A New Era for Randolph County
Did you know that Randolph County's brand-new Allen Ray McNeill Education & Resource Center includes a space for any county resident to learn about technology? Welcome to the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab, a hub for people of all ages to learn about digital tools, online safety, and more!Now open to the public, the Allen Ray McNeill Education & Resource Center is located in the Randolph County Agriculture Center campus at 1880 US Hwy 64 E, Asheboro. When you step inside the resource center, you will find learning spaces dedicated to many types of information, such as a teaching kitchen, a gardening lab, and–of course–the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab.
What is the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab?
The Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab is a safe space to learn about your new smart phone, online marketing for a small business, or coding skills for kids. This low-pressure environment will provide educational classes and workshops for people coming from all walks of life. It’s for everyone—farmers looking to modernize, seniors wanting to connect with family, job seekers, and small business owners.
The lab will also host weekly and totally free tech help sessions for anyone trying to understand a phone, tablet, or laptop.
If you’re wondering what digital skills have to do with Cooperative Extension, the answer is simple: Cooperative Extension has led the way in helping local communities adapt to new technology, from the early days of electricity to the current era of AI. We still work with farmers , but we also offer education about the world of technology to anyone else in the community who wants to learn!Why is it Called the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab?
Randolph Communications is the official sponsor of the Digital Skills Lab! We are excited to have such strong community support as we launch educational programs from the new facility.
Free Tech Help: Your Personal Technology Coach
Maybe you just bought your first smart phone. Maybe your children gifted you an iPad over the holidays. Maybe you grew up online, but you want to learn a specific skill, like how to use social media to promote your farm or small business.
Randolph County Cooperative Extension offers free, one-to-one tech help appointments where you can get your questions answered and walk through how to use your technology in a simple, step-by-step way.
What kind of things can you learn in a one-to-one tech help session? Write down your list of questions, show up ready to learn, and we’ll explore anything to do with technology! Some popular topics for these sessions often include:- Setting up an email account
- Smartphone troubleshooting
- Understanding apps on your phone
- Using social media
- Resume writing and online job applications
To book a free one-to-one tech help session, call 336-318-6002. This service is free of charge and is available to any resident of Randolph County.
What kind of Classes Will the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab Offer?
The very first workshop held in the Randolph Communications Digital Skills Lab took place this month on January 22. A group of enthusiastic learners came together to explore Google Apps and Tools. The workshop delved into free cloud-based tools like Google Drive and Google Docs, while also exploring new AI tools like Gemini.
