Dr. Esther Johnson
Country: United States of America
Title: National Director
Organization: Job Corps
Watch: Video Interview

Over three years ago, the changing requirements of workplace led Dr. Esther Johnson and Job Corps administrators to develop a system-wide credentialing program. To more fully serve Job Corps’ mission, Dr. Johnson and her team aligned student learning with the skills 21st Century employers seek. Job Corps chose to teach global digital literacy standards to develop computing and Internet skills along with learning based in other industry certifications. These changes will help build a workforce capable of meeting employment demands.

Peter Kurt Schreier Reck
Country: Peru
Title: National Director
Organization: National Service for Industrial Works Skills (SENATI)
Listen: Podcast Interview

Peru is among several nations with an economy emerging at such considerable rate that significant technological changes are also leading to a shortage of skilled employees. Peter Schreier Reck, National Director of the National Service for Industrial Works Skills or SENATI, believes that today’s working population has been unable to keep pace with the current skill demands and rate of development among businesses. Supporting national industry development, SENATI specializes in providing Peru’s often disadvantaged young adults with relevant and up-to-date skills.
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Khaled El Hamedi
Country: Libya
Title: Chairman
Organization: ENG Holding
Listen: Podcast Interview

Khaled El Hamedi recognizes the necessity of digital literacy skills for success in today's technological world. His efforts to bridge the Digital Divide in his native Libya have led to the building of 70 Certiport training centers throughout the country and the certification of 30,000 individuals in Certiport Internet Computing Core Certification (IC³®) since 2004.
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Mariko Horigome
Country: Japan
Title: Social Welfare Counselor
Organization: Tokyo Colony
Listen: Podcast Interview

Mariko Horigome, a social welfare counselor with Tokyo Colony, believes Certiport Internet Computing Core Certification (IC³®) can profoundly benefit all people, including those with physical disabilities. Her organization's efforts to promote digital literacy have helped bridge the Digital Divide among the disabled population of her native Japan.
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Deryck Nutley
Country: Scotland
Title: Manager
Organization: IT Providers Consortium in Scotland (ITPCS)
Listen: Podcast Interview

When Deryck Nutley first listened to a presentation about Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) in 2004, he quickly recognized the potential the program had to develop the computing and internet skills necessary for bridging the Digital Divide in his native Scotland.

"It really became quite apparent … that it was very, very suitable for what we were trying to do in Scotland to meet basic digital literacy needs," said Nutley.
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Professor Haoqiang Tan
Country: China
Title: Professor
Organization: Tsing-Hua University, Beijing
Listen: Podcast Interview

Professor Haoqiang Tan recognizes the importance of digital literacy for success in today's technological world. His efforts to promote digital literacy and bring globally recognized standards, such as Certiport Internet Computing Core Certification (IC³®) could help push China to even greater heights.

"Computers are so powerful," said Tan. "I believe without them there can be no modernization in China."
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Michelle Robinson Cook
Country: USA
Title: IT and Web 1 High School Teacher
Organization: Niceville High School, Florida

Roxanne Laborde-Couvillion
Country: USA
Title: Technology Teacher
Organization: Avoyelles High School, Louisiana

Erlito Damo
Country: Philippines
Title: School Principal & Division ICT Consultant
Organization: Aplaya Elementary School, Department of Education

Ms. Mino Takeuchi & Ms. Sonoko Uchida
Country: Japan
Title: Trainers
Organization: Ricoh Human Creates Co., Ltd.

Edzard Hasbargen
Country: Germany
Title: Training Manager
Organization: MD Schulung & Beratung GmbH

In 2007, Edzard Hasbargen, training manager at MD Schulung & Beratung GmbH, a commercial training center in Germany, began Vertiefte Berufsorientierung, or "Profound Professional Orientation." The pilot training program was designed to bring teachers, students, the German Ministry of Education, employment agencies and politicians together to increase digital literacy in the German state of Lower Saxony.
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Brian Leonard
Country: United States
Title: Dean of Academic Development and Assessment
Organization: Southwestern Michigan College

