Up 2 Speed Community Education is a practical, beginner-friendly program for people facing barriers to technology, employment, and everyday independence — learn at your own pace, with real support.
Learners who complete the program and show they can help others are invited back as paid Instructor Assistants — real part-time work, right where you trained.
Up 2 Speed Community Education helps people become independent with technology while creating a pathway to paid work for those who complete the program.
A practical, beginner-friendly program for people with little or no computer experience. Classes are small (5–6 students) so instructors can go at a comfortable pace, repeat instructions, and give individual help — without anyone feeling overwhelmed.
Graduates who demonstrate the skills, reliability, and ability to help others can return as paid Instructor Assistants — supporting future classes under a lead instructor, while earning income and building their resumes.
One clear rate per learner, with room to flex for partners, cohorts and learners who need it.
Covers the full two-week program — five 90-minute computer classes plus two private 30-minute smartphone sessions.
$200 is our standard rate, not a fixed wall. We can adjust pricing for grant-funded cohorts, partner organizations, group bookings, and learners facing hardship. Tell us what works and we'll find a way.
Final rate depends on cohort size, location, and any funding requirements. Nothing is charged on this website — pricing is confirmed directly with you.
Booking a full class of 5–6 learners, or bringing a group from an agency or employer? Ask about adjusted per-student pricing for the whole cohort.
If cost is the only thing standing in the way, tell us. We'd rather work out a payment plan or sponsored seat than turn a learner away.
Learners who complete the program can step into paid Instructor Assistant roles — the training pays its way forward.
We designed this program so that finishing isn't just a piece of paper. Graduates who show up, build the skills, and genuinely enjoy helping others can move into paid part-time work as an Instructor Assistant — or step up into teaching their own classes.
Complete the two-week course and demonstrate the essential skills on the assessment sheet.
Tell us you'd like to help future learners. No resume or prior work history required.
A short observed demonstration and role-play helping another learner — plus training in privacy, patience and accessibility.
Great first paid role for newer graduates. You work alongside a lead instructor and get real classroom experience without being on your own.
The next step after a successful term as an assistant. You lead lessons from the approved curriculum while continuing to be supported by the program.
Graduates can apply below — send it online or download a PDF and email it.
Young adults starting out, older adults starting over, and everyone in between. Every race, culture, faith, language, gender identity, disability and background is welcome in our classroom — and treated with respect.
Young Adults
Older Adults
English & Español
All Abilities
All Cultures
All Identities
We offer Spanish-language classes — the same full two-week program, taught entirely in Spanish by a Spanish-speaking instructor. Ask for a Spanish class when you enroll or refer someone.
Reasonable accommodations, Spanish-language instruction and beginner-paced teaching are available to every learner. Just tell us what you need when you enroll.
Finished the program and ready to earn? Fill this out in a couple of minutes. You can also download your answers as a PDF and email them to us — whatever is easiest for you.
We know that staying engaged can be hard. That's why Up 2 Speed Community Education surrounds every learner with the practical support that keeps them moving forward.
Getting to class shouldn't be a barrier. We help participants access transportation so they can attend consistently.
Meals are provided during sessions, so participants can focus on learning without worrying about their next meal.
Individualized help with job searches, online applications, and understanding the digital steps of employment.
Connections to mental health resources, because confidence and independence are personal as much as they are digital.
Need more time to build your skills? Additional makeup and refresher sessions are available so no one falls behind.
Progress reports are shared only with appropriate participant authorization and strict privacy safeguards.
Participating organizations and referring case managers receive individual progress reports documenting attendance, skills introduced, demonstrated abilities, areas needing improvement, and recommendations for continued support — so you know exactly what your client has learned and how to reinforce it.
Each computer class is 90 minutes, capped at 5–6 adult learners. The first week builds confidence with no job-search pressure; week two adds a 30-minute hands-on job-search lab to every class. Two private 30-minute smartphone appointments follow.
Power on and off, name the parts of a computer, and practice click, double-click and scroll. Type, edit and save a short document.
Browse safely: address bar, tabs and links. Run a guided search, recognize trustworthy sites, download a file and organize a folder.
Compose and reply to email, attach and download a file, prepare a sample resume — plus practical privacy and password habits.
Navigate employer career pages, understand form fields and upload a sample resume. The final 30 minutes are a coached job-search lab.
Strengthen the full employment workflow — employer email, interview messages, troubleshooting — then a second job-search lab and a final readiness check.
Two one-to-one appointments on your own phone: device essentials first, then everyday life and work tasks. Scheduled several days apart so you can practice in between.
With only 5–6 students per class, instructors repeat instructions when needed and offer individual assistance — so no one feels overwhelmed.
Five 90-minute classes across two weeks | 5–6 adult learners | Week 3 reserved for optional makeup and additional support
Build practical confidence with computers and smartphones before introducing job search technology. Students learn by doing; the instructor demonstrates briefly, guides practice and then observes independent work.
| Week | Session | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Class 1 — Computer confidence | 90 min: computer fundamentals |
| Week 1 | Class 2 — Internet and files | 90 min: browsing, safety and file handling |
| Week 1 | Class 3 — Email and documents | 90 min: communication and resume files |
| Week 2 | Class 4 — Forms and job websites | 60 min instruction + 30 min job-search lab |
| Week 2 | Class 5 — Applications and independence | 60 min instruction + 30 min job-search lab |
| After class | Smartphone 1 — Device essentials | 30 min individual appointment |
| After class | Smartphone 2 — Everyday life and work | 30 min individual appointment, ideally several days later |
| Week 3 | Makeups and extra support (if needed) | As scheduled |
Confirm transportation radius, staffing and eligibility before advertising. Paid assistant work may be available to graduates; employment is not guaranteed.
