Typing Practice
Touch-typing drills on Typing Club build speed and confidence at the keyboard.
Community Highlight
Mamacitas Cibernéticas
Laptops open. Hands up. Questions welcome. Mamacitas Cibernéticas is helping Sunland Park seniors build the digital skills they use every day, from typing and searching to spreadsheets and health apps. Their work started with listening, and it reaches well past the Senior Center.
01 / who_they_are
Neighbors Teaching Neighbors
Mamacitas Cibernéticas of Southern Doña Ana County is a grassroots workgroup of local residents and Borderland partners. Their approach is straightforward: find out what keeps people offline, then work with the community on solutions that fit.
The group works under the umbrella of Borderplex Connect, with the El Paso Community Foundation managing its grant funds.
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“To increase the digital literacy skills of the residents of Southern Doña Ana County by facilitating community input mechanisms and strengthening invested stakeholder participation to develop sustainable strategies for the progression of digital equity endeavors in the Borderland.”
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Working alongside
- City of Sunland Park
- Senior Planet from AARP
- Borderplex Connect
- El Paso Community Foundation
- Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- Comcast
- JackRabbit Wireless
- New Mexico Workforce Connections
- Doña Ana Community College, Sunland Park
02 / inside_the_classroom
Inside the Classroom
Classes are hands-on and practical, built around what participants say they want to learn. That approach came straight from residents, who asked for lessons designed for the way older adults learn.
Reglas del Grupo
- Levantar la mano para preguntar
- Llegar a tiempo o temprano
- Poner atención a las instructoras
From the hand-written poster on the class table
Searching With Purpose
Getting comfortable with Google to find information, services and answers.
Spreadsheets
Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets made the whiteboard for this session.
Health and Wellness Tech
A new program with Senior Planet from AARP runs October 2026 through May 2027.
Tap any photo to view it larger.
03 / why_it_matters
Why It Matters
More of daily life now happens online. When residents explained what they need digital skills for, the list was practical:
- Setting up medical appointments and managing prescriptions
- Filling out job applications
- Paying bills and banking online
- Setting up transportation for those who no longer drive
When they explained why they want to learn, the answers were personal.
04 / beyond_the_senior_center
Beyond the Senior Center
The classes are the part you can see. Behind them are years of listening to residents across Southern Doña Ana County, and turning what they said into plans others can use.
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Nov 2022
The City Invests in Listening
The City of Sunland Park used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the group in gathering resident input on what gets in the way of learning digital skills, and what helps.
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Jun 2023
A Roadmap From Residents
The Findings and Recommendations Report, based on the Comprehensive Needs Assessment, laid out what the community asked for. The City responded by working with the team to bring digital literacy classes to Sunland Park.
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Oct 2024
Taking It to Rural Communities
With funding from Comcast, the team repeated its Sunland Park process in rural Doña Ana County, holding focus groups in Chamberino, Chaparral and Vado/Del Cerro in Spanish and English. The result is the 2nd Series: Findings & Recommendations Report, a resident-built blueprint for future classes and tech help.
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Nov 2024
Celebrating a Semester
Participants at the City of Sunland Park Senior Citizen Center marked the end of a semester of classes.
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Oct 2026
A New Health and Wellness Program
Senior Planet from AARP, in collaboration with Mamacitas Cibernéticas, presents a Health and Wellness Program running October 2026 through May 2027.
42
rural residents joined the 2024 focus groups
3
rural communities hosted focus groups
87.9%
of rural survey respondents said internet costs too much
300+
people future rural services are planned to reach
05 / search_history
What Neighbors Asked to Learn
In Sunland Park and in rural Doña Ana County, residents were asked what they want to learn. Tap a topic to run the search.
06 / what_makes_it_work
What Makes It Work
Residents identified the pieces that keep a digital literacy program going. These same pieces helped shape the classes now running in Sunland Park. Open an app to hear it in their words.
Community Engagement
Show up, stay consistent and build trust over time, with a feedback loop so services keep working for residents.
“You must be visible and provide consistent services in the community and also have patience because building trust is a process.”
Arturo and Dora Ponce, Community Engagement Specialists
“Gente, this can be done, and we count on the willingness of all to make it happen.”
07 / downloads
Read the Reports
PDF · June 2023Findings and Recommendations ReportBased on the Comprehensive Needs Assessment for Southern Doña Ana County
PDF · English and Spanish2nd Series: Findings & Recommendations ReportRural focus groups in Chamberino, Chaparral and Vado/Del Cerro, funded by Comcast
Website · VideoBorderplex Connect: Digital SkillsThe group's video and Spanish versions of its reports
> Thank you to Mamacitas Cibernéticas and every participant who shows up to learn.