The Suncoast Digital Connect Webinar #2: Building a Digital Equity Ecosystem

Bruce Clark, Digital Inclusion Project Manager, Center for Digital Equity at Queens University, joined Digital Access for All's (DA4A) second Webinar! Over 30 people came to learn how communities can create and sustain a digital equity ecosystem that ensures every resident has access to the tools, skills, and support they need to thrive in today's digital world. 

Presenting the topic "Building a Digital Equity Ecosystem: Lessons from the Center for Digital Equity," Bruce opened by asking a simple question that engaged attendees from the start: When you hear the phrase "digital equity ecosystem," what comes to mind?  Partnerships, Program, People, or something else? 

Why that question? The Center for Digital Equity's vision is to create a collaborative digital equity ecosystem activated across the Carolinas that empowers every community member to access the digital tools, skills, and support they need to thrive. 

This reminded me of one of the aspirations of The Patterson Foundation's DA4A initiative: Strengthening digital access among people of all ages and backgrounds — especially those from asset-limited families — helps ensure that everyone is able to benefit from our increasingly online world. 

When sharing The Center for Digital Equity's seven core values guiding its work —Equity, Inclusivity, Community, Innovation, Integrity, Transparency, and Trust— Bruce asked which ones attendees found most challenging to live out in their work in the digital access space. For the Center for Digital Equity and for many attendees, it was innovation! As Bruce shared, innovation, especially in the digital access space, requires trust, which is built slowly over time. It takes trust to get things to change, and building that trust has been key to creating the ecosystem. 

Through the presentation, Bruce stressed the importance of time, trust, and building a digital equity ecosystem. He even shared this phrase, "Progress moves at the speed of trust, and trust moves at the speed of relationships." Again, this brought to mind the TPF phrase that "Change happens at the speed of trust." This emphasizes the importance of building connective tissue, or relationships, to do the work needed to achieve shared aspirations. 

No single person or program can achieve success in the digital inclusion space, but it takes a collective effort guided by shared goals —or, as we say at TPF, aspirations!  In addition to that partnership, there needs to be data demonstrating progress made, but it can't just be numbers. There needs to be stories of how the work is changing lives. Bruce shared some of The Center for Digital Equity's numbers in terms of impact: 

• Engaed 100+ Partner
• Distributed more than 5,000 devices
• Provided 46,000+ skilling hours
• Provided  3,000 help requests 

But what does this mean at the individual level? People received the devices they need to work remotely. Students receive a device to do their homework after school rather than spending hours at the local library. It means people can learn how to navigate health portals to receive lab results or use a mobile banking app to monitor their finances. 

It's not just a device, or just an opportunity to learn something new! It's about enhancing and creating opportunities for people to participate in modern society!

In case you missed Bruce's session, you can watch the recording below!

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