Building Strong Partnerships to Advance Digital Equity for Learners

During the U.S. Department of Education’s National Digital Equity Summit, Secretary Miguel Cardona emphasized that “interagency collaboration matters.” Siloing efforts to close the digital divide between different sectors can impede the capacity for collective, sustainable impact. Through the broadband and digital equity programs included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), led by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), we have an opportunity to fully harness the power of partnerships between state educational agencies and broadband leaders, toward a shared vision of digital equity. To achieve the vision articulated in the IIJA for a future where all “individuals and communities have the information technology capacity that is needed for full participation in the society and economy,” the Department urges state leaders to collaboratively strategize to advance digital opportunities for all learners. As part of the first phase of implementing these programs, states will develop digital equity plans throughout 2023.