Digital Equity News from Your Community Foundation

Greater Cleveland unites to bridge the digital divide

Of any major city in the U.S., Cleveland has the highest percentage of households without broadband internet accounts. Almost 53,000 Cleveland households—31% of the city's total—lack broadband subscriptions of any kind at any speed, including mobile data plans.

A coalition of partners across Greater Cleveland has launched the Digital Navigators Program to help residents get access to online resources, from affordable internet service to free training to discounted devices and more.

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AT&T launches Connected Learning Centers in Greater Cleveland

AT&T has opened two of its Connected Learning Centers in Greater Cleveland, helping connect families to a variety of digital resources. These community-based tech hubs provide high-speed internet connections, computers and educational content to help residents participate in virtual learning, take advantage of telehealth, apply for jobs and more.

In December, AT&T opened its first Connected Learning Center in Cleveland at Esperanza, Inc., serving families in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Learn more here. On March 3, a second center opened at the Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center to serve the Glenville neighborhood. You can read about the second center here.

Graphic of Internet of Things technology

Neighbor to Neighbor initiative to connect residents with digital resources

Late last year, the Rocket Community Fund, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and the Cleveland Foundation announced the launch of “Neighbor to Neighbor,” a door-to-door canvassing effort designed to help connect residents to available digital resources in their communities.

ICYMI: Connecting Cleveland...and the moon!

Cleveland Foundation Chief of Digital Innovation and Chief Information Officer Leon Wilson joined NASA's Director of Technology Incubation and Innovation Mary Lobo for a virtual panel discussion hosted by the Great Lakes Science Center in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Leon and Mary talked about efforts to bridge the digital divide in Cleveland, and how the knowledge gained from this work could someday bring Wi-Fi to the moon!

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I am STEM: The Northeast Ohio STEM Ecosystem introduces local students to leaders and careers in STEM fields

Earlier this year, the Northeast Ohio STEM Ecosystem (NeoSTEM) launched the “I am STEM” poster campaign to introduce local students to STEM professions. Through interviews with a number of local STEM professionals across industries and sectors, the poster campaign is showing students the wide range of STEM career options available to them and helping them see real people who are working in those fields.

Cleveland Foundation Chief of Digital Innovation and Chief Information Officer Leon Wilson is among the local leaders featured in the “I am STEM” poster campaign. Visit our blog to learn more about the campaign and to hear Leon's interview.