When Brian Leonard encountered Certiport® Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®), the world's only globally recognized standards-based certification for fundamental computing and Internet skills, he quickly realized the digital literacy standard had the potential to meet a critical need with which he and his colleagues at Southwestern Michigan College (SMC) were struggling: effectively articulating what it means to the computing and business industries to be digitally literate.
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Jesli Lapus
Country: Philippines
Title: Secretary of Education
Organization: Philippines Department of Education

As the Philippine government launches a massive digital literacy program to develop and validate public school teachers' information and communications technology (ICT) skills using Certiport® Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®), the man behind the initiative understands clearly the importance of ICT competency. Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, who is tasked with preparing the country's next generation of globally competitive workers, said technology is no longer a luxury; it is now a standard. And, he continued, digital literacy is a vital component of the Philippine Department of Education's literacy requirements.
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Deiter Estrada Sandoval
Country: Guatemala
Title: Founder & General Manager
Organization: Centro de Computacion IMB-PC

Deiter Antonio Estrada Sandoval knows Guatemala is a small country with great potential. With that vision, Estrada founded and manages Centro de Computación IMB-PC, an independent information and communications technology (ICT) school in Guatemala City. As his business has expanded over the past ten years, primary and secondary school students and teachers throughout Guatemala have developed and certified vital digital literacy skills. Estrada anticipates these skills will give Guatemala's—and the world's—future workforce life-changing employment opportunities.
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Dr. Wail Omar
Country: Iraq
Title: CEO
Organization: BNR Education

Years after leaving his homeland in Iraq, Dr. Wail Omar felt he couldn't stay away. With his background in information and communications technology, Omar knew the benefits digital literacy will bring to his country as it rebuilds. "I am Iraqi," he explained. "I am looking for ways to help the Iraqis, especially with all the sad things happening there."
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Mohamad Abu Bakar
Country: Brunei
Title: Director
Organization: SEAMEO VOCTECH

When the government of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam introduced an e-government project, need for a globally recognized standard of digital literacy grew. The project requires more than 10,000 government personnel to receive information and communications technology (ICT) training. The Ministry of Education tasked the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH) with providing the curriculum.
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Rodrigo Castro Palma
Country: Costa Rica
Title: President
Organization: Colegio Universitario Boston

Rodrigo Castro Palma, president of Colegio Universitario Boston, is a visionary in the field of education. For more than 50 years, the academic institution he heads has worked to create job opportunities in Costa Rica. Complementing Universitario Boston's motto, "We offer an education that gives you a job," Castro recently added Certiport® Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) to the university's curriculum. Read more …

Dr. Khaled Touqan
Country: Jordan
Title: Minister of Education
Organization: Amman Ministry of Education

His Excellency Dr. Khaled Toqan is has commenced the adoption of digital literacy initiatives throughout the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan such as including Certiport® Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) in his Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) program. More than 100,000 students and teachers in Jordan are expected to participate in the five-year government program, which introduces new and updated facilities, equipment and other resources into academic institutions. The program emphasizes teaching and learning through information and communications technology. An e-learning portal, broadband networks to schools, a national data center, new math and science laboratories and new software and hardware for schools are all scheduled for implementation. Read more …

Adel Ali Abdul Jalil El Ogubi
Country: Libya
Title: Director of Training Division
Organization: Libyan General People's Committee for Manpower and Training

In 2004, the United States eased a 15-year economic embargo against Libya, opening dialogue on trade, investment and economic reform and encouraging Libya's reintegration in the global marketplace. While trade restrictions were in place, Libya's access to information and communications technology (ICT) was limited, causing a considerable gap in ICT knowledge and skills among its citizens. As economic modernization within Libya occurs, Al-Shamelah, a training and qualification organization, worked to close the ICT skills gap by introducing Certiport® Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) to the country. Read more …

Mohd Jasmi bin Hassan
Country: Malaysia
Title: CEO
Organization: MSD Technology Sdn. Bhd

In a working paper entitled "The Way Forward," His Excellency YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister of Malaysia, said, "The ultimate objective that we should aim for is a Malaysia that is a fully developed country by the year 2020."
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Judith Speight
Country: New Zealand
Title: Director
Organization: ITT WRKZ Limited

One person at a time, digital literacy is changing communities, providing the skills people need for employment and transforming lives in New Zealand. Read more …

