Bridging the Digital Divide

Committee: Community Resources

Cost: $95,000

Location: Community Learning Center, Cambridge Public Library

Short Description:

To help address digital equity, purchase 100 Chromebooks and 75 mobile hotspots (with a 2-year subscription) for the Community Learning Center and Public Library to better serve their adult learners and borrowers.

Long Description:

The Cambridge Community Learning Center (CLC) and Cambridge Public Library (CPL) have worked tirelessly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to better serve their adult learners and borrowers respectively. Providing the proper technology to those who don’t have it in their homes has been essential during this period and will remain important after the pandemic, as more and more services will move online. CLC and CPL are adapting to this new reality.

1) CLC:

Providing laptops (Chromebooks) and internet access (mobile hotspots) to underserved adults in Cambridge is a dire need now more than ever! Many of the current students only have a smartphone to access their classes. Access to technology will remain critical beyond the pandemic as the CLC plans to expand its offering of online classes. The CLC would like to purchase 100 Chromebooks and 50 mobile hotspots (with a 2-year subscription) to support its adult learners.

2) CPL:

The CPL seeks to expand its Take Out Technology program by acquiring an additional 25 mobile hotspots (with a 2-year subscription) to benefit its borrowers who do not have a proper internet connection at home. The Take Out Technology program was launched during the pandemic and has been extremely successful. Increasing the number of hotspots available would benefit more residents.