Digital Navigators
Connect Buffalo’s Digital Navigators program is a student training and mentoring pathway—high school apprentices through college Navigators—built to deliver respectful neighborhood support while growing local tech talent. Navigators spend their time on neighborhood visits and home Wi-Fi, with a Lead Mentor nearby. Training supports that field work.
- Onboard households: Wi‑Fi setup, device connection, and basic troubleshooting
- Reduce repeat support visits by resolving common issues early
- Coach apprentices and document what residents experience for the network team
- Escalate clearly when a problem needs Lead Mentors, staff, or network ops
Training pathway
A mentoring ladder from high school apprentices through Lead Mentors—not a one-size call-center script.
Apprentice Navigator
High school students (typically grades 10–12)
Labs, workshops, and shadowed field time with a Lead Mentor. Apprentices practice skills before handling resident visits on their own.
Digital Navigator
Trained high school seniors and college / early-career students
Supervised Tier 1 support: onboarding, Wi‑Fi setup, device basics, and clear escalation—always under staff or Lead Mentor oversight.
Lead Mentor
Experienced Navigators ready to coach others
Peer mentoring for apprentices, harder triage, quality checks on tickets, and backup for busy install or event days.
Network ops & careers bridge
Staff pathways and advanced placements
Hardware, site, and RF work sits with network operations. Strong Navigators get visibility into paid roles, internships, and partner practicums.
Resident support tiers
| Tier | Who | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Digital Navigators (students) | Onboarding, home Wi‑Fi setup, device connection, speed checks, and scripted troubleshooting. |
| Tier 2 | Lead Mentors & supervising staff | Harder triage, mentoring junior Navigators, landlord or host coordination, and subsidy/referral handoffs. |
| Tier 3 | Network operations | Radios, mounts, hub/relay faults, power, and site plant—anything beyond indoor Wi‑Fi and scripted fixes. |
| Tier 4 | Major incident & partner coordination | Multi-household outages, backhaul/upstream issues, and coordinated response with hosts or institutional partners. |
For high schools, colleges, advisors, & community hosts
We collaborate on cohort calendars, mentored field hours, and host sites where students practice resident-centered support—not unstructured volunteerism. High schools can start with Apprentice tracks; colleges and community programs can host Navigator and Lead Mentor placements. No donation required to start a conversation about credit, service hours, or community partnership.
Apply to the next cohort
No account needed.
- High school students (typically grades 10–12) can start as Apprentice Navigators with mentor supervision.
- College and early-career students (and cleared high school seniors) serve as Digital Navigators after training.
- Lead Mentor roles open to Navigators who demonstrate strong skills, judgment, and coaching habits.
- Weekly hours follow the availability you select; placements depend on cohort capacity and host sites.
- Stipends or course credit vary by cohort and school partnership—confirmed at screening, not promised on the form.
- Short screening call + pathway placement (Apprentice, Navigator, or Lead Mentor track)
- Hands-on training modules + mentored shadowing
- Field or lab placement with a school or community host (as available)
PDF only, up to 10 MB. Recruiters review it in the hiring panel.
Current cohort
Student training curriculum
Session details →
Session details →
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Public-benefit outcomes
- Households onboarded and stabilized (30/60/90 day follow‑ups)
- Support volume and Tier‑1 resolution rate
- Time-to-resolution for common Wi‑Fi issues
- Resident satisfaction feedback from support interactions
- Student workforce development milestones (placements)
Questions?
Explore related paths
Paid roles and contracts alongside Navigator pathways.
Volunteer, partner, and capacity-building options.
Live and pilot places in the connectivity network.
Named organizations powering the rollout.
FAQ, tiers, and resident-facing help guides.