[ad_1]
Date posted: November 4, 2021 at 9:14 am
Last update: November 4, 2021 at 9:14 am
OAKLAND, CA – Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced today that the city has been selected by the national organization EducationSuperHighway to participate in a pilot project to connect 90% of Oakland’s 36,951 unconnected homes to broadband to over the next five years.
Today’s announcement builds on the unprecedented success of the #OaklandUndivided campaign, which has raised over $ 17 million, distributed over 29,000 laptops and 10,000 wireless hotspots , and responded to 10,000 requests for technical assistance during the past school year.
EducationSuperHighway, a national nonprofit, is working to connect students for distance learning during the pandemic. The new announcement comes a year after successfully completing its mission to connect 47 million students to bridge the K-12 classroom connectivity gap.
Now the new one from EducationSuperHighway No home left offline The report points out that two-thirds of unconnected US households are still offline because they cannot afford an available Internet connection. This “broadband accessibility gap†is present in all states and has a disproportionate impact on low-income Americans, blacks and Latin Americans, and is the main obstacle to bridging the digital divide.
Over the next five years, the two organizations will form “Oakland Connect” to roll out broadband and free Wi-Fi adoption programs in EducationSuperHighway apartments to help community members from disadvantaged backgrounds. overcome the confidence and enrollment barriers that unconnected households face when enrolling in a federal program. broadband programs and home broadband service. The programs target “America’s most disconnected communities,” where more than 25% of people do not have the Internet.
“Public-private partnerships, exemplified by the success of #OaklandUndivided, are key to achieving equity in cities across the country,†said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Oakland is proud to partner with EducationSuperHighway, a key leadership partner of #OaklandUndivided to remove barriers to affordability and dramatically increase broadband access for our most vulnerable populations and permanently bridge the digital divide. ”
#OaklandUndivided is a collective impact, equity-driven initiative comprised of founding partners Oakland Unified School District, City of Oakland, TechExchange, Oakland Public Education Fund, Oakland Promise and over 15 leadership partners (see Oaklandundived.org for all partners and impact to date). Working together, they increased home access to computers and the Internet for Oakland public school students from low-income backgrounds from 12% to 98%. Moving into Phase II, #OaklandUndivided has the dual purpose of maintaining home access for all Oakland Public School students while increasing broadband access in Oakland’s most under-connected communities, including West Oakland, Fruitvale and East Oakland.
“We are excited about the potential of the partnership led by #OaklandUndivided and the City of Oakland to bridge the digital divide in the city,†said Othello Meadows, Managing Director of Blue Meridian Partners. “We are inspired by their deep commitment to a just recovery for those most affected by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exciting work done by the partners behind #OaklandUndivided – including EducationSuperHighway – is a testament to what is possible when leaders come together and stay focused on improving access for their people. “
In response to the pandemic, a bipartisan consensus has emerged to dramatically accelerate progress towards bridging the digital divide. The state and federal government have recognized the need to close the broadband affordability gap with one-time potential investments. Oakland was selected by EducationSuperHighway as the inaugural pilot city for the national launch of No Home Left Offline, as it came together to seize this unique moment in history to right a long-standing injustice and close the gap once and for all. Numeric fraction.
The rollout of the OAK WiFi initiative was also a critical factor in EducationSuperHighway’s decision to partner with Oakland. The project, made possible by the $ 7.7 million allocation of CARES Act funding, unanimously approved by Oakland City Council in 2020, provides a network of live access zones in across the city, dramatically expanding coverage from West Oakland to downtown and along the International Corridor from Boulevard to the San Leandro border. EducationSuperHighway Apartment’s free Wi-Fi is inspired by the way Wi-Fi is provided in most hotels today. Rather than purchasing a separate internet connection for each room, the hotel purchases a single internet connection for the building and then sets up a Wi-Fi network throughout the building. This new program will leverage OAK WiFi’s recently deployed fiber-optic infrastructure to improve connectivity and adoption by a significant portion of the city’s less connected residents.
“The steps taken to connect students during the pandemic provide a model for a broad public-private partnership to close the broadband accessibility gap,†said Evan Marwell, Founder and CEO of EducationSuperHighway. “We chose Oakland to be EducationSuperHighway’s first pilot city, not only because it represents the nationwide broadband affordability gap, but the city is leading the country in its efforts to reduce the digital divide. We’re excited to partner with Mayor Schaaf, Oakland Promise and #OaklandUndivided to break down the barriers that prevent low-income families from getting online. “
MEDIA CONTACTS
David Argent, Director of Education – Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (510-393-4888)
Patricia wells, Executive Director – Oakland Housing Authority (510-773-7917)
Jessica ramos, #OaklandUndivided Student Liaison and former Principal of OUSD School Board Students (818-564-3565)
UPPERROUTE EDUCATIONS
esh@commstrat.com
ABOUT #OAKLANDUNDIVIDED
The #OaklandUndivided (#OU) is a partnership between the Oakland Mayor’s Education Office, Libby Schaaf, Oakland Promise, Oakland Public Education Fund, Oakland Unified School District and Tech Exchange, and more than 15 leadership partners. Its vision is to bridge the digital divide and its initial mission is to ensure that every student at Oakland Public School has access to a computer, an Internet connection, and technological support. To date, they have distributed 29,000 laptops and 10,000 hotspots to schools, students and families in Oakland, and responded to 10,000 requests for technical assistance. #OU worked to increase home computer and internet access for Oakland public school students from low-income backgrounds from 12% to 98%. For more information on the partners, the impact to date or how to get involved, visit: www.oaklandundivided.org
ABOUT THE OAKLAND PROMISE
Oakland Promise is available to young learners (from newborns to college students) and their families who reside in Oakland. OP provides each child with the financial resources, educational programs, mentoring and a supportive community to help them and their families seek and thrive in higher education and the career of their choice. Oakland Promise is available to young learners (from newborns to college students) and their families who reside in Oakland. OP provides each child with the financial resources, educational programs, mentoring and a supportive community to help them and their families seek and thrive in higher education and the career of their choice.
ABOUT SUPERHIGHWAY EDUCATION
EducationSuperHighway is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to bridge the digital divide for the 18 million households who have access to the Internet but cannot afford to connect. They focus on the least connected communities in America, where more than 25% of people do not have the Internet. From 2012 to 2020, EducationSuperHighway led the effort that closed the classroom connectivity gap. In 2013, only 10% of students had access to digital learning in their classrooms. Today, thanks to an unprecedented bipartisan effort by federal, state and school district leaders, supported by K-12 advocacy organizations, the classroom connectivity gap is closed – 47 million students are connected and 99.3% of US schools have a high-speed broadband connection.
# # #
[ad_2]
