Reflections on the Maryland Digital Equity Summit
October 29, 2024
The 2024 Maryland Digital Equity Summit was held on October 15th in Baltimore, Maryland, at the National Federation for the Blind. More than 180 people attended the event to share best practices and collaborative strategies for bridging the digital equity divide and building digital skills in the workforce and populace. The summit was hosted by University of Maryland Extension, in conjunction with Marylanders Online and the University of Maryland College of Information Systems. Keynote speakers and panel discussions were the highlight of the summit, as they focused on the importance of digital skills training, the long term sustainability of investments into digital equity, and the important role digital navigators play in bridging the digital divide in communities.
NERCRD Associate Director, Stephen Alessi, attended the event and participated in the “Higher Education Systems Plenary.” The purpose of this panel was to share how on the national, regional and local levels, colleges and universities can leverage their expertise and resources to help connect with underserved communities, track and analyze data, and build the capacity of communities through digital skills training. The importance of this work in rural communities is seen in broadband access and digital skills in the fields of education, economic and community development, agriculture, and healthcare. Panelists shared several examples of impactful university programming, including the Penn State Extension Broadband Map, Marylanders Online Digital Skills training, the University of Idaho Extension Digital Economy Program, and the Connect Eagle program at Coppin State University.
Congratulations to the organizers of this successful event, which provided an excellent platform for sharing and collaboration!