Inspiredu is a Georgia-based nonprofit committed to closing the digital divide with a special focus on helping underserved learners of all ages develop the digital skills needed to thrive in today’s world. Inspiredu understands the importance of digital inclusion and literacy for families, communities and schools, especially as it relates to education preparedness and career success. The organization provides the opportunities and tools Georgians need to bridge the digital divide, including digital skills training, device distribution and follow-up resources.

Expanding access to community services for low-to-moderate income individuals is at the heart of what Inspiredu does. Providing basic digital literacy skills — and a laptop that is owned by the family — opens so many doors for Inspiredu learners. Most aspects of daily life are dependent upon knowing how to navigate information online, and Inspiredu provides that connection for learners in Georgia through their Learning Spark Initiative. Learners have shared that after attending a workshop, they feel possibilities open up — for education (enrolling in online courses, keeping up with their children’s schoolwork and completing assignments at home), for employment (enrolling in work readiness programs, navigating LinkedIn and job applications and using email professionally) and daily life (pursuing hobbies, learning new skills and using online resources like banking or telehealth).

Inspiredu’s Learning Spark Initiative is their approach to eliminating digital barriers through Family Learning workshops, Adult Digital Literacy workshops and Bridge to Technology workshops. The Family Learning workshops are designed for families attending with at least one pre-K-12th grade student and an adult. The Adult Digital Literacy workshops are designed for participants aged 18 years or older. In both populations, participants learn technical skills like operating computers and accessing the internet, receive a free refurbished laptop, have follow-up access to Inspiredu’s free technology help desk and open lab hours, and they are invited to attend additional digital skills workshops (presented both in-person and virtually) as part of the Bridge to Technology program. Providing a device, the training to use it and additional resources and training opportunities opens doors for Georgia learners, enabling them to become more engaged with their children’s education, pursue their own education or career improvement and learn to use technology for opportunities like increasing their financial wellness, utilizing telehealth, completing certifications or learning how to protect themselves from scams.

“Educating, providing digital access and inclusion and investing in Georgia’s families, students, underserved communities and 21^st-century learners is what drives Inspiredu,” says CEO & President Richard Hicks. “Providing Georgia learners with the skills, tools and resources they need to become increasingly digitally literate is essential for preparing them for school and career readiness and, ultimately, bridging the digital divide. Innovative technology like low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband is an additional component that can help provide the reliable connection Georgians need to succeed.”

This is what makes Inspiredu a well-suited partner for the Connect Everyone Coalition (CEC). Inspiredu is driven by the goal of connecting underserved communities with the skills, tools and resources they need to thrive in the 21^st century. The CEC shares this goal. By adopting LEO satellite broadband technology, more people can become more connected.

“Inspiredu demonstrates the meaningful impact of bridging the digital divide in order to connect underserved communities, parents, their school-age children and those in need of digital literacy and inclusion. It is encouraging to see Inspiredu champion the success of Georgia’s children, students, parents and communities by investing in the technological tools and skills they need to be educationally and professionally prepared in the digital age,” says CEC Executive Director Richard Cullen. “By supporting the deployment of reliable and accessible internet connectivity and the development of digital skills, tools like LEO satellite broadband are changing the way people can live, work, communicate and thrive.”

DID YOU KNOW?

When school is out, parents and teachers of young children are often concerned about the possibility of learning loss that may occur over the summer months, also known as the summer slide. Younger children are more prone to this learning loss because they are in a crucial stage of development. The summer slide is also more likely to disproportionately affect children from low-income families.

To protect all the accomplishments, knowledge and skills gained over the previous school year, it is important to ensure students have access to the resources they need to continue learning. This includes online access to the tools they need to build literacy, practice skills and gain information, including education training programs and the devices needed to facilitate them.

For students facing the digital divide, whether they are home from school without a laptop, reliable internet connectivity or the skills they need to navigate educational programs, the lack of connectivity threatens to increase learning loss. Not all children have access to online resources, or the tools and devices that provide such online resources, to practice online educational skills and programs that their schools may use or recommend. Access to LEO broadband technology, digital skills and literacy programs help supplement summer learning loss and bridge the digital divide.