MEXICO CITY, Aug. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Once again demonstrating its commitment to digital inclusion throughout Mexico, Telcel successfully executed its annual Aldea Digital — Infinitum 2015. Taking place in the heart of Mexico City's Zocalo over 21 days, the Digital Village broke its own Guinness World Record for the world's largest digital inclusion event for a third consecutive year, boasting the participation of more than 400,500 people.
Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150805/255684LOGO
Though originally scheduled to take place from July 10th–26th, due to unprecedented demand, the event was extended through the 31st. On each of these days, attendees had access to computers and tablets, high-speed Internet, and a variety of workshops and conferences centered on digital culture – all completely free of charge and open to the public.
People of all ages (from age 3 to 94), socio-economic backgrounds and technical skill levels participated in more than 30 workshops ranging from "My First Encounter with a Computer" to "3D Computer Animation."
Out of all the successful programs at the Digital Village, the Vocational Training Workshop was perhaps the most successful, obtaining a new Guinness World Record of its own. This workshop introduced participants to the online job-training platform, capacitateparaelempleo.org, which features online courses in more than 40 professions, with some of the most popular courses focused on areas like information technology, repair and installation.
More than half of the people that attended the Digital Village were Mexico City residents, with the remainder traveling from all across Mexico to participate. Of the Digital Village visitors, 54% were men and 46% were women, about 26% had an undergraduate degree, 25% had completed high school and approximately 39% were middle school-aged or younger.
"It was truly inspiring to see so many people get online for the first time and receive job training, learn new skills and hear from our extraordinary speakers," said Carlos Slim Domit. "I am so grateful to and proud of the team that put together Aldea Digital 2015 and helped more than 450,000 people participate – earning it the third Guinness world record for the largest digital inclusion event and the first Guinness world record for the most people receiving online job training simultaneously."
This event forms part of the Education and Digital Culture Program sponsored by both the Telmex and the Carlos Slim Foundation, which share the common goal of achieving a digitally inclusive Mexico. The program also includes 3,600 digital libraries found across Mexico in schools, public and municipal libraries, cultural centers and Casa Telmex locations. Just as in the Digital Village, visitors there have access to various educational platforms such as Academica, Khan Academy in Spanish, MIT Open Course Ware, Coursera, and much more.
About the Carlos Slim Foundation
Created in 1986 to impact the most vulnerable populations, the Carlos Slim Foundation has directly benefited millions of people. With a marked sense of social responsibility, efficiency, and proven results, the Foundation operates programs in the areas of education, employment, health, nutrition, social justice, culture, human development, natural disaster relief, protection and conservation of the environment and economic development. These programs help improve the quality of life for populations of all ages, fostering the development of human capital and generating opportunities for people, their communities and their countries.