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Tag: Computer Access

  • Digitunity Releases New Case Study on Expanding Computer Access in Rural Mississippi

    Coahoma and Warren Counties highlight a sustainable, community-driven model for increasing digital readiness and opportunity.


    NORTH CONWAY, N.H., April 22, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Digitunity, a national nonprofit focused on closing the digital divide through expanding computer ownership, has released a new case study about its recent work in Coahoma and Warren Counties, Mississippi. The report details a collaborative effort to expand computer ownership, digital skills training, and affordable internet in rural communities that face some of the country’s highest rates of digital disconnection.

    In partnership with the Mississippi Broadband Association(MSBA), AT&T, and local community organizations, Digitunity helped distribute refurbished laptops and fostered sustainable pathways to computer ownership. By combining computer access with digital literacy instruction and localized support, the initiative helps build a community-centered model known as a Sustainable Device Ecosystem.

    “We know that access to a computer is more than a convenience; it’s a gateway to opportunity,” said Scot Henley, Executive Director at Digitunity. “This case study shows what’s possible when communities come together to build their own digital future.”

    The need is urgent. In 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 4 households in Mississippi lacked access to a large-screen computer or relied only on a smartphone for internet connectivity. That figure rose to 39% in Coahoma County, while in Warren County, 25.3% of households faced the same barrier.

    Digitunity’s work in Mississippi reflects its role as a field catalyst, helping rural communities create systems they can adopt, sustain, and lead independently. The model documented in this case study offers a replicable framework for practitioners, funders, and policymakers focused on long-term digital access strategies.

    Key Highlights from the Case Study

    • As of January 2025, more than 500 refurbished laptops have been distributed or are scheduled for deployment across Coahoma and Warren Counties through various community-driven initiatives outlined in the case study.

    • Community-based pathways to computer ownership were integrated with workforce development and digital skills training through local institutions

    • Launch of a Digital Opportunity Fund reinvests in local access and training

    The full case study is available now on Digitunity’s website.

    About Digitunity
    Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to make owning a computer possible for everyone. For over 40 years, Digitunity has been engaged in the work of shaping and strengthening systems to address computer ownership among those impacted by the digital divide. Through generating and placing donated computers with organizations serving people in need, supporting a national practitioner network, and providing strategic advisory support to states and cities, Digitunity works to create sustainable solutions that make computer ownership possible for all.

    Source: Digitunity

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  • Digitunity and Partners Deliver Laptop Computers to Rural Families, Expanding Their Opportunities

    The leading national nonprofit devoted to computer access partners with AT&T and Chicanos Por La Causa Parenting Arizona to connect families in six Arizona communities with 120 computers, giving them access to educational and employment resources.


    NORTH CONWAY, N.H., April 9, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Digitunity, a national nonprofit with a mission to make computer ownership possible for everyone, announced today that it has begun distributing 120 laptop computers to families across six rural Arizona communities, in partnership with AT&T and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) Parenting Arizona.

    This effort is part of Digitunity’s AT&T Rural project, designed to increase access to digital services by providing free and low-cost computers to rural families who lacked such devices. It demonstrates Digitunity’s commitment to addressing the digital divide through partnering with trusted community-based organizations to deliver solutions and shape systems to eliminate barriers to computer ownership and empower people with digital opportunity.

    In this initiative, the Digitunity AT&T Rural project has partnered with the CPLC Parenting Arizona initiative to provide computers to families with children from prenatal to 5 years old. The new computers will enable the young families to participate in virtual visits with Parent Educators, access online healthcare resources, and engage with educational activities essential to their children’s early development.

    “As more services like appointment scheduling and applications shift online, computers become a critical bridge for families to access these resources,” said Jennifer Goodall, program director at CPLC Parenting Arizona. “Some families may need more guidance in using technology, while others simply need the tools to help themselves.”

    By bringing digital tools into homes, Digitunity and its partners are addressing an urgent need in Arizona. More than 340,000 households – about 12% of the state – do not own a large-screen computing device. And nearly one-quarter of the state’s residents said a lack of access to computers or other digital devices prevented them from using the internet, according to Arizona’s Digital Equity Plan.

    “Families in the rural parts of Arizona have two different obstacles: a gap in resources and a method to access the resources available,” said Renato Ramos, associate director at CPLC Parenting Arizona. “Every family has strengths that our teams focus on to help families navigate whatever situation they may be facing. Having a computer to find a job, update information for their kids’ school, or anything else they can work through themselves, helps to build upon these strengths and that feeling of pride in themselves.”

    The initiative is already underway, with CPLC Parenting Arizona staff beginning laptop distribution in late March 2025 via its established Home Visitation program. The project will deliver 75 laptops to La Paz-Mohave, 23 to Sierra Vista, 10 to Flagstaff, six to Globe, and six to Hopi. Through the home visits, CPLC staff will help families build valuable digital skills and connect to essential support services for parents and children.

    For families in CPLC’s Home Visitation program, the laptops will allow them to conduct virtual visits with Parent Educators, participate in monthly group connections on topics like dental health and child nutrition, and access developmental activities for children up to age 5. This evidence-based program helps children develop a strong foundation for kindergarten.

    For families in CPLC’s Family Support Coordination program, the laptops represent pathways to self-sufficiency. Parents can now more easily apply for employment, complete online GED courses, conduct virtual check-ins with coordinators, and research and access essential services like WIC, SNAP, and housing assistance.

    Through collaborations like this project, Digitunity continues to advance its mission of eliminating barriers to digital opportunity. By equipping people with computers and devices they lack, Digitunity, AT&T, and CPLC Parenting Arizona empower families with the means to succeed in the modern digital economy.

    For more information about Digitunity’s programs and initiatives, visit www.digitunity.org.

    About Digitunity
    Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to make owning a computer possible for everyone. For over 40 years, Digitunity has been engaged in the work of shaping and strengthening systems to address the computer needs of those impacted by the digital divide. Through generating and placing donated computers with organizations serving people in need, supporting a national practitioner network, and providing strategic advisory support to states and cities, Digitunity works to create sustainable solutions that make computer ownership possible for all.

    Contact Information

    Maria Penaloza
    maria.penaloza@newswire.com

    Source: Digitunity

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