Two weeks ago, area school districts across the Kansas City metro announced they would be closed until at least April 24th as a response to the growing concern of COVID-19. The digital divide for students, families, and their teachers was real before the Coronavirus pandemic – according to a Pew Research Center study, 33% of school-aged children nationally lack Internet access at home.  Locally, that number climbs to as high as 70% of children in the Kansas City Public Schools. These current school closures greatly exacerbate the digital inequity already present in communities across our region and country. 

LISC Greater Kansas City quickly responded by providing a grant to Connecting For Good. They are one of our region’s leading organizations whose sole mission is digital inclusion. Connecting For Good has been bridging the digital divide since 2012 by providing connectivity, hardware and training and delivering impact through a focus on education, employment, economic impact and the environment. 

“By working alongside dedicated partners, such as the KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion, KC Digital Drive, Google Fiber, Urban League of Greater Kansas City, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Verizon Wireless, the Kansas City Public Library, and so many others in our region, we can begin to address broader issues of income inequality by focusing on contributing factors, such as disparities in digital inclusion.”

LISC Greater Kansas City’s grant has helped Connecting For Good provide: 

• 260 desktops with Wi-Fi adapters to families at three area schools 
• ​36 desktops with Wi-Fi adapters for all the apartments serving moms with students at Amethyst Place
• 20 laptops, 8 desktops with Wi-Fi adapters, and 13 Wi-Fi hotspots to Operation Breakthrough families and teachers