The pandemic and remote learning have revealed the haves and have-nots in access to digital technology.
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Exactly one year ago, COVID-19 turned the internet into a basic human need. Students couldn’t attend school without high-quality internet access at home. Even toddlers were interacting with teachers through a screen. Zoom became ubiquitous. Businesses that never imagined remote work launched exclusively virtual workspaces.
In a matter of months, entire segments of our community moved online — including some of our most important services. Emergency benefit assistance? Online. Reservations for COVID tests and vaccinations? Online. Telemedicine, grocery shopping, weddings and funerals? All online.
Yet while this shift to virtual connection increased accessibility for some, those without internet access were left behind. Can you imagine how hard this past year was for nearly a quarter of families in our community who lack internet access at home?
Miami-Dade County has a significant digital divide. According to US Census data, more than 23 percent of Miami-Dade households remain without an internet wireline or mobile data plan. The shift to virtual learning, work and community resources did not begin when the pandemic started — the circumstances of this year simply poured gasoline on the fire. Virtual learning, in particular, had already been weaving its way into education and career opportunities for the past three decades. Knowing how to use and leverage technology has become increasingly important for those entering the workforce. In fact, one thing has become incredibly clear: Digital disconnection will become a major driver of inequity in our community unless we do something about it.
For better and for worse, the technological genie has been let out of the bottle. When the pandemic fades into memory, the shift toward online solutions across every industry will remain. The future of educational and career opportunities will require digital access and digital fluency. We must begin to treat internet connectivity as a fundamental right, or it will become the greatest barrier to equity in our generation.
It’s time for us to flip the switch and make sure every family in Greater Miami has access to high-quality internet in their homes.
This week, our community is launching Miami Connected — an initiative that will offer internet connectivity, digital literacy and technology pathways for youth and families throughout Miami-Dade. This public-private partnership will bring two years of broadband internet access, digital literacy trainings and opportunities through technology to low-income Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS) students and their families. The effort will begin in Overtown and Homestead, two of the most disconnected areas in the county, and will continue school-by-school in communities where we know the need is highest.
This effort launches at a moment of heightened opportunity in Miami. Throughout the pandemic, Miami has attracted a record number of new tech companies and investors. According to the Beacon Council, tech jobs in Miami grew by 82 percent over the last decade, and that explosive growth is poised to continue. The question is, Will that growth benefit all of Miami? Together, we must ensure that the answer is Yes.
As we launch Miami Connected, we hope you join us in the effort to make Miami the most technologically inclusive community in the nation and to ensure the incredible diversity of Greater Miami is represented in our rapidly growing economy. We will be growing the base of support needed to make this effort succeed, and your involvement will matter.
We have launched with a $5 million leadership gift through a challenge-grant fund from philanthropist Ken Griffin, who is founder and CEO of Citadel investment firm, as well as with support from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami, The Miami Foundation, philanthropist and Achieve Miami founder Leslie Miller Saiontz, eMerge Americas, Code.org and TD Bank facilitated by the Miami Heat. In order to reach every neighborhood in need, we will be looking for partners at every level.
After a year of pronounced inequity, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. As we prepare for the “new normal” in 2021, we are committed to ensuring that the lessons of COVID-19 translate into a stronger, more equitable Greater Miami. There is no bolder step than for us to ensure that every single family, regardless of income, has access to opportunities now and well into the future. Together, we have the power to close the digital divide in Miami. That future starts today.
Miami Connected is co-led by The Miami Foundation and Achieve Miami in partnership with a consortium of philanthropic and civic champions. Visit: miamiconnected.com to get involved.
Rebecca Fishman Lipsey is president and CEO of The Miami Foundation. Sarah Emmons is executive director of Achieve Miami.
