Equipping Future Nonprofit Professionals With Digital Literacies for the 21st Century

Digital technologies now permeate the professional interaction, access, and distribution of information. Future nonprofit professionals must obtain the necessary skills and knowledge to leverage the power of digital technologies in an ethical and appropriate manner. The challenge for educators and their students moving into the professional realm involves the disruption of traditional forms of professional training through digital technologies. This paper demonstrates how technology is utilized to equip students with digital literacies through the evaluation of a course that included digital technologies. The course focused on communication, marketing, and digital activism in the nonprofit and voluntary sector. Data were gathered over four semesters, and findings indicate that through participation in the course students experienced growth in digital literacies across all domains. Educators can help prepare future professionals by equipping them with the necessary digital literacies to ensure they become competent professionals.