CCBC and Comcast launch program to drive internet adoption
Aug 01, 2023
CCBC and Comcast announced the launch of an innovative Digital Navigator program that will utilize trained students to get more Baltimore-area residents – including CCBC students – connected to the Internet at home, while also teaching digital literacy skills and how to use devices. The program is supported by a $150,000 grant from Comcast that will be used to hire and train nearly a dozen CCBC students.The CCBC Digital Navigators will focus on addressing barriers households face to getting online – namely affordability, access to devices, and digital skills. Digital Navigators are trained to educate residents – including the thousands of CCBC students returning to campus this fall in need of high-speed Internet for schoolwork and job searches – about resources available to overcome these obstacles.
In addition, Comcast is offering exclusive internet deals and spreading the word about eligibility for the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides qualifying individuals with a $30/month benefit toward their Internet bill. Thanks to ACP, eligible Comcast customers can get home Internet either through Comcast’s Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus at no cost once the Federal credit is applied.
“We thank Comcast for their continued investment in our community and their commitment to driving innovative approaches to bridging the digital divide,” said CCBC President Sandra L. Kurtinitis. “A major impact of this partnership will be assuring that CCBC students are connected at home as well as on campus. Internet affordability should not be a barrier to academic and career-long success.”
Check out the President’s Blog for more details about the Digital Navigator program and Baltimore County’s efforts to help narrow the digital divide with the distribution of 3,000 laptops to CCBC students.