Peter Macaulay
Country: New Zealand
Title: Creator
Organization: New Zealand Digital Strategy

Peter Macaulay just may be a digital literacy mastermind. As program manager of New Zealand Digital Strategy (NZDS), executive director of InternetNZ, owner of Number One IT Group and a volunteer contributor to the e-City network, Macaulay not only designs and directs digital literacy projects and initiatives, but he also passionately supports programs that will bring information and communications technology (ICT) into government, businesses, schools, communities and homes in New Zealand.
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Ernest Franklin
Country: United States
Title: Executive Director
Organization: Navajo Nation Telecommunication Regulatory Commission

Marilynn King-Johnson
Country: United States
Title: Department Manager
Organization: Navajo Nation Web Warrior Program – Department of Youth

A Navajo legend may hold the key to understanding the plight of the Navajo Nation in keeping pace with demands of the 21st century. Read more …

Heather Lampo
Country: United States
Title: IT Academy Coordinator
Organization: Grace King High School – Louisiana

Priscilla Hagebusch
Country: United States
Title: Clinical Professor
Organization: A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University

Fall 2005 was chaotic on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Two days after school started, Heather Lampo, computer technology teacher in Metairie, La., fled Hurricane Katrina. Safe in Houston, Texas, Lampo taught high school computer courses as a substitute teacher and waited for word about the New Orleans suburb that was her home. After three weeks, Lampo left her children with a relative in Houston to return home to work. School reopened for five days until Hurricane Rita threatened the area. Lampo again fled to Houston to wait out the storm with her children and relatives.
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Carol French
Country: Canada
Title: Executive Director
Organization: International Charity Association Network (ICAN)

David Penney
Country: Canada
Title: Founder
Organization: International Charity Association Network (ICAN)

Penney and French helped launch a nationwide initiative designed to allow marginalized residents to assess and upgrade their computing skills. This plan called for IC³ certification to be offered through 50 Community Computer Centres across Canada.

Jiu-Jun Yang
Country: China
Title: Vice President
Organization: Jiangsu Province Education Academy of Science

Yang successfully trained 296 teachers (from about 120 schools) for desktop productivity and digital literacy in Jiang Su province in China and hosted a Competition using certification, in which 120 schools joined.

Alejandrina Mata Segreda
Country: Costa Rica
Title: Vice Minister of Education
Organization: Costa Rica Ministry of Public Education

In 2004, the Ministry of Education initiated a training and certification program for their public education teachers. At present 60 teachers have been certified in IC³ in preparation to train and certify more than 2,000 students and teachers using IC³ certification.

Rafael Antonio Salomé
Country: El Salvador
Title: Technology Vice Minister
Organization: El Salvador Ministry of Education

El Salvador is dedicated to providing a technological and methodical base for the integration of technology in the educational system. The Ministry of Education will prepare their staff to facilitate computer science under a training plan evaluated and backed by the international IC³ certification.

Issei Abe
Country: Japan
Title: Associate Professor
Organization: Kyoto Koka Women's University

Abe has been recognized for his diligent works to promote students to acquire IT literacy and utilize it for future career development to compete in ever globalizing society and to improve IT literacy in Japanese educational institutions using IC³ program.

Richard Martinez
Country: Puerto Rico
Title: Chief Information Officer
Organization: Puerto Rico Department of Education

Martinez directs 84 Technology Integration Centers responsible for developing and introducing technology programs to complement educational programs across the school system. This encompasses training programs for teachers and school directors along with developing alliances with key technology leaders like Certiport.

Joy Burroughs
Country: United States
Title: Teacher
Organization: Holbrook Junior High School

After learning about IC³, Burroughs presented the program to her principal who agreed it was a great solution to meet the needs of their students. In 2006, 121 of her students, which constitutes 92% of Holbrook's eighth-grade, passed her Key Applications class.

Roxie Fonohema
Country: United States
Title: Lead Instructor
Organization: Skilled2Succeed in Utah

Fonohema is living proof individuals can successfully cross the digital divide. After successfully completing her Skilled2Succeed course with the achievement of IC³ certification, she now helps others gain self-confidence and employable skills to elevate their lives.

