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The pandemic program that helped Kansas City families pay for internet

Celisa Calacal

May 26, 2021 |

The Kansas City Beacon |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

The Internet Access Support Program has provided over 1,000 families with internet access in the wake of the pandemic. With work, school, and telehealth appointments relying on a stable internet connection, economically disadvantaged households were unable to participate in vital services without the internet.

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City officials expand free internet access to Philadelphia prekindergarten students

Johann Calhoun

April 26, 2021 |

Chalkbeat |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Families with students in prekindergarten in Philadelphia now are eligible for PHLConnectED, a program that provides students with free internet access during remote learning. The program has already reached out to over 12,000 families.

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'No interruption': Wireless network gives South Dallas students reliable internet access at home

Sujata Dand

April 15, 2021 |

Dallas Free Press |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

A wireless network is bringing fast and reliable internet service to students living within two miles of Lincoln High School. A large cell tower on the premises of the school is extending the WiFi to receivers given to students at home. The initiative is vital in keeping students connected to their digital classrooms during the pandemic. Proponents are hoping it will also help address the racial homework gap which is attributed to a lack of reliable internet.

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Here's how a Texas border city is closing its digital divide

Molly Smith

April 13, 2021 |

El Paso Matters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, El Paso, Texas

Texan cities, like McAllen and El Paso, are bridging the digital divide for students and building infrastructure to connect whole communities. In El Paso, the city used $150,000 of the $84 million it received in federal funds to purchase hotspots, which are now available for check-out from public libraries. In McAllen, the city has taken on the $1 million annual cost to provide Wi-Fi to the entire city.

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Mississauga company reduces electronic waste & offers computers to those who can't afford them

Nida Zafar

March 18, 2021 |

The Pointer |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Mississauga, Ontario

Older electronics are being refurbished and redistributed to those in need by Renewed Computer Technology. The federally funded, Canadian nonprofit collected 13,500 computers and laptops last year for schools, libraries, and charities. RCT also provides steeply discounted electronics for economically disadvantaged families in addition to affordable high-speed internet access.

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Hays Public Library offers help with vaccine registration

Kaisha Batman

February 10, 2021 |

KSNW-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Hays, Kansas

The Hays Public Library ensured people without access to computers or the internet could register for COVID-19 vaccines online by offering free access to computers and internet, as well as staff to answer questions. Library staff also assisted people who couldn’t fill the form out on their own and, home-bound residents, could request a form and a tablet with access to the internet be brought to their home so they could fill it out themselves. Over 6,000 people used the library’s services to pre-register for the COVID-vaccine.

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To Bridge the Digital Divide, Cities Tap Their Own Infrastructure

Linda Poon

February 08, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The digital divide has exacerbated the challenge of virtual schooling and has spurred communities to provide affordable internet access. Local governments, nonprofits, and school districts are piloting initiatives to increase digital access for children from economically disadvantaged families. Advocates are pushing for permanent solutions that last after the pandemic in lieu of stopgap actions that have been put in place specifically for virtual schooling.

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Getting vaccinated is hard. It's even harder without the internet.

Eileen Guo

February 03, 2021 |

MIT Technology Review |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

A focus on infrastructure has been emphasized as the solution to bridging the digital divide, with “billions of dollars going into expanding broadband infrastructure.” Rural communities have historically struggled with broadband infrastructure but many people living in cities are also kept from accessing reliable internet service due to high costs. Affordability, not just infrastructure alone, must be addressed into order to remedy a lack of internet access.

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Trying to improve remote learning? A refugee camp offers some surprising lessons

Javeria Salman

January 14, 2021 |

The Hechinger Report |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Iraq

Hello Future is a non-profit teaching digital literacy at a refugee camp in Iraq. The program aims to teach refugees aged 13-18 marketable skills, and does so through "mobile-first" initiatives, where "90% of the program is taught on a phone," coupled with in-person classes, where students learn how to use search engines, and Google Docs. The organization has now expanded its program to students in the U.S., while adapting it to fit into remote learning due to restrictions caused by the pandemic.

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California schools build local wireless networks to bridge digital divide

Sydney Johnson Ali Tadayon

January 04, 2021 |

EdSource |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

School districts and cities in California are looking to create their own local Wifi networks as a long-term solution to the digital divide, and an alternative to hotspots. Some are even becoming internet service providers themselves (ISP) — efforts, they say, that will make it easier to provide internet access to those who can’t afford it.

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