GREENSBORO, N.C. — NC A&T's F.D. Bluford Library received an award that will be used to fund digital inclusion efforts across East Greensboro that involve a collaborative network of nonprofits.
The $300,000 Digital Champion grant from the NC Department of Information Technology will allow the library and its partners to provide services such as loaner WiFi hotspots, refurbished computers, and digital literacy training to those who lack internet connectivity, devices, and digital skills.
"This significant grant will enable us to collaborate with a diverse network of organizations to provide essential services and bridge the digital divide in our community," Tiffany Russell, budget and collect administrator and librarian for NC A&T Library Services who serves as lead principal investigator (PI) for the grant. "Our goal is to ensure that all individuals, regardless of background or circumstances, have access to the technology and skills needed to thrive in today's digital society."
Community partners and their roles in this initiative are:
- The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State: Its Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group will serve as an external assessment team, evaluating the outcomes of the East Greensboro collaborative to ensure its success and sustainability.
- Haynes-Taylor Memorial YMCA: Providing devices and digital literacy training to their diverse user populations. It will also grow its programming to address the digital divide needs identified within its community.
- East White Oak Community Center: Working with the East Greensboro collaborative to help low-income residents increase their access to technology and digital learning. This will address critical issues such as computer literacy for older adults, language barriers in the community, learning loss in school-aged children, and device ownership.
- OurJourney: This organization will extend its services to formerly incarcerated people in Guilford County, providing essential digital skills training and peer-to-peer mentoring to help them successfully reintegrate into society.
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