EXCERPT: “It’s a lofty goal. Get internet access and devices necessary for distance learning to 25,000 of Minnesota’s most technologically disconnected students by the end of summer. The ConnectedMN public-private partnership, spearheaded by Best Buy and Gov. Tim Walz, is trying to do just that. But the approximately 25,000 people identified by school districts as the ‘highest need group are just the tip of the iceberg. A recent study by Boston Consulting Group and Common Sense looked at the “digital divide” in the U.S. in light of the move to distance learning. That study found that in Minnesota, 249,845 – or 28% of all students – lack an adequate high-speed internet connection. Eighteen percent, or 162,607, don’t have the devices they need. ‘This is not just about whether or not we have to continue distance learning in the fall,’ said Andrea Wood, head of Best Buy’s Social Impact Team. ‘This has been a gap that’s been going on for a long time. And it’s disproportionately affecting kids of color, rural communities, Indigenous communities.'” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/30IFFVs
