• Project:Essential Families, Essential Digital Equity Program
  • Prepared by:Celeste Carlson EMBA Student UMKC (Supervised by Dr. Brent Never)
  • Date:7/9/2024
  • Location:Bloch Executive Hall, 5110 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64110
  • Contact:cc2bb@umkc.edu

Executive Summary

The Essential Digital Equity Program, provided by Essential Families, was designed, built, and is being delivered based on the statutory requirements of Section 60304 (c) of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (November 15, 2021), commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The purpose of the Infrastructure Act is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for efforts by states relating to the adoption of broadband by residents of those states.

Furthermore, the Infrastructure Act is aimed at bridging the digital divide by providing internet connectivity, devices, digital literacy training, and essential services to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) covered populations. The NTIA defines covered populations as aging, incarcerated, veterans, disabled, language barrier, racial or ethnic minority group, and rural communities.

This report outlines the project's structure, activities, key findings from current activities from April 1, 2023, to June 22, 2024, and future recommendations.

Project Description

The Essential Digital Equity Program (the “Project”) was a collaborative initiative between the City of Kansas City’s Digital Equity Office, Essential Families, the Kansas City School District, Kauffman Foundation, Hall Foundation, Reach Health Foundation, Google Fiber, MARC, Health Forward, Shumacher Family Foundation, NoW Video, Missouri Broadband Office, Proverbs Holdings, LLC, Children’s Services Fund and the University of Missouri- Kansas City. It focused on providing digital resources to vulnerable populations within the Kansas City School District boundaries. As a convenor, the Digital Equity Office developed the Digital Equity Strategic Plana multi-pronged effort to address digital inequities in schooling, economic development, and family life. City spending and regulatory priorities are now viewed through the Strategic Plan.

Essential Families with their Essential Digital Equity Program, works with participants to address all six major components within the Digital Equity Strategic plan, including the Use of the Internet for the consumer, the learner, the digital citizen, for employment, the entrepreneur, and collaboration around access to the Internet. “The purpose of the Infrastructure Act, particularly through the Digital Equity Act included in it, is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for state efforts related to broadband adoption by residents. This act establishes various grant programs, such as the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, which aims to ensure all individuals and communities have the necessary IT capacity for full participation in society and the economy” (US Code House).

Stakeholders in government, business, and the nonprofit sector have engaged in structured discussions of how to address digital equity. Viewed as both an economic development and social justice challenge, the digital divide is starkly concentrated amongst racial-ethnic minority communities (Figure 1):

Figure 1:

Figure 1 (produced by MySidewalk) demonstrates the lack of digital access in clusters concentrated in City Council Districts 3 & 5, with some concentration in City Council District 4.

The Project enabled the City to collaborate with Essential Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering strong communities through technological and social development, to offer comprehensive support to residents across the region. Essential Families has established significant connections with racial and minority communities. Under the guidance of Founder and Chief Executive Officer Terri English-Yancy, Essential Families has created an extensive system that not only provides residents with high-quality internet- connected devices and training but also offers counseling and mental health services to address digital equity challenges that traditional digital-access programs may overlook. Essential Families delivers these services through a unique blend of face-to-face and virtual parental education and concurrent primary and mental telehealth sessions for families once they have acquired basic digital literacy skills. These comprehensive services are offered through a referral from the Digital Navigator, who helps individuals access the digital platform necessary for telehealth options.

Project History

Essential Families began their Essential Digital Equity Program in late 2022 with the support of the Kauffman Foundation. The grant funds allowed Essential Families to create and implement a training curriculum for Digital Navigators. According to the Affordable Connectivity Program Promotion/Registration Program Report, Navigator development would create a system of upward mobility, whereby “residents could initially receive Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) services, then develop a deeper knowledge of digital skills, which then would allow them to become paid digital navigators, ending in their ability to credibly enter the digital workforce in a short period of time.”

During the Demonstration Project period (April 1 - August 31, 2023), Essential Families conducted 15 sessions. Utilizing surveys from pilot participants, they iterated and designed services to meet the goal of closing the digital divide. In September of 2023, they launched the Essential Digital Equity Program.

As of June 22, 2204, the Essential Digital Equity Program has served 513 individuals, and there is currently a waitlist of 1,276. The below graphics depicts the breakout of the cover population served.

Priority Covered
Population Category
Participants
(04.01.23-06.22.24)
Percentage (%) of Total
(04.01.23-06.22.24)
Total Number of Served Clients: 513
Racial or Ethnic Minority 277 54%
Aging Individuals 58 11%
Veterans 6 1%
Incarcerated 9 2%
Disabled 34 7%
Language Barrier 50 10%
Rural Citizens 23 4%
Female 375 73%
Includes ages 68 and above

Achievements and Impact

  1. Digital Device Distribution
    • Essential Families has distributed over 500 laptops, and gave recommendation for best ISP for household budget and needs, ensuring families have the necessary tools to participate in the digital world. Each device comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty, offering peace of mind and continuous support.
  2. Digital Literacy
    • Participants underwent 3.5 hours of Microsoft tutorials and received ongoing technical support through our client portal. These trainings empower individuals with the skills needed to navigate digital environments confidently.
  3. Essential Services
    • Beyond digital literacy, Essential Families provides synchronous telehealth services, mental health counseling, and parental education sessions. Additional service includes a 24/7 resource database called “EveryThing”. This comprehensive approach addresses root causes of digital inequity, fostering a supportive environment for families to thrive.

