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American democracy is fracturing. Libraries say they know how to help

Jenny Anderson

October 05, 2018 |

Quartz |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Public libraries have remained one of the last public non-commercial spaces where people from all walks of life can coexist and learn. New York Public Library in particular is working to improve and expand their services to match the recent dramatic rise in engagement in things like ESL classes. The library is spending $700 million to, among other things, open 2 new branches in prison to reach more than 20,000 prisoners, offer 10,000 free WIFI devices, and to refurbish the physical space to add a floor dedicated to workforce development and skills training.

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IPads for the elderly — the London loan scheme fighting digital exclusion

Siobhan McKenna

September 21, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: England, London

In London, the residents who have never accessed the internet are disproportionately disabled, elderly, or otherwise marginalized but a new approach by the Mayor's office, supported by results from pilot programs in the city, is looking to change that. Allowing people to rent tablets, and training people to use them and the internet, along with a deliberate effort to convince users of the utility of the digital world, has been shown to be an effective way to reduce isolation and boost quality of life.

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Teens Teach Seniors How To Use Tech While Learning Valuable Job Skills

Sarah Gustavus Lim

September 14, 2018 |

KNME-PBS |

Broadcast TV Programs |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A new program connects tech savvy teens with seniors to help them learn how to use their phones, computers, and other devices. Seniors are provided with patient, knowledgeable support while teens learn job skills and earn money.

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This startup is trying to beam cheap internet into low-income communities

Eillie Anzilotti

September 07, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Starry is a Boston-based internet provider that uses a “hub-and-spoke” model to beam 5G internet into receptors in people’s homes to decrease the cost of internet. Beyond this creative use of technology, the company is also providing its less costly internet services to affordable housing developments in Boston and around the country. By working with Related Companies, a developer that owns over 45,000 affordable housing units, Starry is helping close the digital divide.

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Big Tech's Newest Experiment in Criminal-Justice Reform

Alexis C. Madrigal

August 29, 2018 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Building on the Last Mile program that teaches inmates to code in some California prisons, Slack launched an apprenticeship program for the formerly incarcerated. It's a small initiative compared to the vast need, but organizers hope other companies will join the effort. While Last Mile graduates have stayed out of prison, it's been challenging for them to find actual coding jobs and critics say the effort does not addresses systemic issues around incarceration.

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Wireless in Gaza: the whizz-kids making code not war

Oliver Holmes Hazem Balousha

July 05, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Palestine, Gaza City

A coding academy in Gaza in the Occupied Territories trains young people computer skills and how to think like entrepreneurs, in a quest to offer alternative futures beyond endless conflict. With support from international funders and nonprofits, the academy is on its fourth cohort and graduates are receiving business from international clients. It's a way to develop paying jobs and industry in a place where it's very difficult to do business as usual.

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Meet the New Mexico towns where less connectivity is more

Heath Haussaman

April 10, 2018 |

NMPolitics.net |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kingston, New Mexico

Without much support from local governments, unincorporated towns turn to personal connections to sustain themselves. In the towns of Kingston and Hillsboro, in southern New Mexico, residents cherish their social networks—community boards and face-to-face interactions. Residents push back against suggestions to increase cellphone and internet service, choosing, instead, to embrace their niche culture.

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Building an open, digital democracy in Taiwan

Nithin Coca

April 10, 2018 |

Equal Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Taiwan

In Taiwan, more than 4,500 citizens helped design regulations on ride-hailing and taxi companies by sharing feedback on digital platforms. The online tools can support democratic policymaking but face some accessibility barriers. They are part of a wider initiative by President Tsai Ing-wen to increase governmental transparency and civic engagement.

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Tribes lead the way for faster internet access in New Mexico

Leah Todd Lin

April 06, 2018 |

High Country News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Across the United States, tribal lands have the lowest access to internet, an issue that restricts opportunity and education in those areas. In New Mexico, several small tribes have partnered to lay fiber-optic cables that connect the libraries, which serve as primary sources of internet connection, to faster, cheaper internet.

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How a rural electric co-op connected a community

Leah Todd Lin

April 06, 2018 |

KUNM |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Mexico

The Federal Communications Commission states that close to 39% of Americans in rural areas do not have high-speed internet access. Several co-ops in New Mexico are part of a move to change that. Kit Carson and other rural electric cooperatives are bringing fiber-optic internet access to increase the number of people with consistent and quality Internet access, which helps their businesses and their communities.

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