In a significant move to enhance digital literacy and equity, the City of Portland, in collaboration with Comcast and NTEN, has announced the selection of five fellows for the 2024 Portland Digital Equity Service Corps (DESC). Each fellow will receive up to $5,000 to develop or expand sustainable digital literacy programs within their organizations.
The selected fellows are:
- Marina Alvarez from Latino Network
- Isa Alvarez from Hacienda CDC
- Jeremy Gomez from Free Geek
- Rukia Aweys Mohamed from African Refugee Immigrant Organization
- Fabiola Sanchez from Rosewood Initiative
These fellows will also benefit from extensive training in various areas, including program design, accessibility, adult education, impact evaluation, and leadership skills.
The DESC initiative, managed by NTEN, was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge, a joint effort by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Comcast’s Project UP. This challenge aims to close the digital skills gap and promote economic mobility in under-resourced communities.
Rebecca Gibbons, Portland’s Digital Equity Manager, emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to digital equity, noting that many marginalized groups face significant barriers to internet access and digital devices.
“Tackling digital equity requires multi-stakeholder collaboration and a holistic approach to inclusive community access. We believe that the outcomes from this fellowship will help expand pathways for educational and workforce advancement,” said Gibbons. “Nationwide and locally, Indigenous people, Black Americans, Latino Americans, low-income households and people living with disabilities face barriers that result in the lowest rates of accessibility to the internet and to devices. The City of Portland’s strategy to closing the digital divide calls for a cross-sectional and root-cause approach.”
NTEN’s CEO, Amy Sample Ward, highlighted the critical role of community-trusted organizations in delivering effective digital literacy programs.
“Organizations face many barriers to meeting their community’s socioeconomic and civic needs. When community members don’t have internet access or the skills to use it, those barriers are even higher,” said Sample Ward. “We believe that the organizations best positioned to provide critical digital literacy programs are those that are already in and trusted by impacted communities. Our program is designed to build the skills, confidence and effectiveness of the fellows to deliver an innovative, sustainable digital literacy program that meets communities where they are.”
Comcast’s Project UP, a $1 billion initiative to advance digital equity, supports this fellowship. Rodrigo Lopez, Comcast’s Region Senior Vice President for the Pacific Northwest, expressed pride in partnering with NTEN and the City of Portland to support these efforts.
“Comcast is proud to partner with NTEN and the city to build on our shared commitment to digital equity through Portland’s Digital Equity Service Corps,” said Lopez. “Together, we are pleased to support an impressive group of people passionate about bringing digital equity to communities. These individuals will ensure that more people, especially those most often left out of the digital economy, can take advantage of the opportunities that come with acquiring digital skills.”
The DESC program builds on NTEN’s decade-long experience with the Digital Inclusion Fellowship, providing fellows with mentorship and resources to create impactful digital inclusion programs tailored to their communities.
For more information about NTEN, visit: https://www.nten.org. To learn more about Comcast’s commitment to the Pacific Northwest, visit https://oregon.comcast.com/.
