Welcome to CCLAC
The Cochise County Learning Advisory Council (CCLAC) was established by funding from the Library of Congress in 1991. The purpose of the advisory council is to create and implement effective literacy programs across Cochise county, Arizona. We are hoping to engage community members in various geographic areas on either side of the US Mexico border to participate in a new approach to encouraging young people to read, help them develop better interaction with adults and teach adults how to navigate the Internet on subjects in which they are interested For more information please see the links above.
Our Mission
Digital technology literacy is becoming an essential part of every day life. Failure to understand the use of cell phone, recording devices and the computer will hold back participation in the manner expected by employers and friends. That level of literacy amongst adults and especially in the Latino and economically deprived communities is creating a larger Digital Divide each year and more so with our Mexican and Latin American neighbors. We want to engage young people in the development of these skills amongst the adults. Through that interaction get kids to become more conversant with their interaction with adults. Our learning approach to interaction with a computer is to skip directly to the use of the Internet as the teaching tool rather than the Microsoft Office applications. Through the creation of Digital Libraries in which we provide tools for the young teachers by installing pre-selected bookmarks in a variety of categories we instruct them on how to guide the adults learners through the process of Internet searches. The young person is presenting the adult with information in which the adult has direct interest.
Community Role
CCLAC is prepared to assist in building communities of interest in anticipation of implementing Digital Libraries, some of which could be specific to areas of interest such as medicine, health, youth services, history etc. We collaborate with colleges and university departments to help us collect significant bookmarks for those categories/subjects that will guide the novice user through important introductory sites
CCLAC is affiliated with an international commercial Electronics Recycler from which CCLAC can source equipment, technical training and international export capabilities. We have a testing, de manufacturing and recycling facility just over the border in Mexico and a staging warehouse in Douglas AZ. from which we can source equipment or parts at below cost. We stage community collection events to which large quantities of eWaste is contributed. Through this we are in contact with communities that contribute equipment and resources and at the other end families and communities we are building/training to accept equipment.
Community Benefits
In many communities, the students of the schools have very limited time to access computers. In so many schools the Internet is not connected because of the cost. The Biblioteca Digital provides the community with more time at the computer, supervised learning from mentors or teachers who help, like a librarian, to find information but then to also discuss it with the student. The adults are allowed to research or gain a better understanding of the information that is offered to them just by learning how to work at the computer. The community benefits from better informed residents at all levels.
More Information
To find out more information about how CCLAC is providing services to the community, what programs CCLAC is implementing, or how to donate, please visit the links above. Visit the Learning Program link to find out more about how CCLAC provides learning oppotortunities in the communities we serve. Visit the Recycling program link to find out how CCLAC is taking an eco-friendly approach to recycling computer equipment, and visit the about page to find out more about current CCLAC initiatives, volunteer needs, and how to donate.