Civic Tech

A report released last week by the American Library Association underscores the role of public libraries in expanding digital equity during the COVID-19 pandemic through partnerships with government entities and other efforts.

The Google information technology certification course provides training in computer software and maintenance, as well as a $4,500 stipend and child care to help lower-income workers improve job skills and income.

Jersey City, N.J., is working to bring more citizens' voices into city funding decisions with the launch of a participatory budget pilot program that allows citizens to submit and vote on their ideas online.

Tucson Connected, a public-private partnership, hopes to combine the digital inclusion efforts at play across the region to connect a range of stakeholders to the subsidies and all residents to more equitable Internet.

Plus, a rural broadband association has launched a new digital inclusion series; New York is hiring its first-ever digital equity director at the state level; ConnectMaine has won a $28 million grant; and much more.

While seniors have long been a population on the wrong side of the digital divide, the evolution of tech like video chatting and telehealth makes digital inclusion for older adults more important than ever.

The Coleridge Initiative’s Democratizing Our Data Challenge will fund the efforts of 10 winning teams from 21 government agencies and seven universities to expand projects related to education and employment outcomes.

By the end of 2022, the city of Seattle will have spent $333,000 on the Find It, Fix It app and other related technologies, which takes a request for service from users and funnels it to the appropriate city department.

Plus, the FCC has opened an inquiry seeking public comment on what constitutes digital discrimination, New York state undertakes major effort to enroll eligible families in federal broadband programs, and more.

In a joint release Wednesday, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and councilmembers outlined a dozen initiatives they plan to fund this year using the county’s American Rescue Plan money.

The group, which was formed as a volunteer response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is celebrating its second anniversary today, as it continues to expand the scope and focus of its work.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services issued an RFQ to secure a software platform to streamline the state’s process in receiving, processing and responding to public info requests.

Residents in Yakima County, Wash., can apply for rental assistance through a new online portal that launched this week. The portal is helping streamline the application process and improving accessibility.

Houston, Texas, has started deploying digital kiosks throughout the city. In addition to offering wayfinding services and municipal resources to residents and visitors, they also serve as Internet connectivity hubs.

Plus, the Pew Charitable Trusts launches Opportunity Broadband; the National Urban League releases a new digital equity white paper; and New York City Open Data Week 2022 is now underway.

Specialty docket clients in some Ohio courts will begin using the Anchored To Hope platform, which includes machine intelligence and VR meditation to combat addiction through 24/7 access to resources.

Plus, why this weekly column has a new name, the NTIA awards $277 million in grants to enhance broadband in 12 states, and a new Illinois broadband program announces its inaugural cohort.

For a total of nine drop-box locations, the Orange County Registrar of Voters will see how new ballot-tracking technology during the upcoming June primary election affects the process of voting.