Purdue Extension Community Development provides Porter County residents of all ages with resources and educational programs

For decades, Purdue Extension Community Development has been serving Indiana communities with a team of professionals based in counties, regional offices, and on the Purdue University campus. This development offers educational programming and conducts applied research in these areas.

Purdue Extension is a cooperative between Purdue University and all 92 Indiana counties. Gina Avila is a lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana who has served as the community development educator for Porter County since 2022. She notes that the Purdue Extension is a mission-driven development that strengthens the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations.

“We are the community outreach arm between Purdue University and our state’s counties,” Avila said. “We are the bridge to all the great resources and research coming out of Purdue, and we make it easier to understand and bring it to our communities. Purdue Extension is part of the Land Grant Institution system and was developed so that knowledge at universities could extend out to those in our communities, making the communities more prosperous and resilient. At Purdue Extension, I want our communities to benefit from a world-class research institution in their backyards.”

One of the major goals for Purdue Extension is to build resilient, vibrant, and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes. Through a variety of programs that the development provides, this vision is attainable.

“We launched a pilot program, Digital Skills Lessons, earlier this year for general audiences to learn foundational digital skills,” Avila said. “This program includes 13 lessons taught by Purdue Extension Educators such as myself to help build digital skills.”

Avila notes that nearly 48 million U.S. workers do not have the foundational digital skills needed to secure in-demand jobs. This is an even bigger issue when you consider that 89% of Indiana jobs and 92% of jobs throughout the United States require digital skills.

Purdue Extension offers a wide range of educational programs and resources for Indiana residents of all ages. Not only is it an outlet that covers topics such as nutrition, health, agriculture, and personal finance, but it also helps teach lessons to the participants.

Some of the program lessons that come from Purdue Extension include:

• Being Media Savvy
• Buying and Selling Online
• Computer Basics
• Connecting to Government Resources
• Internet Safety, Ethics, and Identifying Credible Sources
• Internet Safety for Kids
• Introduction to E-Mail: The Power of Digital Communication
• Introduction to Microsoft Word: A Word Processing Program
• Netiquette
• Saving, Recovering, and Sharing Data Files
• Using Smart Phone or Tablet
• Zoom: A Participants Guide
• Zoom: Host Basics

“We are also currently working on a volunteer program aimed at individuals who would like to serve their communities by being a digital ambassador,” Avila said. “Our Digital Ambassador Volunteer program will help provide the knowledge and resources a volunteer needs to help others with technology and provide assistance to those looking to upskill their digital know-how.”

The Digital Ambassador Volunteer Program covers digital applications and adult learning concepts. The program will help participants learn about managing a home network, cloud-based applications, determining community needs, using different digital devices, spotting misinformation, and cyber security.

According to Avila, close to two-thirds of respondents said they search online or rely on family members when needing help with devices or the internet. Ages 60 or older, rural, lower income, and less educated people rely on family more instead.

Purdue Extension is on target to release this program early in its fourth quarter of the year, offering both in-person and self-paced online sessions. Those interested in this program can learn more online.

“Another program we are ramping up to deliver in Porter County is the Senior Planet program for ages 55 or older,” Avila said. “This program is free of charge, with the goal to bring world-class technology training to seniors. It will offer a safe space to learn and grow knowledge in technology, while providing a mobile computer lab for a hands-on experience for participants.”

Senior Planet is an Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) program from AARP. Those interested in this program can visit oats.org.

Coming soon, Purdue Extension will be incorporating another program that focuses on understanding AI for everyday use.

Collaboration is key for the Purdue Extension Community Development to succeed. For Avila, being the community development educator in Porter County calls for working with departments within the Porter County Government.

“Making connections within the counties is the key to our success,” Avila said. “In Porter County, we have four programming areas, each with a dedicated educator. This includes 4-H (youth development), HHS (Health and Human Sciences), ANR (Agriculture and Natural Resources), and CD (Community Development). Our office is located in the Porter County Building, which allows us as county educators to be present in the county we serve. This also enables us to have a deeper understanding of our county’s needs and to provide programming to serve those needs. People can stop by anytime to speak with someone from our office to learn more about our programming.”

While the Purdue Extension Community Development has found its way to Northwest Indiana, Avila is optimistic about the results that will continue to come over time from having this resource available. With technology being at the forefront of our everyday lives, from making phone calls to making appointments, it’s imperative to have these skills to stay engaged on social networks.

“The mission of Purdue Extension is to enrich Indiana communities through comprehensive programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources, promoting sustainable practices,” Avila said. “For Health and Human Sciences, we are enhancing well-being. For Community Development, we are fostering economic growth. With 4-H and Youth Development, we are empowering the next generation. We deliver practical, research-based information that enhances lives and livelihoods. With our digital education and skill-building programming, we are working to increase digital inclusion and have a positive impact on closing Northwest Indiana’s digital skill divide. We hope to provide a safe space to help people learn and increase their confidence with technology by building their digital skills.”

Additional digital education courses and learning sessions provided by Purdue Extension includes Digital Ready Business and Remote Work Certificate. Other digital education-focused courses and learning sessions Purdue Extension offers includes those such as Digital Ready Business for small businesses and those looking to up their marketing skills)

If you want to learn more about the portfolio of Purdue Extension’s Community Development Programming, visit extension.purdue.edu/cdext. You can contact Avila at ghavila@purdue.edu or (219) 465-3555 for more details on each program.

For more information on the Porter County Government, you can visit portercountyin.gov.