Leadership Snohomish County | Community Impact Project | Class of 2026

Community IT Literacy

Dr. Jason Smith, Hannah French, Kyndra Zellner, Baby Della & Pranit Gounder

More and more of daily life now happens online — healthcare, job applications, staying in touch with family, even managing money. But what we kept seeing is that when people don’t feel confident with technology, they don’t just feel frustrated — they feel excluded.

This project began by listening. Through conversations with our community partners at LETI, we asked what they were struggling with most. Early on, they shared that seniors shared these challenges — difficulty with email and smartphones, confusion around online services, and serious concerns about scams. What stood out was that they weren’t just missing information — they were missing someone they could consistently turn to for help.

As the work grew, we realized these challenges weren’t limited to seniors. We heard that working adults also needed support but could only access class after work, which pushed us to rethink our approach. Instead of focusing on age, we focused on access.

That shift opened the door to something powerful — an intergenerational model where young adults support others while building leadership skills grounded in LSC core values: service, community, integrity, equity, passion and collaboration.

Leadership Starts Here

These projects were developed through Leadership Snohomish County’s Signature Program — an immersive leadership experience designed to connect, challenge, and equip leaders across Snohomish County.