Nonprofit bridges digital divide for Kansas City’s low-income residents

Google Fiber has jump started a growing list of Kansas City startups, but Connecting for Good wants to keep the metro’s low-income residents up to speed. …

Google Fiber has jump started a growing list of Kansas City startups, but Connecting for Good wants to keep the metro’s low-income residents up to speed.

The local nonprofit formed in 2011, the same year as Google’s announcement of its gigabit network, to help bridge the digital divide. Earlier this month, a press release announced its partnership with the Kansas City, Kan. Housing Authority to bring free broadband into all 390 units of the Juniper Gardens housing project, where 1,000 people live in the largest concentration of poverty in the KC metro.

More than 70 WiFi radio transmitters will be installed on nearly 40 buildings and a computer learning lab is being developed for the complex’s community center. Connecting for Good will also provide digital skills training and inexpensive, refurbished PCs to residents. The training, computers and WiFi will help nonprofit groups working at the complex, such as YouthBuild, New Roots for Refugees and CultivateKC.

“We are excited about the many ways that providing internet access, computers and digital literacy training will enhance their efforts to assist residents,” said president Michael Liimatta in a press release.

Connecting for Good has secured an in-kind donation of WiFi equipment valued at $15,000 from One Economy Corporation, but needs to raise an additional $16,000 by March 31 to secure the grant.

It moved into the Kansas City Startup Village in January—it has a new office one block away from Google Fiber Space. Anyone can drop off computer equipment to be refurbished and provided inexpensively to under-resourced families and nonprofits.

To learn more, attend the group’s office grand opening from 4–7 p.m. March 29 at 1624 Westport Road.

Here’s KCTV’s story on Connecting for Good’s WiFi project.


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This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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