We can keep up the momentum to close Camden’s digital divide. This is how | Opinion
When our schools re-opened this academic year, parents, teachers, administrators and students alike breathed a huge sigh of relief for the return to normalcy. It has never been more gratifying to see our community smile, learn and play — together.
However, there is one thing I do not want to see return to the pre-pandemic norm: the concept that high-speed home broadband connectivity is not critical.
When the pandemic struck, it quickly became clear that connectivity at home was more than just a “nice to have” — it is essential to empower future generations with the tools they need to thrive and participate in the global digital economy. Only with reliable, high-speed home broadband can our students and their families learn, work and access important services like health care, financial aid, career training, job applications and more.
And while the worst of the pandemic and full time “remote learning” may be behind us, the need for high-speed home broadband is still with us — as many innovations like “zoom job interviews,” long-distance medical visits and online access to grades and assignments are here for good.
Thanks to support from generous community partners, Camden was able to provide laptops and hotspots to our students during the pandemic. And programs like Comcast’s Internet Essentials offered a solution to get many families online quickly and affordably so they could complete their schoolwork and handle other necessities throughout school closures and beyond.
This unprecedented level of collaboration pushed our community forward — and now that we adjusted to a post-pandemic world, we cannot allow ourselves to lose that momentum when it comes to home connectivity.
While access to computers and the Internet at school and work is critical, it’s not a substitute for connectivity at home. Students still need quality broadband at home to complete homework assignments and explore their interests on their own schedule. Indeed, to truly bridge the digital divide, our youth need the whole package: a connected device, digital skills, and a reliable and fast home broadband connection.
Thankfully, we still have help to ensure families can stay connected and those who still need access can cross the digital divide with an in-home broadband connection. Cost has been solved for by the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides eligible households with up to $30 per month toward Internet and/or mobile service with any participating Internet provider.
This is an incredible resource, and communities need to work together to ensure families in need are not leaving this subsidy, or other digital resources, on the table — and Camden is doing the work to make that happen. For those who need assistance accessing devices or improving digital literacy skills, programs are available through the Camden County library system. Additionally, many nonprofit organizations, such as the Center for Family Services, can assist those who would like help applying for the Affordable Connectivity Program and Internet Essentials.
Similarly, the Camden School District is proud to do our part to raise awareness about the ACP to ensure everyone can get online and stay connected. We’ve kicked off the new year by working with community partners and local broadband providers like Comcast to reach out to families with all the details they need to access the ACP and use it to bring down their home Internet bill. In fact, when eligible households apply the $30 ACP credit to a low-cost program like Internet Essentials, home Internet is effectively free.
Let’s continue working together to ensure our children’s futures are as unlimited and full of possibilities as the Internet itself.
Katrina T. McCombs is superintendent of the Camden School District.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: We can keep up the momentum to close Camden’s digital divide