Senator Norman Sakamoto
Country: United States
Organization: Hawaii State Senate

Katherine Kawaguchi
Country: United States
Title: Assistant Superintendent
Organization: Hawaii Department of Education

Senator Sakamoto has championed digital literacy in Hawaii in the legislature through policy and appropriations, and through his advocacy of collaboration between Hawaii public schools, the private sector and the military community. Under the leadership and vision of Kawaguchi, Hawaii has created the Hawaii Statewide Computer Literacy Certification (CLC) program—the first of its kind. The program provides training opportunities and funding for all 14,000 Hawaii 8th grade students to prepare for the IC³ certification.

Crystal Chercoe
Country: Canada
Title: Project Manager
Organization: Manitoba First Nations SchoolNet

Chercoe is the visionary behind youth employment initiative in rural Manitoba where First Nations youth work as computing lab technicians to assist in promoting digital literacy and technology adoption. Experiencing a 90-percent completion rate and 55-percent post placement rate, the program was introduced nationally after the first year.

Julian Luke
Country: Canada
Title: Department Head
Organization: Durham Continuing Education

Darlene Woodward
Country: Canada
Title: Program Coordinator
Organization: Durham Training Solutions

Both Luke and Woodward have worked tirelessly to establish the Durham region of Ontario as the most digitally literate region in the country. Businesses, government, and educational partners have cooperated to establish IC³ as a digital literacy standard.

Fernando Bogantes
Country: Costa Rica
Title: Director, Educación Técnica
Organization: Ministerio de Educacion Publica, Costa Rica

Bogantes implemented a digital literacy and desktop productivity certification program for more than 1,000 teachers, which could reach as many as 30,000 students.

Peter Byrne
Country: Ireland
Title: Project Manager
Organization: Digital Community Project

Byrne helps deliver IC³ training and college credit through Dublin Institute of Technology to 12 inner-city apartment complexes in Dublin and similar complexes in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Honorable William Miranda Marin
Country: Puerto Rico
Title: Mayor
Organization: Autonomous Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico

His municipal administration has invested $20 million building IT infrastructure, and a pilot training project using certification and targeting 5,000 students is expected to be adopted nationwide.

Mohammed Saed El Khatani
Country: Saudi Arabia
Title: Computer and Internet Manager, Jeddah Education Region
Organization: Saudi Education Ministry

More than 500 teachers in the Saudi school system have certified in IC³. In turn, each of these teachers commits to teach and support 100 students in the IC³ certification process.

Mona Bickham
Country: United States
Title: Program Consultant for Business and Marketing Programs
Organization: Louisiana Department of Education

Bickham introduced digital literacy training and certification using IC³ and worked to establish a program that makes certification exams more available to students statewide.

Jane L. Campbell
Country: United States
Title: Mayor
Organization: City of Cleveland

Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart
Country: United States
Title: Chief Technology Officer
Organization: City of Cleveland

Mayor Campbell and Dr. Mayberry-Stewart helped develop the CLIMB (Cleveland Learning In My Backyard) Program to provide IC³ training and certification to 30,000 low-income residents over five years.

Julia Fallon
Country: United States
Title: Program Developer for Technical Education
Organization: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

Fallon mapped IC³ to the Washington State "DigiTools" program, which allows schools to receive advanced funding from the state if schools implement a program such as IC³.

Russell Klein
Country: United States
Title: Results Coordinator
Organization: Assessments and Accountability Division, Utah Office of Education

Through Klein's efforts, the Utah State Office of Education has approved IC³ as both a test-out and end-of-course exam option for all high school students across the state for the new state-mandated Computer Technology course.

Lynedon Van Ness
Country: United States
Title: Information Technology Teacher
Organization: Leilehua High School

Van Ness created a program where students use computer skills to build custom computers for individuals and schools. Funds raised from the sale of these computers fund the IC³ program.

Dennis Wright
Country: United States
Title: Instructional Specialist
Organization: South Kitsap School District

Wright was instrumental in helping the school district receive funding to train and certify 150 staff members as well as 9th graders at three junior high schools in IC³ that would have been impossible otherwise.