Digital divide now in the spotlight; sign ups available to get, give help
Photo from Connecting for Good, Kansas City
The digital divide that separates many families from economic and educational opportunity is a mounting concern under social isolation.
Advocates are working with telecommunication providers to offer more free and low-cost options for families, and to work with schools’ plans for eLearning.
Providers are suspending data limits, disconnects and late fees, opening hot spots, among other measures. AT&T is updating its plans here. Comcast’s plans are here. Charter Communications is here.
The Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion is gathering lists of people and services who need help, and lists of those who can donate money and services to meet those needs.
“We’ve been talking about what we call ‘digital inclusion’ for eight years and it wasn't a very well understood idea, but now it’s in the spotlight,” Connecting for Good’s Tom Esselman told KCUR.
The form to fill out a request for digital help is here. The form to offer donations or services is here.
To carry on remote learning, area school districts are using time that is usually Spring Break to build remote-learning plans as schools will remained closed at least until early April and quite possibly beyond. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced that Kansas school buildings will be closed for the rest of the school year.
But schools districts face different needs, with some like LINC’s partners in the Kansas City Public Schools and Hickman Mills School District serving large numbers of families that lack Internet connectivity. KCPS is making plans to mail out lessons. KCPS coronavirus updates are here. Hickman Mills is updating is virus news here. It’s online education materials are here.
The Kansas City area schools response to the shutdown of buildings is complicated by so many districts that can fragment a collective response.
“You have the potential for a lot of duplicative efforts and a lack of coordination,” Katie Boody of Kansas City-based Lean Lab told KCUR. “So we're trying to figure out how to work smarter and share what’s worked really great for some with others that are in need right now.”
Lean Lab is updating a resource site for Kansas City-area schools here.