The University of Maryland Extension leads Marylanders Online, a state-funded digital literacy initiative dedicated to advancing digital opportunities across Maryland. As an equal opportunity institution, the University of Maryland Extension (UME) is committed to serving all communities. Since 2022, the program has worked to remove barriers to technology access and digital skills development through multilingual digital navigation services, culturally responsive programming, and strategic community partnerships. These collaborations have resulted in new approaches for improving Marylanders' access to economic opportunities, healthcare, education, and civic engagement. In recognition of this work, Marylanders Online was honored with the 2025 Maryland Hispanic Leadership Empowerment Award from The Daily Record. The following highlights showcase the program’s impact and reach within Maryland’s Hispanic community.
PICTURE 1: Dr. Jinhee Kim, Professor, UME Associate Director and Associate Dean, Gabriel Fumero, UME Marylanders Online Tech Educator, and Isaias Tesfalidet, Marylanders Online Project Director, receive the 2025 Maryland Hispanic Leadership Empowerment Award on September 25, 2025.
The Essential Role of Extension Educators
Acknowledging the disproportionate digital divide facing the Hispanic residents, Marylanders Online prioritized intentional recruitment and hiring of multilingual and bicultural staff for the Tech Education and Digital Navigator teams. These efforts result in strong engagement with Hispanic, Latino, and other non-English-speaking communities. Twelve percent of the program’s surveyed event attendees identified as Hispanic in 2024, reflecting the same proportion of Maryland’s overall Hispanic population.
PICTURE 2: In April, the University of Maryland campus hosted Maryland Day. The Marylanders Online team engaged with hundreds of community members, sharing information about the program’s digital resources and programs.
UME’s Strategic Partnerships Building Digital Opportunities in Maryland’s Hispanic Communities
UME Tech Extension Educators Gabriel Fumero, in Prince George’s County, and Aziz Hurtado Olson, in Northern Maryland, are collaborating with trusted local organizations to become trusted allies within the Hispanic community. Intentional and strategic outreach has led to the development of new programming, co-created alongside both partners and participants, that addresses community-specific needs.
Community Organizations
At Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Montgomery County, nearly 200 people completed a basic computer skills training course in 2024. Gilchrist’s courses were developed and facilitated by Aziz Hurtado Olson and include an eight-week introductory course, an eight-week intermediate course, and a one-hour anti-scam workshop. Gilchrest primarily serves immigrant and Spanish-speaking community members.
A partnership with CASA Welcome Centers in Prince George’s County has led to high engagement among a multilingual audience of English, Spanish, and French speakers. CASA is a nonprofit that has established strong engagement within the local immigrant population. One Marylanders Online course designed for 25 participants attracted over 600 registrants, revealing an urgent need for accessible digital skills programs. This scenario highlights how word-of-mouth recommendations within tight-knit cultural communities can significantly amplify digital skills programs, even more so than traditional marketing efforts.
PICTURE 3: Gabriel assists participants eager to enroll in a new digital skills course.
Faith Partnerships
At St. Mark’s Church in Hyattsville, UME Marylanders Online partnered to set up a community computer lab where Gabriel teaches no-cost, bilingual digital skills courses requested by the community. Course topics have included Google Workspace, OneDrive, and AI applications for both educational and business purposes.
School-Based
At Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, MD, Aziz partnered with Café Con Mamás, a group of Spanish-speaking mothers of high school students dedicated to developing new skills and strengthening community connections.
PICTURE 4: Aziz teaches an introductory computer skills basics class in Howard County, MD.
Economic Development
At El Centro Latino de Frederick, twenty-five students completed a computer business basics course developed by Marylanders Online in collaboration with organizational leadership. After completing the program, one older participant went from being unable to turn on his computer to successfully typing up his life story to leave behind for his grandkids.
Picture 5: Esther, a Hispanic business owner, shakes hands with Gabriel after graduating from a UME computer class, sharing that she has overcome her fear of technology as a result of her new digital skills.
Individuals Nearing Release
A pilot project funded by UME Marylanders Online achieved remarkable success at a Maryland prison. Twenty-one incarcerated individuals nearing release completed a six-week “Digital Skills Financial Education and Small Business Ownership” course, learning business and economic concepts to prepare them for future employment opportunities. The program was taught by Extension Agent Michael Elonge, who will be posthumously awarded the Digital Equity Champion Impact Award at the 2025 Maryland Digital Opportunity Summit.
PICTURE 6: A UME digital skills class offered to individuals nearing release at a Maryland penitentiary helped to strengthen participants’ digital skills and develop vocational readiness.
PICTURE 6: In August, Marylanders Online hosted “Estafas 101”, a fully Spanish version of the Scams 101 workshop, as part of the program’s Anti-Scam Webinar Series.
Statewide Program Impact
Through a network of nearly 200 partners, targeted outreach, resource development, and the Maryland Tech Helpline, UME Marylanders Online continues to break down the digital barriers faced by many across the state. In 2024, the Marylanders Online supported 224 classes and 177 community events, reaching over 14,000 people. By prioritizing accessible and inclusive programming, the University of Maryland Extension’s digital literacy project is helping to bring new education, economic, and civic opportunities to Marylanders of all backgrounds and abilities. Learn more about the program’s 2024 impact here.