When: January 13th from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Learn about what’s going on in your county, state, country, and how you can be a part of a more digitally equitable North Carolina.
We will start the planning at this event, so share with all your interested partners in digital equity.
Contact Sara Nichols at sara@landofsky.org for more information.
Digital Inclusion Event Registration
This project is made possible by the generous support of BAND-NC Institute for Emerging Issues.
I am already shocked. As a father of two digitally-connected children, I know first hand of the significant value of having broadband available. The digital value is having computers available, the knowledge of how to apply computers, with broadband being available on demand, to engage with society for knowledge, communication, health, and more.
Additionally, having volunteered at several area schools and community centers, I see the digital divide. If students don’t have broadband available at home, immediately the student is disconnected from our digital world of learning opportunities.
The pandemic has made getting computers and internet connections to households with school-age children a priority. The “homework gap” is sizable. Before the pandemic, some 16.9 million children under the age of 18 lived in households without wireline internet service and 7.3 million live in homes without a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer. What was a homework gap is now a learning gap.
John B. Horrigan
Digital Tools & Learning. (2020, December 10). Benton Foundation. https://www.benton.org/blog/digital-tools-learning
The author of this article, Marc Czarnecki; helps to minimize the rural divide in America by supporting the WNC Broadband Project.
The WNC Broadband Team advocates for the necessary broadband improvements for our #digitallives.
Digital inclusion is the ability of all Western North Carolina individuals, groups, and businesses to access and use information and communication technologies. At the heart of communication technology is the the availablabilty of fast and dependable internet.
How should WNC plan for our broadband future?
Are you interested in supporting the WNC Broadband Digital Inclusion planning?
Please email digitalinclusion@wncbroadband.org
The American Library Association (ALA) defines digital literacy as:
the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills
American Library Association
The heartbeat of digital literacy is broadband applied in classrooms on different computer hardware tools including smartphones, tablets, gaming devices, and desktop computers.
This classroom environment prepares young adults to become a digital citizen or individual who applies the internet to participate responsibly in social and civic activities.
At the Western North Carolina Broadband Project, we advocate for digital inclusion and equity of broadband for all.
Share your digital citizenship stories by emailing digcit@wncbroadband.org.
The election is behind us. What does the future of broadband have in the future with the Biden Administration?
Listen to the discussion on broadband and the FCC policy future:
What is Philip Cooper’s most powerful hashtag with the environment of the Appalachian Regional Commission‘s contributions toward economic development?
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region, including Western North Carolina. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.
Togetherness and a calls-to-action to improve the Appalachian areas.
Philip Cooper
A simple laptop with broadband connectivity provides economic development opportunities for employment, businesses, and nonprofits. Philip Cooper talks about his business, ‘Hire Powered Staffing’ and it’s future evolution to ‘Hired Power WNC.’
But those that are socially and economically disconnected from opportunities, there is no digital inclusion. For entrepreneurs like Philip, no office is needed. A computer, smartphone, and internet access are Philip’s office.
Philip also introduces Amanda Jo Murphy, Executive Director and her program at Reconnecting – https://www.facebook.com/reconnectingreentry – Laptops for Reentry, a non profit that she started – https://www.reconnectingreentry.com/ ,
To help with digital inclusion, please consider donating laptops for Zoom meetings, job search, soft skills training through Goodwill, and NC Works.
#ApplachiaStrong
Digital equity is ensuring students have equal access to technology and that students and their support network receive the training necessary to use the technology toolsets.
Philip provides a shout-out to CiCi Weston, Executive Director of the Christine W Avery Learning Center – http://cwalearningcenter.com/ for their support of inner-city youth, fatherless homes. They went above and beyond to get hotspots for children that needed the internet connectivity.
Also, Philip mentions the Francine Delany school where Chromebooks and additional WiFi Hotspots were provided to do homework.
Digital inclusion, what does it mean?
It includes not only internet access, but also how to use the access.
Philip Cooper
Also, the difference between diversity and inclusion is where diversity is inviting people to the dance. Inclusion is asking them to dance when they get there.
WNC Broadband Project applauds Asheville City Schools partnering with the Asheville City Schools Foundation, Buncombe County Government, the City of Asheville and the Asheville Housing Authority to works towards bridging the digital gap.
By the end of this year the following family development residents will have internet access at no cost:
According the Asheville Citizens Times Skyrunner, an Asheville-based wireless and fiber broadband internet company, offered the winning bid of $520,000. Skyrunner’s proposal also includes four years of ongoing services charges. Buncombe County has pledged $100,000 in Coronavirus Relief Money, while Asheville has pledged $50,000.
Minimizing the digital divide and providing digital equity are attributes that will provide for a healthier and more economic-vibrant future in Western North Carolina.
More at the Asheville Citizen Times: