ReportWire

Tag: digital opportunity

  • New Case Study Highlights Barriers to Computer Ownership in Rural Arizona and Community-Based Pathways Forward

    [ad_1]


    NORTH CONWAY, N.H., May 1, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Digitunity, a national nonprofit advancing digital opportunity through computer ownership, has released a new case study detailing the urgent need for personal computers in rural Arizona and the steps local communities are taking to address it.

    Developed in partnership with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) and supported by AT&T, the case study captures findings from recent focus groups, data analysis, and a 200-computer distribution initiative across San Luis and Miami, Arizona. The report surfaces systemic challenges to computer ownership, including limited access points, affordability, and gaps in digital skills, and demonstrates the impact of community-informed solutions grounded in trust, local leadership, and practical infrastructure. The case study captures project activities through January 2025.

    Across Arizona, 342,248 households (11.7% of all households) do not own a large-screen computer. Without one, families have limited access to digital opportunities in education, employment, healthcare, and civic life.

    In towns including Miami, Nogales, San Luis, and Superior, nearly one in three households lack a large-screen computer. The need is particularly acute among older adults and families in low-income and multilingual communities. Focus group participants shared their experiences navigating limited library hours for computer access, slow or unreliable internet service, and the need for ongoing digital skills training and support.

    This case study draws on insights that Digitunity has gained from its broader rural work, and is intended to offer a deeper understanding of how to design solutions that enable long-term computer ownership.

    Read the complete case study

    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

    [ad_2]

    Source link

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

    [ad_1]

    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

    Related Media

    [ad_2]

    Source link