FTC wants those living in its service territory to understand the power of computers and smart devices and how they, coupled with a strong internet connection, can link them to any place in the world.
Whether it is communicating with loved ones on the other side of the globe through social media or video chats, shopping online for Christmas presents on Cyber Monday or virtually walking the streets of Beijing, China, via Google Earth, those devices connected to the internet open up a whole new world.
And FTC, through a partnership with Central Carolina Technical College, hopes to open the door to that world. The two entities have been working together to hammer out the curriculum and an instructor from CCTC, Troy Grigg, will be teaching the classes. In fact, he already taught the first two in Lee County and has two more planned each in Sumter and Lee counties.
The sessions in Sumter will be held on Oct. 4, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and on Oct. 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They will be held at Central Carolina’s AMTTC (Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center) at 853 Broad Street.
The classes in Clarendon will be held at the F.E. Dubose Campus, located at 3351 Sumter Highway in Manning. The first session, scheduled for Nov. 5, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The second, on Nov. 15, will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
All of the 2-hour classes, which are free to the public, will have 20 seats available. Those interested in attending should go to ftc.net/class and register.
If you are someone who is interested but maybe a little intimidated or nervous, don’t be. The class will start with some general basics, including the components of a computer, like keyboard, mouse and monitor before moving on to some more technical terms, like motherboard, RAM, hard drive and processor.
The class moves on to the internet, what it means to go online and what are the numerous uses once on the web. Cybercrime and fraud and how to avoid them are also a big part of the sessions. They will continue with setting up and utilizing email, social media, portals and websites and the ways to have fun online, including streaming movies and TV shows. The final subjects that will be discussed are research and some of the ways to conduct online chats.
A goal of this class is to get folks educated on the power of a good device, a strong internet connection and to get them excited about the possibilities. Telemedicine, job searches and applications, travel plans and the list goes on and on.
FTC is in the midst of a major fiber project that will reach its customers with the best technology on the planet, which will make reaching the other side of the Earth faster. The cooperative hopes that through these classes the participants will understand and get excited about the life-changing possibilities getting online can provide.
