Across America, the need for computers is acute and urgent. In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, schools, libraries, offices and gathering places across the country are being closed. This necessary action exposes a critical and heartbreaking aspect of the digital divide.
Millions of Americans simply do not have internet access and a computer at home.
Students and Teachers - As schools close due to the coronavirus, U.S. students face a digital ‘education crisis’ to continuing their studies from home.
- Nearly 22% of U.S. households currently do not own a desktop or laptop computer.
- Computer ownership is no longer a luxury but a basic need in terms of education and academic performance, career attainment and workforce participation, and in this current time, often the only way people can connect to critical health and safety resources.
- The Federal Communications Commission reports, more than 24 million Americans have no access to broadband internet, while the Pew Charitable Trusts projects 163 million Americans lack access to reliable broadband internet connections.
In partnership with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), National Cristina Foundation is working through our partners with the Alliance for Technology Refurbishing and Reuse (AFTRR) to quickly roll out a countrywide call for laptop, Chromebook and tablet donations from corporate and governmental entities.
Across the United States, the need for technology is acute and immediate.
In this time of national crisis, supply is far outpaced by demand. AFTRR members are in desperate need of functioning laptops, notebooks, Chromebooks, and tablets with wireless capability to rehabilitate and disburse to those in our communities with the greatest need.
Digital Inclusion and the COVID-19 Call to Action
We’re standing up a corporate campaign to support our NCF partners’ and practitioners’ efforts to bring vital hardware and connectivity to the public. We are responding quickly to ongoing developments and are ramping up our technology to support record levels of engagement and public needs.
Can we count on your organization to help?
Established in 1984, National Cristina Foundation (NCF) is a national voice for digital inclusion, providing advocacy, impact, and insight. Since inception, NCF has facilitated the donation of hundreds of thousands of previously used computer equipment to organizations that provide education, rehabilitation and job training to people in need. Our history of expertise in the area of technology reuse allows NCF to play a unique role in addressing the digital divide, through our support of local initiatives and the strengthening of individual nonprofit organizations that are working on any or all of the key areas within digital inclusion, including internet access, device acquisition, training, and technical support.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance is a unified voice for home broadband access, public broadband access, personal devices and local technology training and support programs. We work collaboratively to craft, identify and disseminate financial and operational resources for digital inclusion programs while serving as a bridge to policymakers and the general public.
The Alliance for Technology Refurbishing and Reuse (AFTRR) is made up of over 80 nonprofit computer refurbishers found in communities across the country. A program of National Cristina Foundation, AFTRR members refurbish donated computers and provide them at no-cost or low-cost to particularly vulnerable segments of our population, helping to grant access to communication, employment, and education.
