Digital Equity Commitments Campaign

These services are accessible across all 30 NCW Libraries branches, serving the communities within Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, and Okanogan Counties. Broadband Access Expansion: We will continue to actively collaborate with community organizations to broaden broadband access in underserved areas across our five-county region. This includes advocating for building out infrastructure and funding. Public Access: Our dedication is to the provision of access to essential services such as computer use, printing (available in both color and black/white), faxing, copying, scanning, and Wi-Fi connectivity. These services are offered at no cost, and access does not require a library card. Furthermore, we support printing directly from mobile devices. As part of our ongoing effort to enhance user experience, we are committed to upgrading our technological infrastructure and transitioning our platform to Microsoft. Digital Literacy Programs: Ensure that all our librarians are well-versed and capable of providing digital literacy training/assistance to customers. We will commit to growing our training resources for our frontline staff to strengthen their skills as digital navigators. Device Lending Libraries: Recognizing that access to devices is essential for digital participation, we will continue to offer and evaluate our device lending library. Online Resources and Services: We are continuously expanding our collection of digital resources and services to meet the diverse needs of our patrons. Part of this goal is to get the word out through our partners and other channels. Community Partnerships: We will continue to look for ways to expand local partnerships with organizations that can help us bride gaps in resources, staff time, and expertise in order to increase our impact.

Our pledge includes providing high-speed internet access in all school spaces, personal Chromebooks for every student, and comprehensive digital literacy training for both students and staff. Additionally, students have access to a K-12 computer science pathway that leads to a family-staining salary as a data center tech.

Economic Alliance of Okanogan County recognizes the critical importance of digital equity in fostering economic growth, social development, and job creation. As an organization, we pledge to take deliberate actions to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal access to technology for all residents, regardless of their background, income, or location. We will do this by following these 5 strategies: 1. Infrastructure Advocacy, we will continue to facilitate the Okanogan County Broadband Action Team and support our infrastructure providers and utilities. 2. Digital Literacy Program Development and offering digital literacy training programs, training staff in providing direct digital literacy skills to our community members and sharing digital literacy programs and services offered in the region. 3. Affordable Access: Advocate for affordable internet plans and devices. Continue partnering with NCW Tech Alliance to provide free laptops to small entrepreneurs in need of technology. Continue to support programs like BEAD and WA DOC that provide funding for digital inclusive efforts. 4. Community Engagement: We pledge to engage community members understand their specific needs related to digital access and collaborate with the BAT, local businesses, non profits, and government agencies will be central to our approach. 5. Policy Advocacy: We will actively advocate for policies that promote digital equity at the local, state and federal level.

Confluence Health is making a commitment to digital equity by improving and expanding not only our digital tools and resources available to patients, but doing this with outreach and intentionality to be more inclusive, accommodating, and equitable for each member of our community. We strive to meet people where they are to ensure that all are able to get the healthcare services they need in a way comfortable and accessible to them. More than 200,000 residents will be impacted by this commitment. Some specific areas of focus: - Engagement and activation with our digital patient portal - Enhancement of online scheduling options for all patients - Digital transformation efforts around access, financial engagement, clinical care, and how we support patient utilization of digital tools - Community outreach to improve digital health literacy

Anyone can be a digital Navigator! NCW Tech Alliance will host live in-person and virtual trainings to improve knowledge and support at the front lines of our community service organizations and train 200 Digital Navigators across North Central Washington in 2024.

We commit to provide technology tutoring and support for all senior center members, including: one-on-one tutoring to help with technology questions; group iPhone and Android smartphone classes; and group seminars on internet security topics. We also commit to work with local organizations to create and host application-specific training seminars that are no cost and open to the public. Our goal is to make the senior center a hub for digital equity training in the Wenatchee Valley.

Unidos Nueva Alianza's commitment to Digital Equity is to provide mobile technology centers where it increases accessibility to digital resources and training for residents who may face barriers accessing traditional brick-and-mortar facilities in rural and marginalized communities. Mobile technology vans and pop-up centers will offer tailored support to meet the specific needs of underserved communities. We can provide language-specific training, culturally relevant resources, and customized workshops to address the unique challenges faced by residents.

We commit to providing digital equity by assisting our clients and community in being equipped with digital resources through training and education opportunities that ensure equitable access for all. Our organization recognizes the critical importance of ensuring that all individuals and businesses in North Central Washington have access to digital equity resources. SkillSource offers ongoing training and learning opportunities that will help individuals build new careers and help businesses develop strong teams.

Highlands Community Support Coalition's first commitment to the Digital Equity program/initiative will be the August 2nd and 3rd at the Family Festival at Deep Bay Park, in Oroville, Washington. Our non-profit will have a booth at this two-day event, and we will be presenting displaying and answering questions in support of the Digital Equity Program/Digital Navigators Guide, and NCW Tech "help" initiative. We are developing more opportunities for community engagement at our June 2024 meeting.

