Digital connections: Nonprofit works to bring high-speed internet to all Americans

Online For All brings together more than 300 local and national organizations with Civic Nation and the U.S. Department of Education to focus on internet access.

The digital equity campaign seeks to work to close the digital divide that some students and families experience in their homes when it comes to affordable high-speed internet.

The campaign’s focus is internet access, affordability and equity for all Americans. The campaign’s Week of Action sought to drive enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

According to Civic Nation, a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America, an estimated 28 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed internet, and two-thirds are offline because they need help affording an available internet connection.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the Affordable Connectivity Program, which significantly lowers the cost of internet, and makes millions more eligible households could benefit.

“In our ever-expanding global community, access to the internet can no longer be viewed as a luxury; it is a necessity for every student and family in our country,” Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “No student should have to travel to a library, coffee shop or parking lot to get connected to the internet to do their homework or complete their college applications, and yet that is still the reality for too many students. It is vital that our students and their families have access to quality, reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to stay connected and engaged with their schools and each other. The ‘Online for All’ campaign will help meet that need for so many. On behalf of Secretary Cardona, we are proud to be a part of this dynamic initiative that will not only raise the bar in education, but change the way we look at access to information for all students, no matter their age, race, economic status or address.” 

The Week of Action features hundreds of events, including:

• Boston, Massachusetts-based Link Health is leading the Healthcare Day of Action, with an event featuring a Veterans Affairs National Social Work Program Special Projects Coordinator at the South End Community Health Center in Boston.
• The AARP is hosting a tele-town hall with Senior Advisor to the President and White House Director of Public Engagement Steve Benjamin to educate older Americans all across the country about the opportunity to participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program. The live, audio-only program is available via dial-in at (855) 274-9507 and streaming
• The Department of Education will notify more than 5 million Pell Grant recipients of their eligibility for the program, and that they can enroll without eligibility documentation. Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten will send a message about the Affordable Connectivity Program to 84,000 school principals, vice principals and tech coordinators across the country.

“Through Online For All, Civic Nation is bringing together more than 300 local and national organizations across the country to ensure the 17 million households that are unconnected but are eligible for the ACP have access to high-speed internet — because online is for all of us,” Jalakoi Solomon, Executive Vice President of Campaigns and Partnerships at Civic Nation, said. “Civic Nation is committed to ensuring everyone can get connected so more young people can access critical learning opportunities, more seniors can access healthcare faster and easier, and more Americans can find higher paying jobs and opportunities to work from home.”