The City of Bloomington announces the 2024 Digital Equity Grants awards to support Bloomington-based nonprofit organization efforts to bridge the digital divide and increase digital resources for residents. Now in its fifth year, this grant program began as part of an initiative to help Bloomington recover from the pandemic and economic collapse, and advance racial, economic, and climate justice. These grants are funded from the Information & Technology Services (ITS) Department's regular annual budget.

"Digital access is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity for participating in education, healthcare, employment, and civic life," says Mayor Kerry Thomson. "By partnering with these incredible local nonprofits, we are creating opportunities for a more inclusive and equitable community, making certain our residents have the tools they need to thrive in our connected world."

In 2024, the Digital Equity Grants program awarded thirteen area nonprofits a total of $50,000. This year's recipients, programs supported, and grant amounts follow:

• Area 10 Agency on Aging – Creating Digital Literacy Opportunities for Monroe & Owen County Seniors – $7,000
  
  
• Bloomington Food Policy Council – City wide Food resource sign up and storage expansion – $870
  
  
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington – Bee Safe Online 2024-2025 – $6,000
  
  
• Courage to Change Sober Living – Courage to Change New House Computer, Printer/scanner/ paper/ ink and Internet Access – $1,300
  
  
• Indiana Recovery Alliance – Digital Equity Connection to Care Program – $2,700
  
  
• Middle Way House, Inc. – YES! Program: Bringing Digital Equity to Youth Empowerment Services – $1,910
  
  
• Mobility Aids Lending Library Inc. – Mobility Aids Lending Library – $6,500
  
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• Monroe County Public Library – Enhancing the Circulating iPad Collection at Monroe County Public Library – $8,800
  
  
• Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM) – Expanding Digital Resource Accessibility and Digital Needs Funding – $3,970
  
  
• New Leaf, New Life – Office Internet & Printer Access – $1,600
  
  
• Stone Belt Arc, Inc. – VR for VR - Virtual Reality for Vocational Rehabilitation – $3,000
  
  
• The Overlook, a project of The Center for Sustainability Living – The Overlook Internet and Training ( ONT ) – $5,100
  
  
• Wheeler Mission--Bloomington – Mobilizing Digital Equity Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness – $1,250
  
  

"This is the fifth year of the City's Digital Equity Grants initiative, and we are grateful for the continuing interest from local organizations in applying for these grants," said Information & Technology Services Director Rick Dietz. "The City's 2020 Digital Equity Strategic Plan identified several areas of Digital Equity challenges, and we greatly appreciate partnering with so many great local organizations to meet these challenges head-on."

The Digital Equity Grants program sought proposals from nonprofits for projects that build capacity in the community to address digital equity challenges in the following ways:

• Facilitate access to broadband services,
  
  
• Increase access to computing devices to effectively use the internet,
  
  
• Cultivate the knowledge, familiarity, and digital skills needed to secure the benefits of the internet and digital technology,
  
  
• Mitigate community digital equity gaps identified in the City's digital equity strategic plan.
  
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BACKGROUND

About Digital Equity

Digital Equity is defined by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) as "a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy."

The City of Bloomington and Hoosier Networks, LLC continue to collaborate on a groundbreaking digital equity program, one of the most innovative broadband public-private collaborations in the country,* to help low-income and digitally-disadvantaged households access top-quality internet services.

Bloomington has been recognized by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance as a 2021 and 2022 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer. Learn more about the City of Bloomington's Digital Equity program at bloomington.in.gov/digital-equity. The City's Digital Equity Strategic Plan is available at bton.in/-NQkR. Learn more about the National Digital Inclusion Alliance at digitalinclusion.org.

City-Wide High-Speed Fiber Internet Project

In addition to bringing Wi-Fi to City parks, the City of Bloomington and Hoosier Fiber Networks continue to collaborate on one of the country's most comprehensive, inclusive, and innovative public-private partnerships to help low-income and digitally disadvantaged households access top-quality internet service.

Eligible low-income residents may qualify to receive at least a symmetrical 250 megabits per second (Mpbs) plan for less than $10/month. The City and Hoosier Fiber Networks will together provide the "drop" connection to qualifying households. Visit https://www.gigabitnow.com/bloomington/fiber-for-all/ for more information.

The City of Bloomington partnered with Meridiam/Hoosier Fiber Networks in 2021 to bring high-speed internet access to all of Bloomington. Learn more about the project at: bloomington.in.gov/news/2023/04/04/5572

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