Digital Equity

Plus, the CA.gov redesign is now underway; new tools created to help address online misinformation; Census State Data Centers are offering localized training resources for community groups; and more!

Over the last decade, Minnesota school districts have made tech a central part of lives in and outside the classroom. They’ve spent hundreds of thousands annually to equip students and teachers with a tablet or laptop.

Philadelphia has awarded digital equity grants to eight community groups that are working to foster Census completion in communities that are traditionally hard to count. The grants range in size from $13,000 to $40,000.

As government agencies and nonprofit groups help prepare communities for the nation’s first high-tech Census, digital inclusion advocates see a chance to bridge digital divides that span well past next year’s count.

Companies and job seekers alike are navigating a changing digital landscape. And North Carolina is particularly vulnerable, said Melinda Bernard, digital skills coordinator for Goodwill of Central North Carolina.

With society rapidly digitizing and high-speed Internet access fast-becoming a vital utility, government must work to balance the needs of underserved populations with financial realities.

As part of the internationally recognized Digital Inclusion Week, we talked with Delaware CIO James Collins about how broadband-related ideas like return on investment and digital equity may collide or coexist.