“In March of this year, there was a very large study that revealed if you control all other factors, socioeconomic background, race, and geography or where somebody lives, the single-highest indicator for death by Covid was whether or not the individual had an internet connection,” Margaret Käufer said to a small gathering in the boardroom of the Open Door Family Medical Center in Port Chester on Oct 14.
Käufer, the president of the STEM Alliance, reminded listeners that the strong correlation was different from causation, but nonetheless underscored the importance of her organization’s collaboration with AT&T to launch the Digital Pathways program for Westchester. Her organization is a nonprofit dedicated to providing students, parents, and educators with the means of overcoming systemic education gaps.
Digital Pathways will provide several means of supporting residents to help address the disparities in many aspects of life, which are deepened by a lack of affordable internet access. AT&T, a primary provider of telecommunications services in the area, will be providing $30,000 to support the STEM Alliance’s efforts to help residents access the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The ACP provides qualifying households with a credit of up to $30 a month toward mobile or internet services. ACP eligible households typically include recipients of Medicaid, SNAP, Free/Reduced Price Lunches, or Pell Grants. However, the process of applying for these potentially life-changing credits can sometimes be difficult and confusing, especially for those who already lack familiarity with the services the ACP seeks to provide; a concern shared by Andrea Ruggiero, executive vice president of community health for Open Door Family Medical Centers.
“Over the last five years we were presented with wonderful opportunities with technology,” said Ruggiero. “But what we realized very quickly is that so many of our patients were being left behind. They were still being marginalized by the digital divide.”
The Digital Pathways program seeks to help bridge that divide with more than assisting those in need access ACP funds. It will also pair them with “digital navigators” who can perform the high-tech equivalent of a social worker’s duties by examining a client’s situations, developing plans for helping them, referring them to the proper solutions and aiding the broader organization in allocating resources effectively. They will also be able to provide quick support to somebody with only minor needs while also being able to aid those who may have little or no background in technology.
Robin White, director of external affairs at AT&T, observed, “We understand that you can have a device and you can have connectivity, but you might not know how to use it, in which case it doesn’t matter that you have it. So, the ACP is great because it gets people connected and then you have the STEM Alliance providing the education so that everyone in the household knows how to connect with job search, health care, school, whatever you need. “
The program is part of AT&T’s $2 billion commitment to improving access nationwide, and it is one of several programs where the company partnered with STEM Alliance, including a prior digital literacy program and providing 300 free wireless hotspots throughout Westchester.
