Digital Ambassador Programme
Digital Ambassadors is a project that has been run by the University of Edinburgh. It aims to equip people living in the Edinburgh region with basic digital life skills like using email, requesting prescriptions online and online shopping.
It helped me realise that what we do brings about a direct positive impact to others.
Digital Ambassadors
Digital Ambassadors is a project run by Edinburgh Local as part of the University’s mission to work together with local communities.
Working with community partners across the Edinburgh City Region (and more broadly during the coronavirus pandemic), we support digital inclusion, linking the needs of the community with our resources. We focus on supporting students to access volunteering opportunities, develop and deliver content and courses, befriend learners, and we support our partners in achieving their digital inclusion goals.
This project is a flagship activity being delivered under the University’s Community Plan.
Find out more about Digital Inclusion
A key aspect of the project was being able to work directly with the local community from different parts of Scotland of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Previous partners include:
- Edinburgh Libraries
- Greyfriars Charteris Centre for Community
- Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre
- People Know How
- Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust
- LEAD Scotland
Could you volunteer?
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the way we deliver Digital Ambassadors has now changed. Going forward we will support organisations recruit volunteers at the University, through promotion and platforming of their opportunities, and volunteers will be managed by organisations themselves.
To find out about the latest opportunities, please:
· Join our Facebook group for volunteers
· Join our Digital Ambassadors mailing list
Digital Inclusion
Digital Ambassadors is part of the Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability’s Digital Inclusion work, which has been running since August 2020. There are three objectives:
1. Deliver basic digital skills training
2. Provide local communities with internet access
3. Provide local communities with internet-enabled devices
The University will influence suppliers, policymakers and senior staff to deliver digital inclusion for all local people. This includes working wihin local networks to promote wifi access, and deliver the IT Reuse project.
Find out more
To find out more about our Digital Inclusion activities or to seek partership contact our Community Team:
Community Team: local@ed.ac.uk
In the last session, I worked with a lady on power point presentations: the joy in her eyes on seeing her first ever presentation was huge.