The ConnectUS initiative, operating under the umbrella of Smart Columbus and the Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition, offers free digital skills courses and devices to residents across Central Ohio. Through partnerships with organizations like Goodwill Columbus, Jewish Family Services, and Columbus Metropolitan Library, they help community members build essential tech skills—from using email and Zoom to navigating the internet safely.
But as the program grew, their registration process couldn’t keep up. The team relied on Zoho forms, spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls to match learners with courses. Managing multiple partners and increasing course demand made the system difficult to scale. They needed an automated, centralized platform to simplify operations and support continued growth.
Buckeye Innovation partnered with ConnectUS to build a more efficient and user-friendly system. We developed a dual solution: a public-facing WordPress site for learners, and a custom Laravel web app for partners, instructors, and administrators.
The registration process was rebuilt in Laravel and embedded into the WordPress site, creating a seamless experience for users while giving the ConnectUS team far more control. The new platform includes features for cohort management, secure attendance tracking, device inventory, and course materials—all in one place.
We worked in sprint cycles with early alignment on strategy, collaborating with design partner Zoco to bring everything together. We also integrated Metabase for reporting, allowing both the ConnectUS team and their partners to generate real-time insights without relying on separate spreadsheets.
The final platform is significantly more efficient, intuitive, and scalable. Learners can register easily, without risk of duplicate sign-ups. Instructors have secure access to attendance and class materials. Admins can now track devices, manage cohorts, and view program-wide data in one system.
Partners can access reports tailored specifically to their own classes, while ConnectUS maintains visibility across all participating organizations. This has streamlined collaboration and improved accountability across the board.
Most importantly, the platform supports the ConnectUS mission: closing the digital divide and helping residents build confidence, independence, and opportunity through technology.
