Trego's Mountain Ear

The creation of Trego’s new Community Computer Café has been 4 months of relatively accelerated organizing by a small group of passionate folks on the TFS Community Hall board, combined with the generous support of our local internet cooperative, Interbel.

The initial goal of creating this program was to fill some gaps in community services that are not being addressed by the current systems in place. While our local library does provide some access to computers and printers, their hours, space, and budget are really limiting when it comes to expanding those services. It seemed like there needed to be a place where anyone, but especially folks who work or go to school, could come use updated technology, Wi-Fi, and have a cup of coffee in a comfortable space. We thought it would be even better if this program also had local expert volunteers who could offer tech support, and occasional classes for regular folks who are just trying to keep themselves, and their kids, safe in a constantly changing online world.   

Now here we are, a week away from launching the area’s first completely free “Community Computer Café”, complete with different types of laptops, tablets, printers, privacy panels, commercial coffee maker, and all the bells and whistles to go along with it. Starting Monday, January 29, 2024, the TFS Community Hall will be offering the open Community Computer Café from 5 to 7 PM at the Hall in Trego and every Monday evening thereafter. Each open technology night will have an experienced technology assistant to help community members with anything from email to general internet browsing to basic computer coding and development questions. Tablets are equipped with games for childhood learning and development, and we have touchscreen laptops available for community members interested in design. These events are open to anyone in the community, from folks looking to set up an email account for the first time to the brightest techno-wizards around, completely free of charge. Don’t be shy, join us!  

In addition to the weekly Computer Café, the TFS Hall is looking to expand this program to support technology learning opportunities for applications like Canva, Microsoft, and Square. We will also be hosting Cyber and Internet Safety courses in the coming months to discuss important topics like general internet and email safety, password best practices, internet and computer safety for children and teens, and more hosted by a trained cyber professional in our community. If you have any questions or feedback for us on what kind of courses or programs you’d like to see us implement with the new equipment, please email secretary@thehalltfs.com. We’d love to hear your ideas and are excited about the opportunity to bring more services and offerings to Lincoln County through this program. 

If you have a remote or homeschooled learner at home, need a place to take a telehealth appointment, or are just looking to learn more about technology and collaborate with peers, we hope to see you Monday evenings at the TFS Community Hall starting January 29th at 5 PM. Finally, we’d like to thank Interbel for their continued partnership and support of the TFS Hall Community Computer Café. 

-Casey Fuson and Heather Buker