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USC Salkehatchie serves as home for two iCarolina Community Learning Labs

Story by LISA SAVAGE

The new iCarolina Learning Labs at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie aren’t just for students. Brenda Chisolm, who doesn’t have home internet access, used the lab on the Allendale campus to apply for a job. The staff helped her complete the application, and now, at age 61, she works at Salkehatchie.

Similarly, retiree Carl Maggio, a Navy veteran, visited the lab at the Walterboro campus and received assistance editing photos and learning to use the AirDrop feature. He was surprised to see all the Apple technology — iMacs, iPads and MacBooks — along with the lab’s open and welcoming layout of tables and booths. The setting is similar to a cafe.

The new iCarolina Learning Labs at USC Salkehatchie’s Walterboro and Allendale campuses provide free access to high-speed internet, educational programming and certification courses for community members, students and community residents, and organizations.

“USC Salkehatchie is grateful for the opportunity to serve as the site for two Apple labs that provide access to technology and reliable internet in our communities,” USC Salkehatchie Dean April Cone says. “In today’s world, technology is essential for educational success and economic growth. The state’s investment in the iCarolina Learning Lab initiative will have a significant impact in rural South Carolina for years to come.”

A Resource For Students

Students also benefit from the labs. Moses Aguilar Diaz often found himself struggling with schoolwork as he depended on his smartphone to do daily tasks. The tiny screen just wasn’t designed for research papers and other classwork.

With the iCarolina Learning Labs, Moses’ academic life is much easier. “To be able to do my work by using one of the computers in the lab has helped me very much,” the psychology major says. “It’s much faster, and it’s a nice place to do my work. I come here almost every day.”

Mylasia Kearse, a forensic sciences and nursing student, faced many of the same challenges. She has her own laptop, but she didn’t have adequate access to broadband internet service. At the lab, she connects her personal laptop to the Wi-Fi, and she can stay up to date on her classwork. “It has helped me to be a better student,” she says.