Diversity

The New Yorker recently published a piece about the work of the American Accountability Foundation (A.A.F.) — a dark-money group aiming to sabotage the Biden administration’s agenda by torpedoing the confirmation of nominees to fill critical roles across the government. The group brags about having stopped the confirmation of nominees like Saule Omarova, Biden’s pick to be comptroller of the currency, and Sarah Bloom Raskin, who the pr

In late March 2022, Tribal leaders from throughout California met in Temecula (CA) to discuss how to establish and maintain their own broadband networks with the ultimate goal of connecting their communities to the internet. Through a grant from the Michelson 20MM Foundation, and in partnership with other funders, the Institute For Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) hosted the second installment of a series of convenings aimed at providing Tribal leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to provide their communities with access to broadband.

The Federal Communications Commission published its Equity Action Plan. This Action Plan focuses on concrete actions that the FCC is taking so that people across the country can count on and obtain access to the modern communications they need for work, learning, healthcare, and access to the information they require to make decisions about their lives, their communities, and their country.

Despite the prevalence of online, hybrid and HyFlex classes in higher education, course accessibility is far from equal across student bodies. Even at larger, wealthier institutions like Indiana University Bloomington and The Ohio State University, a significant number of students lack the technological access necessary to fully participate. With a third of low-income students and 25 percent of all students battling unreliable internet access, evidence of this trend can be seen throughout the country. Access to campus computer labs isn’t always possible, especially for off-campus students.

The Department of Commerce released its Equity Action Plan for ensuring its programming and policies reach a larger and more diverse audience. In addition to the Department’s Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, the Equity Action Plan outlines how Commerce will use its programs and tools to:

As government and other groups that work directly with communities across the country increasingly prioritize digital equity, programs to train new experts in the field are steadily growing. The spike is a direct result of society — from government, to nonprofits, to individuals themselves — pushing for digital equity after COVID-19 made clear the importance of closing the digital divide.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) wants to make it easier for rural and Tribal communities to get and stay connected, planning to use a four-year grant from Google’s charitable arm to create a corps of experts who will provide digital literacy training and help local residents access low-cost broadband service and devices. These so-called “digital navigators” will be deployed via programs in 18 communities across the country.

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

The St Louis (MO) Community Foundation released a report on the digital divide in St Louis and the steps necessary to bridge the gap. This report provides a detailed and actionable assessment of the digital landscape in St Louis City and County. The digital divide impacts broad swaths of the St Louis population, and is most acutely felt by low-income and minority communities. This assessment positions St Louis to understand the breadth and depth of the digital divide, and establishes the necessary framework to catapult the city as a national leader in digital equity.

Broadband offers an economic lifeline for residents on Tribal lands, but face time with local officials is required just as much as funding and technological flexibility to make it a reality, according to Muralnet CEO Mariel Triggs. Muralnet was founded in 2017 to help bring internet service to Tribal lands by working with indigenous communities to design, build and develop sustainable plans to operate local fixed and wireless networks. It’s no secret that delivering broadband on Tribal lands presents a number of unique challenges.