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• By Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., Lourdes Flores & Michelle Martínez Vega • IDRA Newsletter • October 2025 •

Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.

A group of teenagers was struck by the gap between their own comfort with technology and the struggles adults they surveyed expressed. For youth accustomed to computers since kindergarten, hearing an adult admit, “I don’t know how to use a mouse,” was eye-opening. It underscored the urgency to address even the most basic digital literacy skills in their colonia communities. Colonias are unincorporated communities with scarce public services.

The students were part of the IDRA Digital Ambassadors STEM initiative. Born from an IDRA and ARISE Adelante partnership, the out-of-school program is rooted in decades of community leadership, a philosophy of empowerment and the belief that young people are capable of far more than schools or society often expect.

At its core, IDRA Digital Ambassadors equips youth from colonias in South Texas with digital skills and with the confidence to research their communities, teach their neighbors and discover their own leadership potential.

Following the success of the pilot program in early 2024, we held new cycles of the IDRA Digital Ambassador program. Each cycle has a cohort of about 12 students, ages 14 to 17. The program is made possible by the generous support of Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation and Methodist Healthcare Ministries.

Each cycle of IDRA Digital Ambassadors unfolds across three pivotal phases over a five-month period: research, mastery and service. This structure ensures that students gain new skills while also applying them in ways that directly benefit their families and neighbors.

Students as Skilled Researchers

The program begins by treating young people as researchers. Too often, colonia students are seen as incapable of serious academic or civic work. At IDRA and ARISE Adelante, we affirm that youth can engage in authentic research.

IDRA Digital Ambassadors students set out to conduct participatory action research to identify the most pressing technology needs of families in their neighborhoods. This process reflects ARISE’s philosophy of educación y culturo para tu futuro [education and culture for your future]. For decades, ARISE has empowered youth to lead summer programs, translate across languages and serve as cultural mediators.

IDRA Digital Ambassadors extends that legacy into the digital realm, affirming that young people are not just learners but knowledge producers.

Each program cycle follows the same process but is, of course, a unique experience for each group of students. IDRA provides training on research methods. As we saw with a recent Digital Ambassadors cohort, designing survey questions was itself a powerful exercise in critical thinking for the students.

“I liked how people were asking me for help, and I was helping them.”

– Gabriela, IDRA Digital Ambassador student

We did not hand out ready-made questionnaires to students. Instead, the students reflected on their families’ and neighbors’ experiences with technology. What challenges do people face in accessing the Internet? What skills do they most want to learn? What frustrates them about computers or smartphones?

The surveys evolved as students tested and refined their questions. They discovered how word choice affects meaning and how to frame questions for clear, useful responses. These sophisticated conversations about language gave students an unexpected appreciation for precision in communication.

The youth then carried the surveys into their neighborhoods, knocking on doors, speaking with neighbors and conducting interviews at ARISE centers. Respondents trusted them as familiar faces, which led to honest and thorough responses.

IDRA then trained the Digital Ambassadors students how to interpret their results. The surveys revealed both practical and systemic needs. Families wanted to learn the basics, such as typing, sending emails, navigating school or healthcare portals, and staying safe online. Many identified the lack of reliable broadband access, confirming the persistent digital divide in the region (Marshall & Quintanilla-Muñoz, 2021).

Student-Led Learning and Teaching

Once the research analysis was complete, students entered the mastery phase, where they built their own skills and prepared to hold community workshops. IDRA trained students to transform their findings into meaningful action through participatory pedagogy. Using a condensed version of IDRA’s WOW! Workshop on Workshops, they learned how to design and deliver workshops for adults that would be interactive, culturally responsive and engaging.

Digital Ambassadors students also embarked on a rigorous learning journey to master the technology skills most needed in their communities. IDRA provided a blend of online platforms, hands-on workshops, and mentorship from technology, research and community engagement professionals. While students received guidance, the work was ultimately their own, giving them ownership of both content and delivery.

Students faced a unique challenge to translate technology terms into Spanish. Though their schooling had been in English, nearly all the sessions would be conducted in Spanish. This bilingual approach was vital for reaching families and reinforced the students’ ability to navigate across languages and cultures.

During the service phase, students organized and led workshops for adults in their neighborhood, tailored to the survey results. The workshops took place at the ARISE centers.

The training went beyond technical content. It emphasized leadership, facilitation and respect. ARISE reinforced these lessons with its hallmark environment: safe neighborhood centers, refreshments after sessions and a familial atmosphere that balanced high expectations with nurturing support.

