When a frontline staff member shared that the training helped them see “digital navigation as an essential part of providing equitable and effective support,” it captured the broader impact of King County’s partnership with digitalLIFT: transforming digital access from an added responsibility into a core community service strategy.
In March, King County, Washington partnered with digitalLIFT to deliver a two-day intensive Digital Navigator Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Seattle, led by Phil Schutt. The training brought together digital navigators and leaders from more than 20 community organizations to build shared skills in adult learning, digital equity, and referral-based support.
“The collaboration with digitalLIFT has made it easier for our teams to embed practical digital navigation into existing health and human service models,” said Darryl Hunt, IT Business Manager at King County, adding, “digitalLIFT’s responsiveness and alignment with our community-centered approach have been invaluable.”
Over two days, participants strengthened their ability to help residents navigate barriers related to employment, healthcare, public benefits, device access, and digital literacy. The cohort also exchanged local resources and strategies, helping strengthen coordination across King County’s broader public service ecosystem.
As Phil Schutt noted, participants were deeply committed to improving outcomes for their communities while building practical tools for digital navigation and resource referral.
The program included training on digital equity terminology, barrier recognition, referral pathways, and specialized modules focused on older adults, veterans, telehealth, and benefits enrollment support. Participants also received 12-month access to online courses to continue learning beyond the in-person sessions.
Feedback reflected a clear shift in perspective. Participants told us:
- Digital access is essential to equitable service delivery
- Digital navigation serves as a bridge to opportunity, not just technical support
- Frontline staff feel more equipped to connect residents to critical resources
King County’s approach demonstrates how counties can strengthen frontline staff capacity and improve coordination across community organizations without requiring staff to become technology instructors themselves.
digitalLIFT already offers a proven Digital Navigator curriculum, train-the-trainer programs, and capacity-building support that can be adapted for counties and regional partnerships across the US. If your county is exploring ways to strengthen digital equity, workforce readiness, healthcare access, or benefits navigation, we would love to talk about how we can partner to build a sustainable model that works for your community.
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