The complete sequence, always visible: learning goal, materials, the full minute-by-minute plan, skill check, adaptation and take-home practice.
Learning goalIdentify parts; power on/off safely; use click, double-click, scroll and typing; open/close an application.
Materials: Charged computer for each learner, instructor computer/projector, working Wi-Fi, printed one-page instructions, large-print option, training sample files and skill checklist. Add phones/chargers as appropriate.
| Min | Instructor action | Student action / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Welcome and baseline | Ask learners to point to the power button, mouse, browser and keyboard. Observe; do not embarrass or grade publicly. |
| 10–25 | Show and name | Demonstrate monitor, keyboard, mouse/trackpad, desktop, taskbar, windows; teach safe sign-in and shut down. |
| 25–45 | Mouse practice | Students single-click an icon, double-click to open, scroll a page, drag an item; repeat with instructor coaching. |
| 45–65 | Keyboard practice | Open a blank document; type first name, two sentences, spaces, punctuation, Backspace and Enter. |
| 65–80 | Independent challenge | Open a document, type three sentences, change one word, save as Practice-Day1. |
| 80–90 | Check and close | Observe three skills; ask what was hard; give one simple practice task. |
Learning goalOpen browser; search and assess results; use tabs; create folders; save, find and download a file.
Materials: Charged computer for each learner, instructor computer/projector, working Wi-Fi, printed one-page instructions, large-print option, training sample files and skill checklist. Add phones/chargers as appropriate.
| Min | Instructor action | Student action / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Review | Reopen Day 1 file; student locates it without instructor taking control. |
| 10–25 | Demonstrate browser | Show address bar vs search box, back/forward, tabs, scrolling and recognizing ads. |
| 25–45 | Guided web search | Search library hours and public transit information; compare two results and locate source/URL. |
| 45–65 | Files and folders | Create Training folder, save a practice document, download a safe sample PDF, locate it in Downloads and move it. |
| 65–80 | Safety practice | Use mock scam examples; identify suspicious links, urgent messages, requests for passwords. |
| 80–90 | Check and close | Students find their saved file and explain one scam warning sign. |
Learning goalCompose and reply to email; attach and download a file; prepare and locate a sample resume; practice privacy and password safety.
Materials: Charged computer for each learner, instructor computer/projector, working Wi-Fi, printed one-page instructions, large-print option, training sample files and skill checklist. Add phones/chargers as appropriate.
| Min | Instructor action | Student action / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Review | Students locate their saved file from Class 2 and reopen the browser independently. |
| 10–25 | Email walkthrough | Explain inbox, compose, subject line, reply, attachments and spam using a training account. |
| 25–45 | Send and reply | Students email a short message to a training address, then reply to the response. |
| 45–65 | Attach and download | Attach a sample resume to an email, then download an attachment and locate it in Downloads. |
| 65–80 | Independent practice | Students independently send an email with the sample resume attached and download one attachment. |
| 80–90 | Check and close | Students demonstrate Wi-Fi, a photo and a calendar reminder. |
Learning goalNavigate legitimate career pages, understand form fields, upload a sample resume, and begin applying prior skills to job searching.
Materials: Charged computer for each learner, instructor computer/projector, working Wi-Fi, printed one-page instructions, large-print option, training sample files and skill checklist. Add phones/chargers as appropriate.
| Min | Instructor action | Student action / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Review | Students show a photo and locate a saved computer file. |
| 10–25 | Email walkthrough | Explain inbox, compose, To, subject, reply, attachments and spam; demonstrate with a test account. |
| 25–45 | Send and reply | Students email instructor a short message, then reply to a response; use training accounts if necessary. |
| 45–65 | Attach and scan | Attach a practice PDF from computer; use phone document scanner or camera to create a readable file. |
| 65–80 | Account safety | Teach strong unique passwords, recovery options and two-factor authentication; practice with fictional examples. |
| 80–90 | Check and close | Students send one attachment and describe one way to protect an account. |
Learning goalApply basic skills to forms and job websites; upload a resume or sample file; complete independent demonstration.
Materials: Charged computer for each learner, instructor computer/projector, working Wi-Fi, printed one-page instructions, large-print option, training sample files and skill checklist. Add phones/chargers as appropriate.
| Min | Instructor action | Student action / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Confidence check | Revisit individual goals; instructor explains practice assessment is not a high-stakes exam. |
| 10–25 | Online form demo | Show required fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, save/submit, and how to check a website before entering data. |
| 25–45 | Guided job search | Navigate one accessible employer careers page, filter openings and recognize application requirements. |
| 45–65 | Practice upload | Complete a fictional practice form; upload a sample resume; review before submitting (do not submit a real application). |
| 65–80 | Skills demonstration | Each student completes independent tasks from the assessment checklist while instructor observes. |
| 80–90 | Next steps | Discuss certificate, optional Week 3 support, employment specialist follow-up and paid assistant pathway. |
Score each skill 0 = not yet, 1 = with prompting, 2 = independent. Assess progress, not typing speed. Recommend a certificate when the learner completes the course and demonstrates most essential skills independently or with reasonable accessibility accommodations.
| Skill | 0 / 1 / 2 | Notes / next action |
|---|---|---|
| Use mouse/trackpad and keyboard | ||
| Open a browser and search | ||
| Save and locate a file | ||
| Use phone settings and Wi-Fi | ||
| Find photos and use reminders | ||
| Send an email with attachment | ||
| Recognize a suspicious message | ||
| Upload a sample document to a practice form |
Print or copy this sheet for each learner. Keep records private and never compare students publicly.