Path to Digital Equity: Why we need to address the digital divide with solutions around adoption

The Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER) Initiative, led through a partnership between the Office of Educational Technology (OET) at the US Department of Education and Digital Promise, encourages every learner and community to be equipped with connected devices, learning content, digital literacy skills, technical support, and a reliable, high-speed internet connection. Thus far, the digital equity field has learned the following insights, which impact learners and communities in varying ways:

• Awareness and understanding of available programs and resources is critical.
• Access to available programs and resources can be challenging.
• Trust between learner communities and services is essential.
• Building digital readiness and digital literacy among learners and communities can support adoption.