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Applied and Extension

EARN–LEARN–BE WELL–LIVE WELL: A Comprehensive Case for Rural Digital Skills Kenneth Sherin*, Kenneth Sherin,

Digital skills are now a baseline requirement for economic participation, educational attainment, health access, and civic life. Yet rural places often face a compounding disadvantage: gaps in broadband availability and affordability, limited device access, and fewer trusted, local learning opportunities that translate technology into everyday capability. This presentation advances a comprehensive case for rural digital skills education using the framework EARN, LEARN, BE WELL, and LIVE WELL, and draws on implementation lessons from North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s NC Digital Futures Program.   

EARN: Digital proficiency is a workforce gatekeeper across sectors and occupations, including many sub-baccalaureate pathways central to rural labor markets. We connect labor-demand evidence to rural mobility and show how community-based training—delivered through trusted institutions—supports employability and reduces exposure to online fraud that erodes household stability.   

LEARN: Digital skills reduce the “homework gap” and expand lifelong learning by helping families navigate school platforms, online coursework, and emerging tools such as AI. We highlight place-based strategies that meet learners where they are, including libraries, workforce centers, and Extension mobile classrooms.   

BE WELL: Digital capability is increasingly necessary for telehealth, patient portals, benefit enrollment, and reliable health information. We present rural-relevant examples of one-on-one support and senior-focused programming that builds autonomy and safety.   

LIVE WELL: Digital confidence strengthens social connection, access to services, and community participation, while reducing isolation for older adults and geographically dispersed households.   

The presentation concludes with a rural policy and practice agenda: treat digital skills as essential infrastructure, invest in local delivery capacity, and evaluate outcomes across the full EARN–LEARN–BE WELL–LIVE WELL spectrum to capture the true public value of digital inclusion in rural communities.