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Digitunity Works With Local Organizations to Close Arkansas’ Digital Divide
As a national nonprofit connecting technology donors with organizations serving people in need of computers, Digitunity supports the state of Arkansas in working with community-based groups to close the digital divide afflicting the state's marginalized residents. They do this through their Digital Opportunity Network, comprised of 1,500 organizations across the U.S.
In July, Heartland Forward, a Bentonville nonprofit, announced the organization of a coalition of over a dozen Arkansas-based organizations. Its goal is to expand internet access throughout the state by supporting local initiatives and securing federal funding to ensure high-speed internet is more accessible and affordable across Arkansas.
According to findings from the Arkansas State Broadband Manager's Report, as of June 2020, Arkansas is 50th in the nation for broadband coverage. Only 79% of the state's population has internet service with speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. As recently as 2022, there are still 210,000 households in the state lacking adequate broadband access.
"Having a connected computer and the skills to use it productively is a fundamental need in today's society," said Scot Henley, executive director of Digitunity. "Since its founding, Digitunity has partnered with several nonprofit organizations in Arkansas, with wide-ranging missions from youth-focused projects to life skills and digital literacy for adult learners, all with a shared mission of bridging the technology gap."
Digitunity has six Digital Opportunity Network members in the state:
- The North Central Career Center of Leslie
- The Conway County Center for Exceptional Children of Morrilton
- Carter's Crew of Little Rock
- The Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center of Little Rock
- Shirley Community Service and Development Corporation of Shirley
- Northeast Arkansas Innovative Training Center of Jonesboro
These distribution partners provide technology to adults looking for jobs, schoolchildren, and nonprofit organizations like career and technical centers. As of 2021, Digitunity and its Network have distributed 273 devices in Arkansas. Their body of work connecting donors of technology with recipient organizations serving people in need spans nearly 40 years.
Since Digitunity's inception, thousands of people have benefitted from its efforts. Its perspective has been shaped by decades of experience creating local impact through the benefit of a national lens. As an independent, national nonprofit focused on advancing digital equity through device ownership, Digitunity is unique in the digital inclusion landscape.
One way Digitunity demonstrates this uniqueness is by partnering with local organizations and governments to benefit members of these communities. One such way they're doing this is by helping state and local governments, like those in Arkansas, create digital equity plans. This action was inspired by the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will expand broadband infrastructure and enable eligible households to obtain home broadband access and a connected device. Digitunity sees this initiative as an opportunity to help the state of Arkansas as they develop a digital equity plan. The goal of this plan is to expand access to connected devices for all Arkansas residents.
In response, the organization has developed recommendations for state digital equity plans. This expertise in both supply and community distribution gives Digitunity the ability to effectively partner with coalitions, cities, and states to create sustainable device access solutions. To learn more about Digitunity's digital equity planning work, please visit digitunity.org.
About Digitunity
Since the 1980s, Digitunity has advanced digital inclusion by connecting donors of technology with organizations serving people in need. Our mission is to ensure everyone who needs a computer has one, along with robust internet connectivity and digital literacy skills. To learn more about our mission, please visit www.digitunity.org.
Contact Information:
Maria Penaloza
[email protected]
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: Digitunity Works With Local Organizations to Close Arkansas' Digital Divide
energyware™ Highlights Benefits of Energy Efficiency, Sustainability Advisors for Businesses
BayEcotarium Hosts Primary and Final Berkeley Innovation Forum Sessions
5th U.S.-India Conference
BayEcotarium\/Aquarium of the Bay, President & CEO George Jacob shares the importance of working together to grow the world's economy while being sustainable.
More than 100 global CEOs and leaders of some of the world's most influential companies reflected on recent innovations and actions to combat climate change at a special dinner for the opening of the Fifth Berkeley Innovation Forum. The Smithsonian-affiliated Aquarium of the Bay hosted the primary session, and the final session of the event took place at another branch of the BayEcotarium, the Bay Model in Sausalito.
The 5th annual US-India Conference took place at the Speaker Forum on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Executives, professionals, academics, students from both India and the U.S., and key members of U.S.-India trade and economic bodies attended the dinner to exchange ideas in an open forum.
