Chicago Mayor Lightfoot expands year-old program aimed at bridging digital divide

Chicago Public high school graduates would be guaranteed three more months of free, high-speed internet service — and those going on to City Colleges would get the perk for up to three years — thanks to an extension of “Chicago Connected,” a groundbreaking program bankrolled in part by Illinois’ richest man, Ken Griffin. Chicago Connected has reached 64,000 students across 42,000 households, bridging “nearly two-thirds” of the digital divide, according to City Hall. The proposed expansion aims to do even more:

• Internet service for Chicago Public Schools high school graduates continues through Oct. 31, instead of ending the last day of school.
• Graduating seniors attending City Colleges this fall will get free internet service for up to three years or until they complete their City Colleges degrees, whichever comes first. The mayor’s office called it a “first step toward expanding Chicago Connected to public university students.” City Colleges expects to enroll anywhere from 600 to 1,000 CPS students this year who will be eligible for the offer of free high-speed internet.
• Chicago Connected participants now can build test and computer skills, thanks to a new digital learning platform that includes free access to online portals with classroom curricula, training materials and thousands of assessments.