Updated Digital Navigator Definition and New Standards

In 2020, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) convened a group of digital inclusion practitioners to establish a definition for the term “digital navigator.” The term described a model for digital inclusion built upon years of similar work, tailored for the new realities of the time. Together, NDIA and our community further defined the work of digital navigators, adapted and scaled the model, and produced resources to help organizations launch and manage digital navigator programs. As a result of how programs have adapted the digital navigator model to meet their community needs and organizational capacity, NDIA has worked with our community to update the definition of digital navigator and create a set of standards for digital navigators and digital navigator programs. These standards and the updated definition are designed to provide guidance on what NDIA and the digital inclusion community have learned over the past four years and to reflect the realities digital navigator programs see daily: Digital navigators are trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills.