Page 22 - SAMENA Trends - September 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

AT&T and the United Way of Metro Dallas Help

Bridge Digital Divide

AT&T and the United Way of Metropolitan of jobs in the U.S. require digital skills. The the curb of McDonald’s to access the inter-
Dallas have long shared a common vision: stakes have never been higher. According net,” Gonzalez says. “The Digital Bridges
to connect those we serve to greater pos- to research: funding will give my organization the op-
sibilities. We know when we help connect • 27% of adults with household incomes of portunity to reimagine what the learning
people to technology, it can be a bridge to $30,000 or less lack home broadband space at our center will look like. Equipping
opportunity. That’s why we’re contributing • One-third of Americans lack basic digital kids with technology to explore and grow
another $1 million over the next two years skills; Black and Hispanic workers are could provide endless opportunities.” All
to the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in overrepresented in this group. told, the new Digital Bridges collaboration
support of the new Digital Bridges program Our goal is to change these numbers, but will touch more than 30,000 lives in the Dal-
focused on southern Dallas. This contribu- it takes collaboration to move the needle. las community by:
tion adds to the $1.2 million we previously Combining our digital divide efforts with • Providing more than 4,200 computers to
made to support the distribution of 2,000 the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and those in need.
free laptops, digital literacy training and other contributors means greater impact. • Creating computer labs in communi-
technology help for residents served by the And working with credible nonprofit organi- ty-based organizations.
nonprofit. This new contribution will help zations in the southern Dallas community • Offering digital literacy training to nearly
the United Way add more community nav- means effective reach. We’ll be working 3,000 individuals.
igators in the southern Dallas community. with community organizations, like the Helping more than 15,000 residents enroll
Thousands of families will receive a laptop Puede Network, Jubilee Park and Commu- in the Affordable Connectivity Program. We
and assistance from a trained navigator nity Center, libraries, and dozens of others remain vigilant in tackling the digital divide
who can provide digital literacy training to to connect more of the underserved. Adan in Dallas and nationwide through our AT&T
help with important tasks like enrolling in Gonzalez, the founder of Puede Network, Connected Learning® initiative, which
health care and the Affordable Connectivity knows all too well what it’s like to live in the helps people get computers and connectiv-
Program, which can cover the cost of inter- digital divide. He was raised in the South ity, gain skills to use the internet effectively,
net service for those eligible. We’re joined Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas and re- and embrace the internet so they can reap
in this effort by major contributions from calls applying for college using a borrowed its vast benefits. This is how we build the
Texas Instruments Foundation, the Richard laptop and Wi-Fi from a nearby restaurant. bridge to possibilities. United is how we will
and Mary Templeton Foundation and the “I don’t want another kid to have to sit on get there.
Eugene McDermott Foundation. Together,
we aim to deliver the benefits of connectiv-
ity in southern Dallas to those on the wrong
side of the digital divide. Unfortunately,
those who lack access to the internet are
automatically excluded from many aspects
of daily life – including access to job open-
ings, online learning and education resourc-
es, digital health care and more. Across
the nation, we are becoming increasingly
reliant on digital technology. In fact, the
National Skills Coalition reports that 92%

AT&T and Pinoleville Pomo Nation Celebrate Opening of New Connected
Learning Center to Help Bridge the Digital Divide

AT&T is opening a new Connected Learning Club for additional support of the center.
Center inside the Boys & Girls Club of The opening of the Connected Learning
Pinoleville Pomo Nation in Ukiah to provide Center is part of AT&T’s commitment to
internet access and education tools to help bridge the digital divide in California,
those who face connectivity barriers which includes investing into programs
holding them back from participating in the that help people and communities develop
digital world. In addition, AT&T has made digital literacy skills to thrive in our modern
a $50,000 contribution to the Boys & Girls world. This is the second Connected

22 SEPTEMBER 2023