“It’s surprising the number of people that have only used a smartphone, but have never used a computer,” Jill Beets said.
Jill Beets is vice president of marketing and communications for Albuquerque-based Adelante Development Center, whose DiverseIT program received $340,750 in state funding Tuesday to expand computer access and digital literacy training across New Mexico.
Technically a smart phone IS a computer, albeit a tiny one with a very small screen. But we know what Jill Beets is talking about…. although should it really be “surprising” news to those who are charged with ameliorating the Digital Divide? Surprising to whom? Hopefully not NM state officials and office holders.
Below is a short article about how NM spent $340K additional on buying computers and providing digital skill training.
Note: this program while laudable, is dramatically insufficient for moving the Digital Divide population up over the line into appropriate and affordable access.
What if part of the potentially $25 Billion settlement from Meta were applied to Digital Divide in NM? How far would that go to minimizing the Digital Divide in this gigantic and ESL and hard to connect rural area state… like NM?
Not to be too snarky about a useful program as noted below, but presumably $25 B would go a lot farther than the $340K funding and even the 9 year program to date.
One also might worry that the $25 Billion would “disappear” into Educational Stasis with more employees, better benefits, and better salaries. The history of how NM has used the OIL Royalties Windfall the last 6 years or so, does not instill confidence that more Funds will drive more Innovation and necessary Change.
DiverseIT has distributed more than 5,000 computers since its founding nine years ago, giving away between 600 and 700 machines in recent years,….primarily to people with disabilities.
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