Oct 11 Digital Inclusion Week

Oct 11h in Bold Voices by

(October 11, 2024)

On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Allegheny County Council named October 7 through 11, 2024 Digital Inclusion Week. This coincides with National Digital Inclusion Week, an initiative of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). Allies for Children was honored to be present at the meeting of County Council where Councilperson Bethany Hallam issued the Proclamation recognizing Digital Inclusion Week. Allies for Children is a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance (GPDIA), of which representatives from many member organizations were present, including Program Director Jennifer Blatz, who gave remarks on the importance of digital equity and inclusion.

While digital equity has been an issue across the country for quite a while, but it was made exceedingly clear during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was acknowledged in County Council’s proclamation, along with the fact that 24.3% of Pennsylvanians do not have access to the internet, which is higher than the national average of 19.5%.

According to data from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Coalition (SPC), 81,945 households across Allegheny County have no or insufficient access to broadband internet. The Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition Community Strategic Plan, published in December 2023, outlines the 2030 digital equity goals of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The plan works to close the digital equity gap by 2030 through the completion of three goals: Accessible & Affordable Broadband Internet; Digital Skills Training; and Computing Devices and Technical Support. The state of Pennsylvania released its own plan for achieving digital equity in January 2024.

The GPDIA contributed to the drafting of Pittsburgh’s Community Strategic Plan, and continues working towards all three of the county’s goals. In support of these goals, several GPDIA member organizations have come together to apply for a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The hope is to deploy a system of Digital Navigators throughout 15 Western Pennsylvania counties. Digital Navigators will help people figure out how to get affordable access to broadband internet. They will also provide one-on-one digital skills training. The participating organizations have named this initiative PA LEAP (Pennsylvania Leading Equity Access Program).

The GPDIA has been piloting Digital Navigators in Allegheny County and several other Southwestern PA counties since last year. Now they hope to replicate those successes across a wider range of Western Pennsylvania. To read more about PA LEAP, check out this article from the University of Pittsburgh, a leading partner in the program.

Allies for Children looks forward to what our partners in the GPDIA will be able to accomplish through PA LEAP and are dedicated to supporting the mission and continued efforts towards digital equity.

Laura Condon, Allies for Children Project Coordinator