~ The City of Bloomington's Information & Technology Services (ITS) Department has recently announced the recipients of their annual Digital Opportunity Grants. A total of $55,000 has been awarded to 14 nonprofit organizations based in Bloomington, all working towards increasing residents' access to digital resources.

This grant program, now in its sixth year, was initially created as part of an initiative to help the city recover from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and bridge the digital divide. The grants are funded through the ITS Department's annual budget.

Mayor Kerry Thomson expressed her support for this initiative, stating that investing in digital access is crucial for a community's overall quality of life in today's digital age. She also commended the partnerships formed through this program and the value it brings to Bloomington's residents.

The 14 organizations chosen as recipients for this year's Digital Opportunity Grants are diverse in their focus and goals. They include American Legion Auxiliary with their Teach 4 Vets project, Area 10 Agency on Aging with their Creating Digital Literacy Opportunities for Monroe & Owen County Seniors program, and BinaryHeart Inc.'s BinaryHeart at IU Digital Opportunity Expansion project.

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Other recipients include Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington with their Bee Safe Online 2025-2026 initiative, Courage to Change Sober Living with their Wi-Fi Access Sober Living Residences project, and El Centro Comunal Latino/La Central Latina with their Website development for El Centro Comunal Latino.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington received funding for their Digital Opportunity Empowerment project, while Monroe County Community School Corporation will use their grant for Expanding Internet Access for Monroe County Low Income Students. The Monroe County Public Library will enhance their Circulating iPad Collection with their grant money, while My Sisters Closet of Monroe County will provide Digital Access and Education to Women Living in Poverty Who are Job Seekers.

Other recipients include New Leaf, New Life with their Enhancing Digital Access & Security project, Pantry 279 with their Client Technology Help Desk, Pathways with their Maintaining Digital Resource Accessibility and Digital Needs Funding project, and Sojourn House with their Digital Independence Outreach program.

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According to Asia Abang, the Digital Opportunity Specialist for the City of Bloomington, this is the sixth year that the city has invested in Digital Opportunity initiatives. She expressed her excitement for the large number of applications received this year - a total of 19 - requesting a combined amount of nearly $160,000. Abang also looks forward to seeing how these dedicated nonprofits will work towards closing the digital divide in Bloomington in the coming year.

The Digital Opportunity Grants program sought proposals from nonprofits that aimed to bridge the digital divide in various ways. This includes facilitating access to affordable broadband services, increasing access to computing devices for effective internet use, cultivating digital skills and knowledge, and addressing community digital access gaps identified in the City's Digital Opportunity Strategic Plan.

With these grants, the City of Bloomington hopes to continue its efforts towards bridging the digital divide and providing equal opportunities for all residents to access digital resources. The impact of these projects will be closely monitored and evaluated in the future.

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