“Nonprofits, libraries, churches, and other community organizations can’t reach digital equity on their own. For everyone to thrive in today’s digital world, we need all hands-on deck,” said Angela Siefer, NDIA executive director. “NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Trailblazers exemplify the key role local governments have in building connected communities for all of their residents.”  

 Trailblazers provide models for other local governments to aspire to as communities build digital inclusion ecosystems. The City of Dallas achieved Trailblazer status by prioritizing digital inclusion for residents through various initiatives and programs such as:  

• Dedicating funding for the City’s first Digital Navigators Program;  
• Hosting Digital Equity Open House events in communities most eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program;   
• Preparing and distributing the first Dallas Digital Equity Fact Sheet summarizing efforts;  
• Coordinating city-wide participation in the national Digital Inclusion Week events to include, Official Proclamation’s from the Dallas City Council, and hosting the first Digital Equity Arts contest;  
• Prioritizing data in decision-making through the development of an ACP Enrollment Dashboard specific to Dallas;  
• Partnering with Dallas County, Dallas Housing Authority, and community-based organizations to deploy the largest ACP Outreach Grant award in the state of Texas.   

For more information on the initiatives listed above, and additional digital inclusion efforts, visit: bit.ly/dallasdigitaldivide.   

NDIA revised the seven-year-old Trailblazer program this year, identifying seven categories of current best practices. Each applicant’s materials are verified for accuracy, assessed for community impact, and posted in an interactive map and searchable database on NDIA’s website. By sharing materials with open-sourcing, NDIA provides community advocates and local governments ways to continue learning, connect with trailblazing peers, and plan their own digital inclusion solutions.