"The world is changing at a quick and dramatic pace, and new orientations and alignments are needed from the world's major economies," said George Jacob, President and CEO of BayEcotarium. "India and the U.S. must work together to shape and ensure mutual prosperity and peace around the globe."
R. Mukundan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Tata Chemicals in India, spoke about the importance of corporate responsibility to support climate resiliency in an interview that evening. "We believe that conservation, protecting biodiversity and working on climate change cannot be done by one company," Mukundan said. "It has to be done by partnership and ecosystems. If by coming to these forums we can connect with like-minded people, we would like to find them, work with them, and share what we know."
At the closing session held at the Bay Model in Sausalito, Professor Solomon Darwin (Haas School of Business University of California Berkeley) opened the final session. Presentations included industrial activities on the planet, how sustainability is key for the future, and best business practices to thrive in the modern business world. The forum included time for open discussion and question-and-answer sessions.
WHO ARE WE:
Established 42 years ago as the Bay Institute, Bay.Org/BayEcotarium and its seven branches are united under one mission to enable conversations on climate resilience and ocean conservation globally, while inspiring actionable change locally by protection and preservation of the San Francisco Bay and its ecosystems, from Sierra to the Sea™. Visit www.Bayecotarium.org.
BayEcotarium, one of the largest non-profit watershed conservation groups in the Bay Area, which includes the Smithsonian-affiliated Aquarium of the Bay, is marking its transformation to become a first-of-its-kind BayEcotarium - an immersive, sustainability-driven and multi-disciplinary education, research and climate leadership facility.
The Berkeley Innovation Forum is a membership organization hosted by Dr. Henry Chesbrough, Faculty Director of the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation. Professor Chesbrough has become a world-renowned authority on the topic of open innovation, a term that he is credited with inventing. BIF is an exclusive membership group consisting of carefully selected corporate Directors from non-competing firms who are deeply involved in managing innovation within their company. The forum provides its members an ongoing window on innovation challenges confronting companies around the world, and gathers members together to share their experiences in dealing with these challenges. We also incorporate recent innovation research, from UC Berkeley and other universities. We keep the size of the membership limited in order to promote greater exchange of viewpoints.
Contact Information:
Paul Nakamoto
Vice President
[email protected]
(415) 262-4720
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: BayEcotarium Hosts Primary and Final Berkeley Innovation Forum Sessions
Capstone Planning Opens New Office to Provide Palm Coast Residents With a Better Retirement
Capstone Planning, an independent financial services firm, opened the doors to their brand-new location on Oct. 7, 2022. The 6,400 sq ft new office is located in Palm Coast Town Center. The multi-million dollar investment in the Palm Coast community is designed to service and aid the growing number of individuals and families that choose Palm Coast to be their retirement destination.
The family-owned firm has served retirees and people approaching retirement in Palm Coast and Ormond Beach for 25 years. "We wanted to invest in our community in a bigger way," said Timothy Wiltfong, Capstone Planning president and founder. "Our new location allows us to do even more for Palm Coast residents. We're committed to making our community a great place to live, both before and after retirement."
"Retirement is what we do," said Keith Wiltfong, CFP®. "The people we work with are usually looking for reassurance they will have enough money to last through retirement. They're also looking for guidance, someone to help them make important decisions and put a clear financial plan in place to get them through their later years."
The firm achieves this through their proprietary process The Better Retirement Journey™, a comprehensive financial plan incorporating five key aspects of retirement planning: income, investments, taxes, health care and legacy. "We want our clients to live by design, not by default," said Connie Wiltfong. "We want our clients to live with confidence and certainty, not worry and fear. They should be living out the dreams and desires they've worked for over the past three or four decades."
Kris Wiltfong agreed. "We're known for helping our clients make life happen," he said. "You get one shot at retirement. People wonder if they're doing their planning right. We've helped hundreds of people get to and through the retirement finish line."
About Capstone Planning
Capstone Planning is a full-service, family-owned independent financial services firm in Palm Coast and Ormond Beach. Since 1998, they have helped hundreds of people create a long-lasting and fulfilling retirement. Visit capstoneplanning.com to learn more about the Wiltfong family and their proprietary process The Better Retirement Journey™.
Contact Information:
Keith Wiltfong
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
[email protected]
(386) 202-4498
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: Capstone Planning Opens New Office to Provide Palm Coast Residents With a Better Retirement
