Day 1: Wednesday, October 2
Day 1: Wednesday, October 2
Anchors Rock Showcase- Salon 1
1:00PM - 4:00PM
Anchors Rock Showcase- Salon 1
1:00PM - 4:00PM
Advocating for Digital Equity at the State Level
The Benton State Education Project is building coalitions to advocate on broadband issues at the state level. The coalitions bring together diverse stakeholders — anchor institutions, broadband offices, state legislators, ISPs, businesses, and concerned individuals — and help them define and achieve their goals for digital equity. This showcase will highlight lessons learned after a year of coalition building.
![Placeholder Image](https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/shlbc/auto-files/image_1721747506374.png)
Jennifer Blatz
Program Director- Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance
![Placeholder Image](https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/shlbc/auto-files/image_1718725236728.jpg)
Free WiFi in Affordable and Public Housing
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council and EducationSuperHighway are supporting Urban Edge, a Boston-based community development corporation, in deploying an apartment WiFi network within 880 units across multiple buildings in the Columbus Avenue Corridor. Partners will discuss the planning process along with its challenges and opportunities.
![Placeholder Image](https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/shlbc/auto-files/image_1718725236728.jpg)
A Model for Digital Inclusion Partnerships
Common Sense Media has collaborated with several CAIs, government agencies, schools, and nonprofit organizations in Phoenix and Arizona to launch digital inclusion awareness campaigns and develop a model approach to building and navigating cross-sector partnerships for digital inclusion work.
A New Kind of Community Anchor: Maine's Connectivity Hubs
Maine awarded 12 Connectivity Hub grants in June 2024 to support its digital equity plan and strengthen its network of community anchor institutions. Hear from the state and a grant recipient about the genesis of the program, progress to date, lessons learned along the way, and why Connectivity Hubs are such an important cornerstone of the Maine Digital Equity Plan.
Nebraska Libraries Get Over the CIPA Compliance Hurdle
The Nebraska Library Commission has worked with its libraries to provide a fully managed and funded DNS filtering solution, helping them overcome CIPA compliance hurdles and take greater advantage of E-rate.
Advancing Digital Equity in South Texas Communities
Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is fostering digital inclusion throughout communities in its 74-county service region. Their work focuses on improving the digital equity ecosystem, increasing devices access, improving digital skills, and supporting public benefit adoption.
![Placeholder Image](https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/shlbc/auto-files/image_1718725544114.png)
Hold
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Together is a Superpower: How anchor institutions can collaborate to shape a digital literacy landscape
The Marylanders Online team at the University of Maryland Extension and Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library have developed Pratt Adventure & Beyond, a hybrid train-the-trainer curriculum for digital navigators. This initiative empowers library staff to provide digital skills training, fostering a sustainable digital literacy ecosystem in Baltimore and Maryland. Join us to discuss this partnership's vision and how to leverage resources from both institutions to bridge the digital divide.
Virginia Public-Private Partnership is Connecting 6,000 Unserved Homes
Shenandoah County Government (VA) and Shentel, a local ISP, are leveraging nearly $50M of private, County, and State money to extend broadband services to more than 6,000 currently unserved homes, businesses, and community anchor institution in the community.
Next Level Coalition-Building in Kansas City
This showcase spotlights a brand-new nonprofit designed to leverage libraries and other anchor institutions to foster greater collaboration and more balanced and equitable funding in a region that has long been considered one of the leading digital inclusion communities in the US.
![Placeholder Image](https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/shlbc/auto-files/image_1720820832394.png)
Carrie Coogan
Deputy Director for Public Affairs and Community Engagement- Kansas City Public Library