Our aim at NCDE is not to close the digital divide for its own sake but rather for the necessary role digital equity can and must play in educational and economic inclusion.
We strive to assist cross-sector community leadership teams (drawing on local diverse local leaders from banking, education, financial literacy, workforce and economic development, and philanthropy) in "low- and moderate-income" (LMI) communities to realize the following benefits through
(a) eliminating local digital divide barriers and
(b) improving coordination among often siloed local efforts to build pathways to living wage careers
LMI communities are those whose median income is sufficiently less than the state's median income that banks can receive credit towards meeting their Community Reinvestment Act requirement by making investments for economic inclusion in these areas.
A. The Local Digital Divide Reduced or Eliminated
B. The Local Educational Divide is Reduced
C. Economic Inclusion Strengthened
***These results may seem too aspirational, but they’re realistic if and only if one takes a systemic approach to closing the digital divide with a clear focus on generating significant educational and economic impacts. Again, we’re concerned, paradoxically, not with digital equity for its own sake but for the necessary role it must play in local educational and economic inclusion efforts.
On our Resources page you will find key resource partners we help LMI community teams tap. While some of the intended outcomes above might seem out of reach, certain resource providers are especially helpful in this regard:
For example, Bob Moses’ Algebra Project has an impressive track record of helping the lowest quartile of youths on state assessments in math to develop math literacy, complete HS, and go on in astonishing rates to studies and careers in STEM fields. (Founder Bob Moses emphasizes that numeracy is a civil right.)
Similarly, GenYes is another nonprofit initiative with a stellar track record of external evaluation-confirmed impacts, especially for underrepresented youths – the local programs they help communities in dozens of states and nations globally to create teach youths how to provide tech support for the adults around them. These youths learn tech skills, of course, but also the “soft skills” of listening, being on time, dressing appropriately, taking good notes, making eye contact with the adults they’re helping, etc. These youths, especially the most at-risk, complete high school and go on to STEM studies and careers at statistically significantly greater rates than comparable at-risk youths not in GenYes. At the same time, a local GenYes chapter is inexpensive to launch and sustain, and builds an LMI community’s badly needed (and multilingual) tech support capacity not only in school but also at home and in the community.
We strive to assist cross-sector community leadership teams (drawing on local diverse local leaders from banking, education, financial literacy, workforce and economic development, and philanthropy) in "low- and moderate-income" (LMI) communities to realize the following benefits through
(a) eliminating local digital divide barriers and
(b) improving coordination among often siloed local efforts to build pathways to living wage careers
LMI communities are those whose median income is sufficiently less than the state's median income that banks can receive credit towards meeting their Community Reinvestment Act requirement by making investments for economic inclusion in these areas.
A. The Local Digital Divide Reduced or Eliminated
- Significant gains in percentages of LMI individuals and families with
- Home access to and use (“adoption”) of broadband
- Home access to and use of computers
- Evidence of digital literacy skills (there are a number of very good free assessment tools)
- Reporting that they have access to free tech support that is
- Free
- Timely
- Relevant to their personal needs (e.g., for applying for a job, opening a bank account, videoconferencing with family in their native country...)
- Respectful
- Awareness of allies/resources available to help them address concerns about device addiction and cyberbullying (especially for families with children and youths)
B. The Local Educational Divide is Reduced
- Significant reduction or elimination in number of families reporting lack of home Internet/computer access as a barrier to completing homework (the “homework gap”)
- Gains in the community’s high school graduation rate
- Gains on indicators related to the “school-to-prison pipeline” – for example, less local disproportionate representation of students of color in special education and school suspensions***
C. Economic Inclusion Strengthened
- Significant reduction in percentages of unbanked and underbanked households
- Gains in full-time employment and participation specifically in living wage jobs, and reductions in underemployment rates***
***These results may seem too aspirational, but they’re realistic if and only if one takes a systemic approach to closing the digital divide with a clear focus on generating significant educational and economic impacts. Again, we’re concerned, paradoxically, not with digital equity for its own sake but for the necessary role it must play in local educational and economic inclusion efforts.
On our Resources page you will find key resource partners we help LMI community teams tap. While some of the intended outcomes above might seem out of reach, certain resource providers are especially helpful in this regard:
For example, Bob Moses’ Algebra Project has an impressive track record of helping the lowest quartile of youths on state assessments in math to develop math literacy, complete HS, and go on in astonishing rates to studies and careers in STEM fields. (Founder Bob Moses emphasizes that numeracy is a civil right.)
Similarly, GenYes is another nonprofit initiative with a stellar track record of external evaluation-confirmed impacts, especially for underrepresented youths – the local programs they help communities in dozens of states and nations globally to create teach youths how to provide tech support for the adults around them. These youths learn tech skills, of course, but also the “soft skills” of listening, being on time, dressing appropriately, taking good notes, making eye contact with the adults they’re helping, etc. These youths, especially the most at-risk, complete high school and go on to STEM studies and careers at statistically significantly greater rates than comparable at-risk youths not in GenYes. At the same time, a local GenYes chapter is inexpensive to launch and sustain, and builds an LMI community’s badly needed (and multilingual) tech support capacity not only in school but also at home and in the community.