It wasn't that long ago that bulletin boards were one of the main ways people learned about local events, school announcements, and job openings. They still exist, but the information is increasingly being provided online. Now, an app called Nurbli has created an online bulletin board to give Monterey County residents and others easy access to information about their school district and local government.
On Aug. 14, the South Monterey County Joint High School District approved a one-year pilot program to incorporate Nurbli as part of its Native American community outreach resources at its four high schools. “We're excited to try the app and see if parents respond well to it,” said Griselda Delgado, the district's vice chancellor for educational services.
Benito Sánchez is a graduate of Greenfield High School, a Triqui speaker, and a software engineer who was inspired to develop the app after the 2023 Pájaro floods affected many indigenous people.
SMCJUHSD learned of the app during a brainstorming meeting at Hartnell College, where representatives from various organizations discussed information accessibility for Indigenous Mexicans in Monterey County. Delgado, who has worked for the county for about a year, said he noticed parents weren't getting information in their native language, and that providing translated documents wouldn't help because many parents can't read.
The Greenfield Unified School District also uses the app, and Sanchez reached out to the Gonzales Unified School District as well.
The app offers much more than just a physical bulletin board. Users can enter their zip code and set the app's interface language (English or Spanish) and the language they prefer for audio. The app displays flyers and similar materials available locally. Users can read them in the original language or listen to them in English, Spanish, Mixteco de San Martín Pelaez, or Triqui Bajo.
Currently, Nurbli features flyers about after-school tutoring at King City High School, low-cost internet service and the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center helpline. The app is still in its early stages; it was only launched in May and the amount of information is still very sparse. Sanchez says the app will grow as more entities, including local governments, school districts and organizations, sign up and post updates about services, public meetings and other opportunities to get involved.
