MOBILE LEARNING LAB

Many of us take the internet for granted - for some, access isn’t an option, whether it is availability, affordability, or the skills to use it. Living a full life and achieving economic mobility requires high-speed broadband in today’s world - a fact made glaringly clear to all during the pandemic. While long-terms solutions are on the way, we know that students today need support to bridge the gap between today’s needs and tomorrow’s solutions. Beginning in 2018, and getting ‘on the road’ in 2020, the DIA in partnership with the Santander Consumer USA Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Cisco, Capital One, Cradlepoint, GTS, REI, Parsec, Netsync, and Presidio, the DIA and our partners at FlyBusFly and Better Block have converted a retired school bus into a large-scale mobile hotspot and classroom, providing after-school enrichment STEAM programming, Wi-Fi, homework help and popup adult community programming. For more info, visit: http://www.dallasinnovationalliance.com/projects/mll

(EM)POWERMENT POP-UPS

(Em)powerment Popups are a new initiative created through a partnership between the CARDboard Project and Dallas Innovation Alliance. Both Dallas based nonprofits focus on bridging the digital divide through the ‘three legs of the stool’ - access, affordability and training - to make a more connected community through outreach to areas that have unreliable access to the internet and need support to access critical services including vaccine registration, Federal benefits for internet service, and more. Communities can connect to public wifi, access to services at partner events including job fairs and readiness, laptops to use, among others. Popups can also provide staff that can help communities understand and register for federal benefits like the Emergency Broadband Benefit program. To learn more about (Em)powerment Popups, where our next events will take place, and how to bring a popup to your community, please contact Sofia at sofia@dallasinnovationalliance.com or call/text us at 817-714-5302.

ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

INTERNET FOR ALL COALITION

Internet for All is a collaborative effort of 40+ leaders across the Dallas area, including those from our local school districts, Dallas College, the City of Dallas, the City of Grand Prairie, Region 10, faith-based organizations, Dallas County, and local funders and organizations. Co-led by Jack Kelanic, Dallas Independent School District’s chief technology officer, and Dottie Smith, president of The Commit Partnership, this group of volunteers has joined forces to solve the internet connectivity challenge. For more, visit: www.internetfordallas.org