In 2020, as schools across the globe pivoted to remote learning, the lack of internet access in rural areas filled headlines. However, pervasive connectivity issues in urban settings have shed light on a problem that began long before the pandemic — digital equity. As remote learning continued through the pandemic, Director of IT at Gary (IN) Community School Corp Darrell Riddell began receiving complaints about connectivity. As soon as Mayor Jerome Prince and his administration learned the city would be receiving $80.3 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, addressing Gary's digital equity issue became a top priority. In February 2022, a Smart Cities Consortium was put together consisting of representatives from Gary, Indiana University Northwest, Gary School Corp and several major internet providers. To kick things off, the team will work with a service provider to get free Wi-Fi in six city parks, one in each district. The city hopes to complete the project by the end of September 2022. The Gary City Council has also approved a plan allocating $5 million of ARPA funds towards a digital equity initiative. The funding will help the team assess the issue, then they will go after more federal funding. The Gary School Corp also recently received an Emergency Connectivity Fund grant of $2 million. Riddell said the money will go towards replacing all of the student's Chromebooks and iPads before fall 2022.