CAFE remains deeply committed to advancing digital equity, particularly within underrepresented communities. Our organization recognizes the critical importance of ensuring that all individuals have access to the resources and skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world. To this end, we are steadfast in our dedication to providing robust digital literacy support to our Spanish-speaking community members. Understanding the significance of cultural context, we tailor our efforts to meet the unique needs and preferences of this demographic. Through language-specific programs and culturally relevant materials, we aim to empower individuals to navigate digital technologies confidently. Moreover, our commitment extends beyond mere access to digital tools; we prioritize fostering digital fluency among entrepreneurs and older generations within the Spanish-speaking community. By offering specialized training and resources tailored to their specific needs and skill levels, we empower individuals to harness the full potential of technology to drive personal and professional growth. In essence, CAFE's commitment to digital equity in 2024 encompasses not only bridging the digital divide but also ensuring that every member of our Spanish-speaking community has the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the digital age, regardless of age or background. Through targeted initiatives and culturally sensitive approaches, we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape for all.

We will lead the efforts to create culturally competent digital equity ecosystems capable of meeting community needs regardless of place or situation.

Family Health Centers adds to its core mission of improving access to care by making a commitment to digital equity among disadvantaged members of all the communities we serve. Our intent is to create a ripple effect by ensuring more people have the tools and skills to navigate and access online resources that can contribute to their quality of life with a multi-generational impact. Specifically, FHC will provide dedicated space, devices, and trained staff within FHC facilities to assist in navigation of online health and social services.

To help remove barriers to families enrolled in the program that need access to computers and internet by providing when possible connectivity through wifi and computer use when available.

We want to express our commitment to providing digital equity by assisting our clients and community in being equipped with digital resources, tools, and technologies that ensure equitable access for all. We will provide education and assistance to our clients by helping them download the carrier app — and changing it to their language, so that they have access to their insurance product at all times. We also will commit to enhancing our website to make it more accessible to our large Spanish speaking community and to those with individuals with disabilities. Our organization is also committed to partnering with software organizations and vendors that provide equitable solutions for our clients and community.

As a traveling notary business, All Valley Notary is committed to enhancing digital equity in 2024. All Valley Notary commits to ensuring that during every signing, our staff will encourage people to become Digital Navigators. We will continue to teach people how to use their phones for tasks such as scanning and signing important documents using preinstalled apps, empowering them to see their devices as powerful tools and not just phones for calling. By staying informed on the latest technological advancements and sharing this knowledge, we aim to bridge the digital divide, empower our community, and ensure everyone has equitable access to digital resources. We will offer free digital literacy workshops to educate community members on using digital tools for notary services and other essential tasks.

In 2024, Quincy Financial Services is dedicated to promoting digital equity and financial inclusion within our community. We will offer free workshops on digital literacy and financial planning, provide essential technology to underserved areas, and support local small businesses with customized financial solutions. We also pledge to mentor youth on digital skills, host community events at our office, and distribute Digital Navigator guides to help residents make the most of technology. Our commitment aims to ensure "Opportunities Unlimited" for all, fostering a more inclusive and prosperous future.

Little Star strives to ensure that all of the families attending our school and all of the teachers and staff members working at our school have equitable access to the technology needed to maximize the services we provide to the community. We will accomplish this by: 1. Dedicating administrative time on a weekly basis to support teachers that need assistance using technology to prepare classroom materials and communicating with families. 2. Dedicating administrative time on a weekly basis to support families that need assistance using technology to register or apply for financial aid at Little Star, complete required digital forms, and communicate with our teachers. 3. Partnering with Room One (a local social services organization) to provide additional assistance to families that need assistance with navigating technology (applying for state-funded childcare subsidies, accessing subsidized health insurance, etc). 4. Purchasing 3 new computers for families and teachers to use in the event they don’t have access to their own technology.

The Boys and Girls Club is committed to enhancing digital equity in our community for 2024. Building on our experience in teaching basic computer skills, we plan to reintroduce and expand these educational programs to empower more young people with essential digital literacy. We run several programs aimed at technology and digital literacy and have plans to continue doing so. We plan to do STEM projects, DIY Stem, a Boys & Girls Club of America program. We also fun Computer Science Pathway, a BGCA program with Chromebooks. Additionally, we are dedicated to distributing Digital Navigator guides to ensure that our community members have access to crucial resources and support. To further this initiative, we will be suggesting training for a few of our staff members to become Digital Navigators, enabling us to provide more comprehensive and personalized assistance to those in need. Through these efforts, we aim to bridge the digital divide and foster greater inclusion and opportunity for all members of our community.

In Cascade School District, we prepare students for the future with a system of high-quality education that makes learning relevant and useful, delivered by caring professionals in a technology-rich environment. We provide iPads in grades K-2, laptops in grades 3-12, and learning management systems K-12 to allow students and teachers to create, communicate, and express student learning digitally. In addition, we advocate for the expansion of internet access across rural geographic regions.

Quincy Partnership for Youth (QPFY) is committed to enhancing digital equity and inclusion for the youth in our community. We will train our youth volunteers to become digital navigators, empowering them to host tech help days and pop-up events to assist peers and community members with digital literacy. Additionally, we will distribute NCW Tech Alliance's Digital Navigator Guides at our events and through our community networks. Our goal is to promote positive digital engagement and provide essential resources that support our youth and their families in navigating the digital world. By making these commitments, QPFY aims to contribute significantly to creating a digitally inclusive community in Quincy and beyond.