Practical Advice and Lessons Learned from the National Digital Navigator Corps

In the last two years, members from our National Digital Navigator Corps have learned a lot from working on the ground in their communities, and we’re excited to share their insights, stories, and lessons with you! This is the first in a series of blogs about their experiences and what we can all learn from them, and in 2025, we’ll publish an updated digital navigator toolkit full of practical guidance. Here’s a sample of the things we’ve learned about digital navigators in rural and Native communities in particular:

• Digital navigators should be members of the communities they serve.
• Partnerships are key, digital navigators often rely on a strong referral network, and all of this takes time.
• Measures of success in rural and Native communities may vary from urban or suburban settings.
• Digital navigators in rural and Native communities agree that logistics for meeting clients are their top challenge.
• There are unique cultural factors in digital inclusion work for Native communities.