Change one life, change them all: How one group of students is leveraging a Connected Nation program to help adults improve their lives
Dallas, Texas (March 3, 2026) – South of the Trinity River in Dallas, Texas, there is an historic district full of live and rich culture that beautifully encompasses some of the greatest diversity within the Dallas community. Nestled in the heart of this secondary downtown district is a youth-centered family-led program, known as Puede Network.
For more than a decade, Puede Network has united Dallas families through education, mentorship, and youth empowerment — planting seeds of leadership that now stretch across generations. By creating growth opportunities for the next generation of leaders and community members, Puede Network has deeply rooted itself into the heart of the Oak Cliff area.
Founder Adan Gonzalez, an Oak Cliff native, established Puede Network on the belief that, “education can be a form of freedom, and that when we create spaces for youth to grow, they don’t just change their own lives, the change their neighborhoods, their families, and their futures.”
One of the most innovative new ways the community organization is supporting this belief is through a partnership with Connected Nation and the formation of three Teens Teach Tech, powered by AT&T, youth-led teams.
The teams engage adults in workshops designed to present basic digital skills training to those who need it the most. One group of young students led the way this past December, hitting the ground running with several organized events, resulting in over 1,200 adults guided through these essential skill classes.
That’s an average of 40 people a day, for an entire month, whose lives were fundamentally changed by these students who dedicated their time to help them navigate the digital world.
Much like the mission of Puede Network, the Teens Teach Tech initiative does more than build digital skills for adults — it transforms the teens leading the training. Each workshop strengthens their confidence, deepens their understanding of technology, and redefines what leadership looks like through their own experiences and the lessons learned along the way.
During their inaugural month of digital influence, teen trainers learned that technical literacy is not only important to the adults in their community, but a necessity for many.
“I learned that technology can really help people in their everyday lives, like staying healthy, organizing important papers, or talking to family,” said a young man from the Puede Scholar Boys team. “I didn’t realize how meaningful small skills could be until I saw how happy the adults were to learn them.”
As one would expect, standing up in front of the elders of a community can be a bit of a challenge, even for the most experienced adults. The Puede Network students felt some of those nerves as they launched their first workshops. The team’s mentor, Eric Gonzalez, noticed the students were anxious to present in front of the adults when they started.
“At first, I felt nervous and unsure because I didn’t want to do anything wrong,” said another digital skills trainer on the Puede Scholar Boys team. “But the adults were kind and encouraging, which helped me feel more comfortable and proud of myself.”
Many of the students experienced similar anxiety, quickly calmed by the continued interaction with their adult learners. By the end, they found themselves learning from the adults, too.
“The boys pushed through their nerves, supported each other, and grew as a team of young teachers,” said Gonzalez. “The adults left not only with new skills, but also with a sense of excitement and trust, wanting to come again.”
The biggest takeaway wasn’t Wi-Fi settings or online forms. It was the intergenerational connections formed between trainers and their learners. The teens’ most memorable experiences from the training sessions revolved around helping adults one-on-one and seeing their faces light up once they understood something.
Teens sat beside adults, guiding them step by step. Laughter replaced hesitation. Confidence replaced confusion. Some adults even stayed after classes for more individual support.
“A moment I won’t forget is seeing everyone smile, laugh, and support each other while learning something new,” said one of the student trainers. “It felt more like a community than a class.”
These classes also changed the young trainers’ perspective on digital literacy. After their workshops, the students viewed technology as more than just a device, but as a way to connect people and provide them with the necessary tools to navigate their daily lives. The student trainers described technology as a tool to catch people up, to help them feel included and not left behind.
One trainer’s feedback truly summed up the impact such significant training had on all parties involved.
“This experience changed my perspective by showing me that technology can be used with care, patience, and kindness to make a real difference in someone’s life,” said a teen trainer.
If you’re interested in making an impact like these teens did, set up a team in your community today!