Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion
The Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion, formerly the Sacramento Coalition for Digital Inclusion, started as part of community discussions following the release of a Brookings Institute report on the Sacramento region in the fall of 2018. With the goal of creating a prosperous Sacramento region, the discussion of digital equity was one of the most-spoken components, and in January 2019, during the Sacramento Digital Inclusion Summit hosted by the Sacramento Public Library, the Coalition was created.
The founding Steering Committee includes the City of Sacramento, Sacramento Public Library, Los Rios Community College District, California State University at Sacramento, Capital Region Workforce Boards, Clear Strategies LLC, and Valley Vision.
In its first stages, the Coalition conducted an assessment of needs with community input, built collaborative relationships across industries, and published an initial report which determined digital access to be achieved through affordable Internet and devices, along with digital literacy/skills.
The start of COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the digital inclusion gap, and pushed the Coalition further towards efforts to bridge the digital divide. To support the Coalition’s efforts, Valley Vision has been successful in securing funding to continue and expand this valuable work through the Capital Region Workforce Boards, SMUD, Union Bank, and community partners and stakeholders.
Following the Coalition’s expansion from Sacramento County into the Capital Region Workforce Board 9 county region of Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba County, Valley Vision partnered with mohuman, a non-profit connecting low-income communities with digital resources, to create the Capital Region Digital Inclusion Portal. The centralized platform was developed with the goal to be a source for community members and organizations to find and upload resources for computing devices, internet connectivity, and digital skill building – including free and low cost computers, internet services, foundational and career-specific digital skill building tools and training, and more.
As part of its current efforts, the Coalition is conducting direct community outreach to support access to digital inclusion resources, such as enrollment guidance for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program which provides a $30 monthly discount on internet service to households. Upcoming ACP events can be seen HERE.
