Haverhill Promise and MakeIt Haverhill are among five nonprofits awarded grants by the Essex County Community Foundation to advance digital equity and bridge, what’s been called, “the digital divide.”
Haverhill Promise will build an online program to prepare students for kindergarten in Haverhill, where only 11% of children attend Pre-K, while MakeIt Haverhill will work to advance adoption of the Affordable Connectivity Program and expand digital equity wraparound services, such as advanced and tailored digital literacy classes in both English and Spanish.
“Our coalition and ecosystem of partners have been working tirelessly to ensure access to computers, internet and literacy reaches everyone that needs it,” said Kate Machet, Essex County Community Foundation’s director of strategic initiatives and government relations. “We need technology to navigate daily life, access critical services and to thrive in school and at work.”
Haverhill Promise’s partners include Community Action, MakeIt Haverhill, Haverhill Public Schools, TEK Collaborative, Haverhill YMCA, the Haverhill Early Learning Leadership Team and the City of Haverhill. MakeIT Haverhill’s partners include UTEC, Tech Goes Home, TEK Collaborative, City of Haverhill, Northern Essex Community College, MassHire Merrimack Valley, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Haverhill Latino Coalition, Comcast, Mass Broadband Institute and Lead for America/American Community Corp.
More than $300,000 was granted to the five nonprofits, each working collaboratively with a host of partners to solve challenges at the intersection of technology and education, workforce development and more.
Other grants went to North Shore Community Development Coalition in Salem, Citizens Inn in Peabody and Healing Abuse Working for Change.