Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation is the third Connected Dallas walk-in center offering computer lab, one-on-one support connecting to the Affordable Connectivity Program, online-based services, and digital skills workshops

January 11, 2024 [DALLAS, TX} - The Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA)’s Connected Dallas Digital Ambassador program has officially opened its third Community Anchor Site at Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation,creating the Connected Dallas Computer Help Center to serve residents. The site’s community opening this weekend will welcome community members and local organizations in one of Dallas’ most vibrant neighborhoods to celebrate the support, resources and amenities available at the new facility in Vickery Meadow.

The Computer Help Center represents the third of eight sites that will open by summer 2024, offering the brick-and-mortar walk-in center element of the program. The site is open for regular operations from Monday - Thursday, 9:00am-2:00pm, with Saturday hours on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 10:00am - 2:00pm. The Connected Dallas program’s mission is to provide a full spectrum of digital navigation touchpoints that meet the community where they are, whether by text, chat, phone, online or in-person at local community organizations. Connected Dallas was chosen by the City of Dallas in March 2023 to execute its DIgital Navigator program for the benefit of connecting Dallas residents to the internet, devices and skills. The Connected Dallas framework is provided by National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

“Reaching the goal of ‘internet for all’ requires partnership and intentionality at serving the unique needs of communities across Dallas and beyond. With Community Anchor Sites serving in South Dallas, Bachman Lake and now Vickery Meadow, we are continuing to learn how best to serve through the guidance of our partners,” commented Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director, Dallas Innovation Alliance. “We’re so proud to have Digital Ambassadors who now represent cultures across five continents; currently the team can serve residents in 16 languages, helping to break one of the primary barriers raised by this community. Getting all residents fully engaged in today’s digital world requires each of us to play a part. We are so grateful for the opportunity to do this work.”

“The launch of this Community Anchor Site at Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation is a testament to serving the needs . In Vickery Meadow, where over 50 languages are spoken and 10% of the population has refugee status, creating a welcoming environment that can support the particular needs of our unique community is critically important,” says Dr. Janet Morrison-Lane, Executive Director, Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation. “We are thrilled that the Digital Ambassadors hired to support the Connected Dallas  Computer Help Center include several of our EAGLE Scholar graduates, showing continued support to their community while they continue their educational journey.”

“The City of Dallas is committed to bridging the digital divide through a comprehensive approach addressing the four pillars of digital inclusion: accessibility, affordability, devices, and digital literacy. Which includes Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment assistance, tech support and community engagement,” commented Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff to the City Manager, City of Dallas. “The Computer Help Center at Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation is a key resource to support communities within their neighborhood. We are thrilled to celebrate another step towards ongoing services across Dallas to reach residents where they are.” 

Community Anchor Sites provide hyper-local and on the ground support in under-connected communities. These sites are outfitted with technology and training to provide walk-in services to access computers and WiFi, one-on-one support for everything from Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment to telehealth appointments, as well as digital skills programs run by local Ambassadors. Connected Dallas partner CARDboard Project is providing a variety of their workshops and 10-Step Roadmap case management services with the program.

"We understand that bridging the digital gap requires a collective effort. As such, we take pride in the $1 million dollar investment we have contributed to the Dallas Innovation Alliance," expressed Mylayna Albright,  assistant vice president,  Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T. "Every community should have access to affordable digital devices, access to the internet, and the essential digital skills to maximize their daily lives.  We remain committed to our partnership with Connected Dallas which will help contribute to a brighter future for this community.”

The next cycle of Community Anchor Site application processes will open in February. Interested organizations are encouraged to sign up at www.connecteddallas.org/contact to receive updates.

Connected Dallas also offers train-the-trainer sessions to local community organizations to guide their teams in utilizing Connected Dallas resources to serve their clients; as well as the option to request a Digital Ambassador to hold workshops and one-on-one office hours at their facility. Both of these requests can be made via this form on www.ConnectedDallas.org.  Residents and organizations are encouraged to visit the central events calendar to find digital access events at organizations across Dallas. This integrated approach ensures community members are aware of, trained, and connected to any service that requires connectivity to improve quality of life and access to opportunity.

About the Dallas Innovation Alliance

Founded in 2015, the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) is a 501c3 cross-sector partnership dedicated to supporting Dallas’ smart cities strategy. The DIA defines a smart city as one that lives at the intersection of community, data and technology to enable resource efficiencies, inclusive economic development and improve quality of life. Since 2015, the DIA has built a network of over three dozen members across sectors, works with more than 100 community organizations, and over 20 departments at the City of Dallas. DIA’s Smart Cities Living Lab is the fastest-to-market smart cities initiative in the country. For more information, please visit. www.DallasInnovationAlliance.com.

About Connected Dallas

The Connected Dallas program is designed to provide a full spectrum of digital touchpoints for community members that meet them where they are, whether by phone, text, chat, online or in-person. This ensures community members are educated, trained, and connected to all services that require connectivity to improve quality of life. The Connected Dallas program is supported by leading philanthropic investments by AT&T, Santander Consumer USA Foundation and the Dallas Foundation, The DIA was selected by the City of Dallas to manage the Digital Navigators program provided through ARPA funding. The Connected Dallas framework is provided by National Digital Inclusion Alliance. For more information, please visit www.ConnectedDallas.org.

About Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation: Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation(VMYDF) is an organization based in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood, north of downtown Dallas, where over 50 languages are spoken and 10% of the population has refugee status. VMYDF creates a space where first-generation Scholars and their families can benefit from all that higher education offers as they navigate the systemic barriers around them. They do this through providing experiential learning opportunities, engaging Scholars in new experiences, and ensuring Scholars and their families have the necessary information to navigate the educational system. For more information, please visit www.vmydf.com