The Challenge awards a total of $1.5 million to support local workforce programs
and close the digital skills gap
KANSAS
CITY, Mo., June 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Comcast Corporation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM)
announced the winners of the Talent for Tomorrow: Digital
Equity Challenge grant awards program at USCM's
92nd Annual Meeting in Kansas
City. Each city has demonstrated leadership and a commitment
to expand digital training programs to help close the skills
gap.
In the small cities category, Kinston,
NC; Michigan City, IN;
White Plains, NY; and York, PA, will each receive $75,000 grants. In the medium-sized cities
category, Cleveland, OH;
Little Rock, AR; and Richmond, VA, will receive $150,000 grants for their submitted projects. The
cities of Charlotte, NC;
Los Angeles, CA; and Portland, OR, in the large cities category,
will receive $250,000 grants.
"Mayors are investing in economic development that lifts people
up instead of leaving them behind," said U.S. Conference of
Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom
Cochran. "The Talent for Tomorrow Challenge grants will
allow the ten cities to grow these programs and build on their
success. By providing digital access and skills training, we will
be able to build a stronger, more diverse, more equitable and
inclusive workforce across the country. The Conference is grateful
to have a committed partner in Comcast, as we work to create
economic opportunity and communities where Americans can
thrive."
"America's mayors know well that closing the digital divide is
intrinsically connected to the economic competitiveness of our
cities and towns," said Dalila
Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity
Officer of Comcast Corporation & President of the Comcast
NBCUniversal Foundation. "The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital
Equity Challenge will help ensure that more people, especially
those most often left out of the digital economy, can take
advantage of the opportunities that come with acquiring digital
skills. Comcast is proud to deepen our partnership with the U.S.
Conference of Mayors through this new initiative that will build on
our shared commitment to digital equity by expanding workforce and
job training programs for ten winning cities."
The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge
is a joint initiative of the USCM and Comcast's Project UP, and it
supports the launch and expansion of local workforce programs
designed to grow college and career readiness, close the digital
skills gap, advance economic mobility, and lay the foundation for
generational wealth in under-resourced communities. An independent
panel of judges selected by USCM reviewed applications and selected
winners. To learn more about the program, see here.
The following descriptions highlight each program and how the
Talent for Tomorrow grants will be used:
2024 Digital Equity Grant Award Recipients
SMALL CITY WINNERS
- Kinston, NC—Digital Equity
Corps: Administered by Kinston Teens, Inc. and the City of Kinston, the Digital Equity Corps
program focuses on 16 to 24-year-olds from East Kinston, the most economically distressed
census tract in the state of North
Carolina. It also serves those from vulnerable populations
such as older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those with
limited digital literacy. The cornerstone of the Digital Equity
Corps is the creation of a structured curriculum focused on digital
literacy and skills development.
- Michigan City, IN—Michigan
City Digital Revitalization Initiative: The Michigan City Area Schools (MCAS) Digital
Revitalization Initiative is a transformative project aimed at
reinvigorating Michigan City
through coordinated planning and innovative community technology
solutions. A central piece of the initiative is an inclusive
Digital Placemaking platform. Created by MCAS and local partners,
the platform integrates wireless communication technology with
community strategies, enabling seamless connectivity for students,
residents, and businesses.
- White Plains, NY—Project
Digital Jumpstart: Project Digital Jumpstart broadens
Winchester College's Project Jumpstart programming, which aids
disadvantaged high school students in their transition to college
and careers through college-level courses, technology-focused
coursework, and hands-on learning experiences to equip students
with skills necessary for success in the digital workforce. Project
Digital Jumpstart removes identified barriers to participation in
the existing JumpStart program, especially for youth from
historically disadvantaged communities.
- York, PA—Digital Equity for
Justice-Impacted Residents: The City
of York's Digital Equity for Justice-Impacted Residents plan
expands on successful pre-existing digital literacy programming to
focus on enhancing digital skills among justice-involved residents,
and features collaboration between workforce, corrections, reentry
providers, and human service organizations. The Digital Equity for
Justice-Impacted Residents plan utilizes a three-tiered/step
approach, with each tier focused on enhancing the digital skills
and employability of justice-involved participants. Participants
engage in all three tiers to explore career interests and gain
necessary digital skills to succeed.
MEDIUM-SIZED CITY WINNERS
- Cleveland,
OH—REC-N-TEC: The REC-N-TEC initiative aims to uplift residents
by equipping them with vital workplace-related digital skills,
leveraging the computer labs and their dedicated broadband networks
to amplify current programming (e.g., esports, entrepreneurship for
teens, STEAM/STEM), while also providing on-site Augmented Reality
(AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to
enhance and expand the learning and skills training opportunities
for residents, thereby fostering economic growth and enhancing
livelihoods.
- Little Rock, AR—Digital
Skills Growth Program: Technology Advancement for Digital Academic
and Healthcare Careers (TADAH): This program provides
underserved middle school students with core digital career
activities, including health technology, healthcare, small business
entrepreneurship in the digital sector, and enrichment activities
from two specialized tracks: digital health tools and robotics. As
their final projects, the digital health track students design a
digital health app, software, or device tailored to address the
needs of their school or community, and students in the robotics
track build a robot optimized for competition.
- Richmond, VA—Strategic
Opportunities Leading to Valuable Experiences (SOLVE): The
SOLVE program is designed to address the talent shortages in the
fields of healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and information
technology by preparing low-income, under-employed, and unemployed
individuals to assume essential roles in the region's biggest
sectors. The major component of this program is the emphasis on
exposure to new career fields and bridging the skill gap through
career assessment, virtual reality (VR), site visits, and training
provider expos, particularly for low-income, under-employed, and
unemployed individuals.
LARGE CITY WINNERS
- Charlotte,
NC—UNTechCLT: The UNTechCLT is a free summer camp series that
engages youth in under-resourced communities particularly between
the ages of 12 and 17 around technology, career choices, and
solving real world problems in their community. Participants learn
hands-on digital skills and gain exposure to various career
pathways, develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
through design thinking methods, and practice safe and responsible
technology use.
- Los Angeles,
CA—CareerConnect: The CareerConnect program aspires to foster a
stronger, more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce by
addressing the unique digital needs of the recently housed
population. CareerConnect will offer a series of dynamic digital
literacy 1-2 hour workshops at various interim housing sites. The
program creates a collaborative learning environment through small
group workshops, ensuring participants receive tailored guidance
from the workshop Facilitator. The CareerConnect program introduces
innovative skills training and employment preparation, focusing on
equipping individuals with digital literacy skills and job-seeking
techniques essential for success in today's digitally driven job
market.
- Portland, OR—Digital Equity
Service Corps: The Digital Equity Service Corps (DESC) builds
on ten years of learning from NTEN's Digital Inclusion Fellowship,
which equips fellows with the tools to help build sustainable
digital literacy programs in rural and urban communities across
the United States. Through the
DESC, five fellows are selected and trained in program design and
management, accessibility, adult education learning methods, impact
evaluation, coalition building, leadership skills, workforce
development strategies, and more.
About the United States Conference of
Mayors – The U.S. Conference of
Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of
cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than
1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is
represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the
mayor. Follow our work
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and Medium.
About Comcast Corporation – Comcast Corporation
(Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company.
From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and
experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of
customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class
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Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more
information.
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SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors