06-25-2023 Carroll Living - Flipbook - Page 16
Jake Layton, left, Dylan Sybrandy, Casey Sybrandy, and Hannah Daly of the Finksburg “Robo-Lions” demonstrate Magnificent 8 at the opening of
MAGIC’s Autonomous Robotics Innovation Center.
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY F. BILL
The council offers programs such
as TechKids and TechWorks, through
which it has donated more than 3,000
new and refurbished computers to
county nonprofits, youths and adults.
Computer distributions became essential during pandemic shutdowns in
2020 and 2021.
“We were integral during the
pandemic,” said Chris Abell, the council’s executive director. “We provided
students with laptops, we provided
students with internet connection, we
have helped local businesses get started
and transition and we’ve just generally
tried to increase the awareness around
tech in rural areas in Carroll County and
Maryland.”
Abell said the organization focuses
on “digital inclusion,” specifically offering programs to provide equal access
to technology. One such initiative is
the Veteran Transition to Technology
16 | 2023 CARROLL LIVING
program, which seeks to address challenges that many veterans face when
seeking work and support. The council
provides veterans with computer hardware and training to help them navigate
an increasingly digital world.
Abell said the council plans to
broaden its services in the future.
“Our biggest plan for the future is the
continued expansion and bringing out
programs to other rural areas in Maryland,” he said. “Some of these programs
have been sped up within the last year
or so and they’ve gained some traction
in the areas that we do host them, so
we want to continue to create partnerships in different counties to bring this
programming and education to other
areas.”
For more information on MAGIC,
CTIC or Exploration Commons, visit
magicinc.org, carrolltechcouncil.org or
explorationcommons.carr.org.
Members of the South Carroll “Robocavs” Silver and
Gold teams and Finksburg “Gear Freaks” at MAGIC’s
grand opening of their Autonomous Robotics
Innovation Center.
Carroll County Times reporter Thomas Goodwin Smith contributed to this report.