Stories of Impact 2022: Bridges to Brighter Futures | The Student Tech Equity Fund

Computers and internet access are today’s equivalent of pen and paper. But the digital divide has increased barriers to education, threatening our region’s economic competitiveness.

Since COVID-19 and the shift to remote and hybrid learning, computer and internet access have become more essential than ever to getting a post-secondary education. But for many Chicago students, acquiring such tools can pose a financial hurdle.

In 2021, City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) launched the Student Tech Equity Fund — a $3 million philanthropic collaboration that is supercharging CCC’s commitment to closing the digital divide for students through three pilot programs:

• Internet Access – Extending the city’s Chicago Connected program to provide free internet connectivity to eligible students
• Learn to Own Laptop – Incentivizing persistence by allowing students to keep a loaned laptop forever if they commit to staying on for the spring semester
• Digital Skills Training – Classes and support to help students build digital literacy skills (currently in development)

In the first year of the pilot, CCC served more than 1,200 students. Their feedback indicates the programs are serving a critical need.

CCC student Giovanny Reyes lacked internet connectivity at home, so he spent ample amounts of time on the computers at the library. However, once the library closed for the day, he was left without internet access to complete assignments.

Reyes came across a flyer for Chicago Connected, the program that provides free internet access to students. He traveled to Wright College Humboldt Park on a cold, snowy Saturday to sign up. To his relief, Reyes was approved for free internet service and can now complete his assignments at home.

The majority of funding for the Student Tech Equity Fund was catalyzed by a $1 million seed contribution from Bridges to Brighter Futures. A collaboration of the Trust and Kinship Foundation (a private foundation that supports the administration of the Searle Funds), Bridges aims to make affordable post-secondary education a reality for all Chicagoans.

“Bridges to Brighter Futures is proud to celebrate and uplift City Colleges of Chicago’s hard work to become the economic engine that Chicago needs to drive us toward a more equitable future,” says Lara Pruitt, director of education initiatives for Kinship Foundation.