Digital Equity

The new AT&T Connected Learning Center is the first in Grand Rapids and the third in the state of Michigan, outfitted with educational tools, free digital literacy courses and tutoring and mentoring.

Plus, Baltimore’s new AI computer lab aims to bring digital skills to the community, stakeholder groups have submitted comments to the FCC on the state of U.S. broadband deployment, and more.

In a video interview, a Tyler Technologies exec talked about new public agency requirements for website and mobile accessibility, coming a little more than 35 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act became law.

Officials announced that the state has joined the OpenAI Certification Program through a partnership with OpenAI that will bolster AI skills in workers and students. It builds on an earlier initiative, the OpenAI Academy.

Plus, Hawaii has announced a Digital Aloha Month campaign, California is piloting improvements to an affordable broadband initiative, Santa Barbara launched a digital resource hub, and more.

Plus, members of Congress are calling for clarity on the use of nondeployment funds under the BEAD Program, New York is investing millions in broadband, and people who are incarcerated are learning digital skills.

A new resource from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration offers states guidance on how to use federal funding to support AI literacy training in the workforce.

Local governments are investing in digital equity, which can serve as the foundation to advance the implementation of other emerging technologies including AI. Good data is the foundation for both.

In his State of the University address this week, President Andrew Armacost outlined several major projects for the University of North Dakota, one of which was becoming "the AI university for North Dakota."

Plus, tribal nations face connectivity gaps, Durham, N.C., is delivering hot spots to residents, Nebraska libraries expand skills training, and fiber expansion provides connectivity to states in the Midwest.

Plus, Massachusetts is investing more than $31 million to get residents connected, a Cleveland digital inclusion nonprofit is coming to Detroit, a new resource outlines a blueprint for AI literacy, and more.

The nonprofit AI Education Project (aiEDU) has launched a new program aimed at supporting artificial intelligence literacy and workforce readiness in rural and Indigenous communities across the U.S.

Plus, a U.S. senator is calling on Arielle Roth to fund NTIA programs as Congress authorized, federal broadband legislation could create more accountability, Kansas is investing in digital literacy training, and more.

Plus, a program will provide Internet access to low-income New Yorkers, New Mexico has seen gains in broadband speeds, the National Governors Association is calling on Congress to fund broadband investments, and more.

Frontlines Foundation, a nonprofit spearheaded by 18-year-old Anshi Bhatt of Virginia Beach, offers workshops to educate people about online safety and maintains a state-by-state data privacy legislation tracker.

Anshi Bhatt launched Frontlines Foundation when she was 15, aiming to offer workshops and other resources to educate elderly and vulnerable communities about online safety.

Plus, all 56 states and territories get approval to start the “bargain” round of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, a new endeavor intends to teach Detroit high schoolers AI skills, and more.

Launched by policy fellows at the Aspen Institute, the initiative aims to ensure ed-tech tools do not reinforce racial biases, offering a toolkit, a school procurement guide and a certification backed by Digital Promise.