The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), in partnership with Grow with Google, has announced the six Ujima grant recipients representing communities throughout the United States that have been selected to participate in the Ujima Project –  a $150,000 challenge grant to help NDIA Affiliates leverage Grow with Google (GwG) resources in support of Black communities to teach digital skills to help community members grow their careers and businesses.

Grow with Google is proud to partner with The National Digital Inclusion Alliance to launch the Ujima Project. Through this initiative, we’re thrilled to help Black communities in the U.S. access essential digital skills training to advance their economic potential.

Tia Mclaurin

Community Engagement Manager at Grow with Google

In support of Black communities, grantees will use Grow with Google resources to teach digital skills to help community members grow their careers and businesses.  Grant recipients are:

 Ashbury Senior Computer Community Services,Cleveland OH;

Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama, Huntsville, AL;

Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, San Diego, CA;

Libraries Without Borders US, Washington DC;

Mission: Ignite Powered by Computers for Children, Inc., Buffalo, NY and;

She Built This City, Charlotte, NC.

Grow with Google was started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers, and businesses. It provides free training, tools, and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, job seekers and students, educators, startups, and developers. Since Grow with Google’s inception, it has helped more than six million Americans develop new skills. Grow with Google has a network of more than 8,000 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce, workforce development boards and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.

The Ujima Project grant was designed to fund innovative solutions that make use of Grow with Google toolsets to address the digital skills gap among America’s black and brown communities in order to promote educational and employment opportunities, and thus social wellbeing and quality of life.  Each organization will receive a $25,000 grant to provide training to increase digital skills training, access to resources and participation in certification programs in unserved and underserved communities through the Fall of 2021.

Ujima is a swahili word that translates to collective work and responsibility. It is the third principle of Kwanzaa which challenges communities to – “ build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and solve them together”. Ujima, is the third principle of Kwanzaa and the Ujima Project supports efforts to “build and maintain our community together, and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and solve them together.”

Ujima Project Information Webinar

Should you have any questions, please contact email [email protected]