Digital Literacy

It is clearer than ever that internet access and digital literacy skills are crucial to fully participate in society. From accessing healthcare and job opportunities to building movements and lifelong connections, internet access is an essential utility that all Americans need. Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) across the US are demanding greater access to more reliable and affordable internet and digital literacy classes.

Maine faces a perfect storm of challenges in achieving digital equity. Our remote and rugged terrain makes our state one of the most difficult and expensive to reach with digital infrastructure. As the oldest state in the nation, we have a significant population that didn’t grow up with all of the technology available today. Maine’s median household and per capita income lag behind most other states. Almost all of us live in small, rural communities with limited resources. These forces combine to shape the contours of the digital divide in Maine.

Digital technologies launched, in many ways, by the microelectronics revolution and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advances which ensued in the 1970s—have had a profound impact on economies around the world. increased digitalization has resulted in shifts in the nature and functionality of labor markets on both the demand and supply sides.

US Ignite partnered with the National Science Foundation and Schmidt Futures to design Project OVERCOME and test creative solutions to connect the unconnected. Project OVERCOME’s design ensured careful consideration of both the technical requirements of broadband access and the community collaboration, outreach, and engagement needed to explore sustainable success. By providing free or low-cost broadband t

Across the country, broadband advocates and representatives are crunching numbers to figure out how to implement an often under-examined piece of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program puzzle: What does digital equity look like? Passed alongside BEAD as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Digital Equity Act (DEA) provides $2.75 billion dollars that will be parsed between states and territories to help them implement digital equity plans.

This plan outlines Louisiana’s first coordinated effort to assess the state’s digital divide and move Louisiana toward digital equity.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), through the New York State Department of Labor, is launching a new, free digital literacy program to help job seekers gain the skills they need to be more marketable to employers. The program is available through a partnership with Northstar Digital Literacy to assess job seekers’ computer skills and help them build knowledge in areas sought after by businesses. According to a 2022 survey, 44 percent of responding businesses said basic computer use and computer literacy were common skills lacking among job applicants and new employees.

AT&T and the Public Library Association (PLA) have launched a free self-paced online course to educate parents, caregivers and families about the federal broadband benefits available to qualifying households for discounted internet service from participating providers.

DigitalC, a local nonprofit technology social enterprise, has been selected by Mayor Justin Bibb (D-Cleveland) to receive $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the City of Cleveland (OH) to deliver affordable, high-speed internet to city residents. The Cleveland City Council must approve legislation submitted by the mayor to allocate this funding to DigitalC. The legislation will be presented at the next City Council meeting on May 15, 2023. DigitalC was selected through a competitive process.