During participation in the project, participants are assigned a Digital Navigator, who serves as a “case manager” who helps answer questions and directs participants to other resources. The Digital Navigator is responsible for following up with participants within 48 hours of the class, and bi-weekly thereafter to ensure participants are accessing the resources they need.

Additionally, participants have access to an online portal and they are shown how to access and maneuver through the resource list - giving them the ability to determine what they need and identify a list of providers at the moment of need. This includes transportation providers, food closets, and more.

Observations and Future Opportunities:

Because the digital divide is a strong indicator of other economic and social deficiencies, the discussion, and therefore the Essential Families Digital Equity Program is designed to stabilize the covered populations through the provision of a laptop, referring clients to the best ISP for their household, and training on using the new laptop. Then, they build on that foundation and offer job training for work-from-home jobs, in addition to providing access to resources for health and wellbeing.

  1. Demographic Distribution:
    • The participants come from various age groups, with a significant representation of Millennials and Gen X individuals.
    • Gender distribution shows a higher number of female participants compared to males.
    • Veterans and previously incarcerated individuals continue to be underrepresented, which could suggest an opportunity for collaboration with organizations that work with these populations.
  2. Background and Special Needs:
    • Most participants belong to racial and ethnic minority groups, indicating the program’s strong focus on providing 24/7 essential services to these communities.
    • There is a notable presence of participants with disabilities, have a language barrier, and/or are seniors.
  3. Program Feedback:
    • Participants provided high recommendation scores, suggesting a high level of satisfaction with the program.
    • Feedback includes improvements in educational outcomes, delivery of essential services, and civic and social engagement.
  4. Digital Literacy and Training Interests:
    • Participants expressed interest in various digital training programs such as cybersecurity certification, AWS Cloud for Jobs, and digital content creation. All of these options are pre-determined and not available as a “write-in” option. This doesn’t allow for someone not interested in these trainings to offer suggestions on other job options that might improve their job skills and upward mobility.
  5. Geographic Representation:
    • Participants are distributed across multiple council districts, with the highest concentration of participants in City Council Districts 3 & 5, indicating targeted outreach and engagement strategies.
    • Districts with fewer participants might benefit from increased outreach efforts to ensure more equitable access.
  6. 24/7 Virtual Wrap Around Services:
    • Many participants indicated a need for additional support in areas like mental health, parental education, and telehealth services, reinforcing the importance of the program’s holistic approach.
    • The integration of these services addresses various barriers to digital equity beyond just internet access and device provision.
  7. Challenges and Opportunities:
    • Challenges include varying levels of digital literacy among participants and the need for ongoing support beyond initial training, which Essential Families is working to identify and address through participant surveys.
    • Opportunities exist to expand the program’s reach across the state of Missouri, and the United States, to develop more digital workforce skills among participants, and use program success to advocate for broader digital equity policies.
    • Participants begin their journey with Essential Families through the website, which based on the target population may not be the best method of connecting with those who need the services the most. Other outreach activities could be considered.
    • Sustaining engagement beyond the initial training session could be an opportunity to watch for.

Recommendations

Council District Participants
(4.1.23 - 6.22.24)
Percentage (%) of Total
(4.1.23 - 6.22.24)
Total Number of Served Clients: 513
1 9 2%
2 17 3%
3 150 29%
4 52 10%
5 249 49%
6 36 7%
  • Enhanced Outreach : Target underrepresented areas to ensure equitable access, particularly in City Council Districts 1, 2, 4, and 6 (as seen in the chart).
  • Sustained Support : Provide ongoing digital literacy and 24/7 virtual essential services to participants.
  • Data-Driven Decisions : Utilize participant feedback and data analytics to continuously improve the program.
  • Strengthened Partnerships : Collaborate with more community organizations to expand service delivery, particularly in neighborhoods and for demographics that don’t yet have high participation.

Qualitative Feedback

  • Participant Testimonials:
    • "I was able to get a laptop to finish my classes I was taking…and they hired me as a Digital Navigator."
    • "They are excellent services for people in the community who otherwise wouldn't have the help."
    • "The program is wonderful; if people take advantage of what is available to them, advancement should come."
  • Insights
    • These insights underscore the program’s positive impact on individual lives and communities.

Conclusion

The Essential Digital Equity Program has made significant strides in bridging the digital divide in Kansas City. By leveraging community partnerships and providing holistic support, the project has not only enhanced digital access but also fostered economic, educational, and social development among participants. Continued efforts, program iteration, and strategic expansion are essential to sustain and amplify these gains.

This milestone of serving over 500 families is not just a number; it represents lives changed, opportunities created, and a community empowered.

Works Cited