, including a surprise visit to the Wray Public Library. I hadn’t scheduled a visit there, but I was passing through the town on my way to Holyoke. To my surprise,I arrived just in time for their Summer Reading Buddies celebration! Pizza, soda, and prizes! Now what does this have to do with BTOP, you ask?

Well, this party was also celebrating the first year of Internet Buddies, a program inspired by the new BTOP computers. Director Shara Berghuis started this program as an innovative new way to provide technology training to adults, and to give teens something interesting to do with their summer.

The Internet Buddies program pairs teenagers with adults to provide one-on-one technology tutoring. The pairs meet regularly through the summer, while the teens are out of school. They get to choose the topic to work on, and at the end of the program the adult gets an award, created by the teen. One of the awards given was to an adult for being the ‘Perfect Picture Producer” - I understand they spent a lot of time working on digital photos.

This is program brings fun into technology training, by rewarding adult participants. It also gives teens a way to build skills and help the community while they are on summer vacation, and to connect with adults in a different way.

Congratulations to Shara and her staff on this successful new program! Maybe you’ll try it at your Public Computer Center?