A Letter from NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer
Dear Friends,
I am often told to celebrate the $2.75 billion federal investment in digital equity. After all, this is digital equity’s moment.
But…we also have so much work ahead of us making sure this investment has the returns we all want.
Now is when we move from being appalled by fast food parking-lot schooling to understanding that digital equity requires long-term investments from all sectors. Now is when we, collectively, structure local and state digital equity strategies that build upon community expertise and trust while creating sustainable digital inclusion ecosystems.
For decades, digital inclusion practitioners worked under the shadow of scarcity. Not enough funding. Not enough partners. Not enough understanding of the value and urgency of digital equity. The pandemic changed some of our reality, but if we hadn’t been climbing uphill for so many years, building our field, building our community, and building NDIA, we wouldn’t now be discussing how to make the most of our new reality.
Looking back, I can see that we’ve built a movement together.
I am so very proud of the NDIA team and community – and you can see why in our first-ever Impact Report. We are changing lives and building a field for those who come after us. We have accomplished so much and will continue to build for digital equity.
In solidarity,
Angela
