Almost 100 years after the arrival of the first buses in Brisbane, an innovative 21st Century Coach is to be launched at the Broadband For The Bush Forum, on Thursday June 9, at the State Library of Queensland in Stanley Place, South Brisbane. The Think Digital Coach (hi-tech mobile classroom) is the brainchild of Tim Gentle, an unlikely former Victorian dairy farmer turned National Digital Crusader.
Tim said, “I saw that future success would rely on being able to confidently participate in the digital world. I didn’t want my family or anyone else in the bush to be left behind, or put at risk, through a lack of education. As I learned more, I saw amazing opportunities that are now, as the NBN rolls out, accessible virtually everywhere in Australia. Geography will no longer be a barrier to equitable access, but people must have the digital education and confidence required to participate.”
“As I have been spreading the word about the possibilities for Regional, Rural & Remote Australia, I have connected with people who have come on board to support the #ThinkDigitalCoach project. I will be honouring these “legends” at the launch at 12.15 on Thursday outside the Library.”
Tim answered a question he found online: ‘What would you do if you won a bus?’ He evidently had a compelling answer that impressed Phil Young, CEO of Young Bus Service in Rockhampton, and became the proud recipient of what he now hopes will be the first #ThinkDigitalCoach of many.
In just 6 weeks, Youngs’ Coach has been transformed, in Tim’s words, “With the sweat and financial support of family and friends and with mentoring from advisors, in what is now known as the Power Steering Assembly, we have achieved an enormous amount so far on the smell of an oily rag.”
While the exterior is a mostly blank canvas waiting for the logos of the partnerships and sponsorships Tim is seeking at the Broadband for the Bush Forum and beyond, the inside is fully loaded.
Tim and his #ThinkDigitalCoach(hi-tech mobile classroom) are now ready to drive education programs across Regional, Rural & Remote Australia, bringing new technologies, accommodating school children in open space activities and offering fully equipped, hands on digital labs for teens, adults and seniors.
As Tim puts it, “We are here in Brisbane unashamedly seeking support to help the #ThinkDigitalCoach (hi-tech mobile classroom) make a real difference for the bush. People and communities must be able to participate in the significant economic development opportunities that exist in the digital world. It’s a very big country; we can’t physically get everywhere we need to go with one coach. While we look for support to grow a national #ThinkDigitalCoach network, we will get where we can in person and make a suite of programs available online to provide remote digital education options.”
We welcome all the support we can muster from anyone who can help drive us forward and would love to hear from them or from people who want a visit from the #ThinkDigitalCoach (hi-tech mobile classroom) to their region. Locals in Brisbane can visit us outside the Library on either Wednesday 8th or Thursday 9th.”
After the Brisbane Forum concludes the #ThinkDigitalCoach departs for Byron Bay for a series of workshops and on to a Digital Roadshow in the Northwest Mallee region in Victoria.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tim Gentle 0422 900 858
#ThinkDigitalCoach
tim@think.digital
www.thinkdigitalcoach.com.au
#ThinkDigitalCoach Official Launch
Broadband For The Bush Forum
June 9th 12:15 – 12:30pm
State Library of Queensland, Stanley Pl, South Brisbane QLD
Photo and Media Opportunities
#ThinkDigitalCoach will be parked outside the State Library of Queensland, Stanley Pl, on both Wed 8th – Thu 9th from 7am each day.
Personal Tours available.