Net Literacy awarded grant

The grant will be presented Thursday at the West Vigo Community Center, 127 W. Johnson Ave., West Terre Haute, at a press conference jointly hosted by the United Way of the Wabash Valley and Net Literacy.

Working with the United Way of the Wabash Valley, Net Literacy identified seven local nonprofits that have received computers to establish or expand computer labs providing increased access to members, which totals more than 10,000 individuals in Vigo and Clay counties.

Agencies benefiting from the grant include the West Vigo Community Center, the Clay County Literacy Coalition, the Wabash Senior Citizen Center, the YMCA of Clay County, CHANCES for Indiana Youth, United Child Care, the United Way of the Wabash Valley and Catholic Charities' Ryves Youth Center at Etling Hall.

Representatives from each nonprofit organization will be present at the conference.

Strong support for the initiative was voiced by local government officials, many of which will also be at the conference, including Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett, Terre Haute City Council President Todd Nation and Brazil Mayor Ann Bradshaw.

Verizon Foundation has supported Net Literacy's digital inclusion efforts for years -- and has partnered with Net Literacy to increase computer access throughout Indiana.

U.S. Senators Lugar and Bayh serve as Net Literacy's Honorary Co-Chairs and Net Literacy works with organizations such as the Verizon Foundation to increase computer access, computer and Internet literacy and Internet safety awareness around the state. Net Literacy is a student managed nonprofit and 50 percent of its board is composed of high school and college students.

For more information about Net Literacy, visit www.netliteracy.org or contact donkent@netliteracy.org.

For more information or questions about the United Way of the Wabash Valley, visit www.uwwv.org or contact Mark Johnson at the United Way of the Wabash Valley at 812-235-6287 or by e-mail at mark.johnson@unitedway.org.