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.
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 (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.
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 |
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.
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.
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% |
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.