Participants learned skills and often asked, “When is the next one?” The demand confirmed that students had captured genuine community needs and were capable of meeting them.

This program directly aligns with the goals of STEM education, emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity in real-world contexts. By designing and delivering technology workshops, Digital Ambassadors experienced STEM in action while building confidence as adaptable learners better prepared for college and career.

This work also reinforces why STEM education is critical for students in colonias. Communities face barriers, such as poor Internet access, underfunded schools and limited enrichment program

s. STEM programs, such as IDRA Digital Ambassadors, open doors to high-demand fields in computer science, engineering and healthcare, while also engaging students to bring innovation back into their neighborhoods.

What Students Learned About Themselves

The most powerful outcome of the project was the transformation in the students themselves. Many began with doubts, uncertain if they could conduct research, teach adults or present confidently in Spanish. Through the program, they discovered new talents and bolstered their self-image.

Some who struggled in school realized they could successfully lead workshops for adults. They saw how, by teaching skills, they improved their own learning as well. Students also gained the confidence to imagine themselves as future teachers, STEM leaders and advocates.

ARISE’s philosophy of reciprocity reinforced this discovery. Students who had previously connected with ARISE for volunteer hours or résumé boosts soon found themselves giving back through mentoring, service and leadership. It became a ministry of community.

Mental health also surfaced as a critical theme. In the safe spaces created by ARISE and IDRA, youth voiced struggles often ignored in under-resourced schools. They asked not just for training but for respect and dignity in navigating life’s pressures. In this sense, Digital Ambassadors became more than an educational program; it became a source of healing and affirmation.

Like IDRA’s legacy student leadership programs, the IDRA Digital Ambassadors program demonstrates what becomes possible when youth are trusted, respected and given real responsibility. Families gain much-needed digital skills. Communities benefit from youth leadership. Students who once doubted themselves discover they are teachers, researchers and leaders in their own right.

As one IDRA Classnotes podcast interview revealed, students’ own voices testify to this growth as they describe leading workshops and guiding peers. Digital Ambassador Gabriela said, “I liked how people were asking me for help, and I was helping them.” Carlos said: “I’m looking forward to going into a business career. And that deals with a lot of computer technology. [This] will help me understand it more.”

By embedding STEM education into this model, the Digital Ambassadors program is preparing colonia youth for stable, high-demand careers while transforming them into role models who bring knowledge back to their communities.

The Digital Ambassadors are building el futuro: a future where colonias are recognized not for scarcity but for abundance, where youth are valued as leaders and where communities are equipped with the technology skills to thrive in the 21st century.

Resources

Marshall, T., & Quintanilla-Muñoz, C. (April 20, 2021). Digital Destination – Texas Needs Broadband Connectivity for All Students & Families, IDRA Issue Brief.

Montemayor, A.M., & Vega, M. (June-July 2024). Students Bridge the Digital Divide in Colonias – Highlights from IDRA’s Pilot Student Digital Ambassadorships. IDRA Newsletter.

Montemayor, A.M. (1994). WOW! Workshop on Workshops. IDRA.

Prakash, A. (October 4, 2024). IDRA Digital Ambassador Students Lead Community Technology Training. IDRA Classnotes Podcast 245.

Romero, A. (March 1998). How Do I WOW You? Let Me Count the Ways. IDRA Newsletter.

Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., is IDRA’s family engagement coordinator and directs IDRA Education CAFE work and co-directs IDRA Digital Ambassadors (aurelio.montemayor@idra.org). Lourdes Flores is president of ARISE Adelante (lflores@ariseadelante.org). Michelle Martínez Vega is IDRA’s chief technology strategist and directs IDRA Youth TechXperts and co-directs IDRA Digital Ambassadors (michelle.vega@idra.org).

[© 2025, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the October edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]

FAQs

What is the IDRA Digital Ambassadors program?
An IDRA and ARISE Adelante initiative that equips youth in colonias with digital skills, leadership experience and research-based service learning.

Who participates in the program?
Each cohort includes about 12 South Texas students ages 14-17 living in colonias, who complete research, mastery and service phases.

What do students do in the research phase?
They conduct surveys and interviews in their communities to identify digital literacy needs, such as using email or navigating online portals.

How do students share what they learn?
Through community workshops at ARISE centers, where they teach adults essential digital skills in Spanish and English.

Why is bilingual instruction important?
Communities in colonias face barriers, such as limited Internet access and underfunded schools. This program helps students and families build essential digital skills while fostering local leadership.

What impact has the program had?
Adults gain critical digital skills, and students gain confidence, purpose and pathways to STEM-related careers.