What is the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program? On May 12, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program to help families pay for broadband internet access for their education and work-from-home needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families don’t even know this program exists. So Great School Voices has joined…
Great School Voices
A Digital Inclusion Expert Shares How Those in Education Can Get Internet Into Families’ Hands
In the fourth episode of “Access Denied” host Dirk Tillotson has on Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to chat about how education folks can build on digital inclusion advocates’s work to solve the digital divide, together. Have you been following “Access Denied” so far? It’s the story of how 15…
As Schools Reopen, 16.9 Million Children Still Lack Internet Access, With Students of Color Hit the Hardest
We’ve been sounding the alarm about how dire students’ internet access problems are in this country throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we wish we had better news to share with you today on that front. Unfortunately, according to a new report, fully 16.9 million children in the U.S. lack proper internet access to get online…
Access Denied Ep. 3: Racism, Redlining and the Digital Divide in Oakland
When 15 million students in this country can’t even get online to access their distance learning materials, something needs to change. Welcome to “Access Denied,” where host Dirk Tillotson covers the movement to provide internet access to all students regardless of family income. In episode 3, Dirk welcomed Oakland school board member Jumoke Hinton Hodge…
Access Denied Ep. 2: How Chicago Is Conquering the Digital Divide & What We Can Learn (ft. Kids First Chicago)
In Chicago, something’s going on. Something big. Thanks to local efforts to provide free, no-strings-attached internet to low-income families, all Chicago students will be able to stay in school even when they are stuck at home due to the pandemic. On the second episode of “Access Denied,” host Dirk Tillotson speaks with Daniel Anello of…