WDC Awards $650,000 to Build Digital Equity
Twelve community-based organizations awarded grant to address digital divide across the Puget Sound
Seattle, WA (February 23, 2023) – The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) has awarded $650,000 to twelve community-based organizations to support coordinated services to improve digital equity in the Seattle-King County region. The grant, funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, will amplify community access to affordable internet, devices, and digital skills training.
Each organization awarded was chosen for its targeted support of marginalized populations heavily impacted by the digital divide, such as immigrants and refugees, children and teens with disabilities and their families, older adults and adults with disabilities, or people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Each organization has demonstrated strengths in providing digital navigation or similar services, such as strong community engagement, multilingual support, and experience with device distribution.
ORGANIZATIONS AWARDED
In addition, the grant provides more than $200,000 to deliver 500 laptops and 250 internet hotspots to qualified, low-income community members, through InterConnection, a Seattle-based nonprofit, with support from partners Seattle Information Technology, King County Information Technology, and the Seattle Public Library.
These were competitive awards from 31 proposals totaling a requested $2.1 million, representing four times the total available funding. The WDC’s regional strategic plan identified investment in digital infrastructure as an essential component of an equitable economic recovery (page 58). This was based on data showing disproportionate gaps for Black and Latino or Hispanic households living without broadband internet.
The City of Seattle’s 2018 Technology Access and Adoption Study showed that “those living in poverty were 5 times more likely to lack internet access in the Seattle area… [and] Non-White residents [were] 1.6 times more likely to lack internet access.” Similarly, King County’s 2020 Broadband Access Study found a correlation between income and lack of internet access.
Echoing these reports, an internal survey of workforce development partner agencies revealed that two of the largest barriers jobseekers face in reaching employment goals are digital literacy (education on how to use technology) and digital access (having internet access or devices such as computers and smartphones).
Digital Navigators use a human-centered approach to digital equity to harness better practices and ensure that services are aligned with community needs. The funds from the Digital Navigator Grant will empower local organizations to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services within marginalized communities. The WDC will support smaller organizations through curriculum building and standardized training for digital navigators. The awardees will deliver services in alignment with the regional strategic approach to systems change developed by the WDC in partnership with Seattle Information Technology, King County Information Technology, and the Seattle Public Library systems.
QUOTES
Marie Kurose, CEO of the WDC: “The pandemic emphasized the racial and income disparities in digital equity and access, reflecting a systemic lack of investment in equitable digital infrastructure. This investment is vital to make today, and even more important as we look to the future of work. If we don’t proactively build access, we will continue to see disparities widen. We are thrilled to support these organizations and intentionally target some of the biggest hardships faced by our community.”
Esther Bogomilsky, Co-founder and Program Director of the Friendship Circle of Washington: “The pandemic exacerbated the isolation felt by so many families with special needs. When all Friendship Circle programs moved to a virtual platform in 2020, the gap in digital navigation skills among those we serve became glaringly clear. Many of our families were ill equipped to meaningfully engage in online programming, meaning they fell even further behind their peers and grew even more isolated from the outside world. Upon returning to in-person programming, we set out to ensure that families with special needs have equitable access and training to fully participate in the online world. This grant from Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council is enabling Friendship Circle to close the digital gap for young people with special needs, leading to improved job readiness skills and more.”
Stephanie Ung, Co-Executive Director of Khmer Community Center of Seattle King County: “The investment in our community to bridge the digital divide allows us to bridge the intergenerational gap between Khmer elders and youth. Bringing them together over technology uplifts the knowledge and skills of our youth while affirming and including our elders in modern means of communication and information access to external resources.”
Megard Ngueita, Executive Director of World Relief Western Washington: “We live in a world where digital navigation is key to daily life aspects. Yet digital equity is a challenge to many, and more so to the refugees and immigrants that World Relief walks alongside as they rebuild their lives. This grant will create an opportunity to tackle that challenge among our program participants.”