Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition

COVID-19 and the Digital Divide in Baltimore City

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges caused by the digital divide in Baltimore. According to the 2018 American Community Survey, 96,000 households in Baltimore (40.7%) did not have broadband internet service, and one in three households did not have either a desktop or laptop computer.

As COVID-19 forced closures of schools, businesses, libraries, and community centers, access to public computers shut down for thousands of residents in Baltimore, widening the digital divide. Because of the pandemic, close to 60,000 households in the city remain disconnected from everyday needs, including education, mental health and healthcare services, employment opportunities, skills development, and social connections.

Birth of the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC)

In response to these challenges, in early 2020, Libraries Without Borders US cofounded the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC). Over 80 local organizations and foundations, including PCs for People, Baltimore City Public Schools, Byte Back, and the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, participate in the coalition, working together to close the digital divide in Baltimore and to connect community members to critical online resources. The goal of this coalition is to support a coordinated, rapid response to digital access during COVID-19, while also addressing the long-term digital needs of Baltimore’s residents.

The Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition consists of four teams with distinct goals:

Advocacy, Marketing & Development mobilizes new sponsors to invest in digital equity in Baltimore.
Broadband and Internet connectivity widens and democratizes the IT infrastructure in Baltimore.
Access to Devices ensures that Baltimore residents have the digital tools they need to learn.
Digital Education expands digital literacy, tech career readiness, and accessible tech support in the city.

Success of the Coalition

Since March of 2020, the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition has:

Successfully advocated for a $3 million ordinance on digital equity passed by the Baltimore City Council and Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young’s office. This ordinance allows schools to deploy resources from the special Baltimore Children and Youth Fund to purchase devices and expand connectivity for students. The bill puts the digital divide alongside boxed meals as a pressing need of the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund.
Created a tech support hotline to support virtual work and learning by adult Baltimore residents participating in workforce training and skills programming.
Organized a community-wide effort to collect, refurbish, and distribute thousands of computers to students and families in Baltimore in need of connectivity.

Contact

To get involved, please fill out this form: http://bit.ly/GetInvolvedBDEC

For questions and more information, please contact LWB US Executive Director Adam Echelman at adam@librarieswithoutborders.us.