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Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $175 Million in Internet for All Grants to 61 Minority-Serving Colleges and Universities

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$ 2,774,257.37

Stillman College’s “Fiber for the Future” project aims to expand educational instruction and remote learning opportunities at the institution. The three project activities are: (1) install a fiber optic broadband network on campus, which will include building out a new fiber and switch upgrade for the college; (2) install a new wireless infrastructure for the campus and local community; and (3) purchase eligible equipment and devices for student use in remote learning situations for dual enrollment students at area high schools.

$ 2,999,695.37

The Alabama State University (ASU) “Broadening Access through Community, Connectivity, and Education” (BRACCE) project aims to expand broadband internet access designed to (a) expand online courses and programs, (b) improve the campus digital experience, and (c) develop collaborative community endeavors through broadband access. Project activities will meet the goals in two parts. First, ASU will establish a hybrid cloud infrastructure and maintain a cybersecurity program that provides comprehensive strategic planning, governance, and advisory consulting support. Second, ASU will provide extended wireless network coverage to campus locations that have limited, unreliable, or no wireless access; provide the surrounding anchor community with an innovative digital technology center to provide residents with access to both digital technologies and digital navigation services; and develop a campus-based mobile application that creates a central point of access for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to interact with the University’s systems and activities.

$ 2,969,121.59

SThe Talladega College "Realizing Future Proof Technology to Create Connections between Talladega College’s Students, Faculty and Surrounding Community in Rural Alabama" project aims to create a broadband network that will provide internet services across the college's campus and extend that into the city of Talladega and portions of Talladega County. This objective will be completed through the following three principal grant activities: (1) conduct a comprehensive technology assessment; (2) design, deploy and install the broadband network; and (3) grow and expand Talladega’s College base of IT, AV, database personnel. Once completed, the broadband network design and deployment is intended to provide a robust, economically viable solution that can deliver much-needed internet access to Talladega College and areas in the community where internet access is limited or unreliable. This project will also provide Talladega Collage with leading edge educational technology and delivery systems to help families in the community that have not been able to participate in virtual learning and provide future services to help foster commercial and industrial development.

$ 3,569,618.00

Tuskegee University’s “ConnecTUvity: Anchoring the Future of Tuskegee with Broadband Technology” project aims to upgrade the campus fiber backbone and upgrade audio-visual equipment and severely outdated equipment in learning spaces to ensure that it is technologically current to support the needs of the campus and students. The project activities will upgrade the Tuskegee University fiber optic network and classroom cabling; enhance the cybersecurity posture at the university by expanding policies, user awareness, and training curriculum offered to faculty, staff, and students; equip STEM and nursing disciplines with technological equipment; and increase the number of Hyflex learning spaces to support hybrid instruction.

 $ 2,976,837.00

The University of Alaska Fairbanks "Increased broadband and IT careers for low-income rural Alaska Native and minority students" project aims to address unreliable internet issues at rural Alaska campuses and benefit rural low-income minority students. There are three main project activities. UAF will improve broadband on rural campuses by installing new endpoint hardware and purchasing capacity upgrades from existing service providers. Next, they will increase capacity to manage rural networks by increasing the number of personnel who manage the networks. Finally, the project will create an intern program for rural low-income minorities to enter IT careers. 

 $ 2,994,869.00  

American Samoa Community College’s “Aʻoaʻoga Aso Nei” project aims to make remote learning a way of life in American Samoa, to transform the local economy, and to preserve the Samoan culture. The project activities include upgrading the campus Internet connection to a Gigabit-speed connection; creating an equipment lending program; developing a modern curriculum that will deliver both a plan for the coming decade as well as a working pilot adding Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and/or computer science classes for both postsecondary and adult learners; and providing training to existing ASCC Information Technology Staff to better support and improve educational service delivery in the context of a significantly altered technical environment. 

$ 4,256,738.52

The Phoenix College (PC) “Boundless Broadband Transforming Minority Communities” project aims to improve and expand institutional broadband capacity, increase broadband access for underserved and underrepresented communities, and promote all-inclusive and online-based academic and career pathways to connect anchor communities to high-demand and high paying jobs in information technology, including, cybersecurity, networking, and cloud computing. The project activities will expand broadband connections and training of college IT Staff, student internships and expanded IT staffing; enable remote access to Close 2Home; expand broadband bandwidth at college satellite campuses; establish a 24x7 CoWorking Academic Space to provide students with access to tools and hardware needed for study; create a FLEX Facility to provide students with FLEX learning across multiple modalities; extend PC's laptop loaner program; establish a Help Desk providing support to students, and education, and awareness on broadband programs; and introduce Mobile Learning Modules to expand and create new capacity.  

 $ 2,999,903.00  

The goal of the Philander Smith College “Connecting Minority Communities Program” project is to improve, upgrade, and expand the use of technology on campus with a focus on innovation to enhance the learning process of the students and provide more effective administrative functions for the faculty and staff. PSC will implement campus enterprise-level resources, refreshing technology for both students and employees; purchase internet access service, install and upgrade broadband facilities, improve wireless connectivity on their campus and purchase eligible equipment and devices for student and community resident use; provide one-to-one devices for freshmen students prioritizing students in need; and provide Wi-Fi hotspots for the students and anchor community residents who participate in PSC-led workforce development and community engagement programs. The proposed Wi-Fi hotspot lending program will allow community residents to check out technology for their own educational purposes. 

 $ 3,000,000.00  

Southwestern College’s “Connecting Minority Communities” project aims to significantly increase the technology access of its needy students and therefore improve their retention and success rates. The project activities will provide laptops and computers, broadband internet, and Wi-fi hotspots to students in need. It will also upgrade the Wi-Fi connections at all four of the college’s Higher Education Centers, including the National City, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, and Crown Cove Aquatic Center campuses. The Southwestern College project will improve the wireless network capability at all the Southwestern College Higher Education Centers and increase the technology access of in-need students. This project will result in an increase in semester-to-semester student retention and an increase in student completion (receiving an award and/or certificate) within a three-year period. 

 $ 2,998,851.00  

Cabrillo College’s “Improved Remote & HyFlex Learning, Digital Literacy Training & Support for Students” (IRHL-DLTSS) project aims to expand broadband access and improve the educational experience of Latino/a/x and low-income students involved in remote and/or hybrid flexible (HyFlex) learning. The project activities will accomplish this by: building three Hyflex classrooms; purchasing accessibility software to support Cabrillo’s Teaching and Learning Center for online learning; hiring adjunct faculty to support digital literacy training and to teach credit and noncredit Computer Application/Business Technology courses in digital literacy; partnering with local K-12 schools to help connect students into appropriate courses by way of dual enrollment, outreach, and counseling; and hiring student assistants for Fall and Spring semesters to connect students with digital literacy training to become more familiar with the technological resources in higher education. 

 $ 2,999,023.00  

Colorado State University (CSU Pueblo)'s “Adelante Connect” project aims to connect Pueblo residents to the internet and actively engage them in the knowledge economy. The purpose of the pilot project is to achieve an improved sense of digital equity, inclusion, and literacy, while building broadband awareness and providing broadband solutions amongst in-need students, families, and organizations within the Pueblo anchor communities. The project activities can be split into two phases. Phase one will conduct a digital ecosystem assessment; enhance the broadband capacity of CSU Pueblo Watertower Place Downtown Campus; develop and implement an Adelante Connect Digital Marketing Messaging and Advocacy strategy and staff a Digital Communication Office to support the digital marketing and messaging efforts needed for program success; distribute laptops and subsidized internet service to students within anchor communities; staff Digital Navigators in four anchor community locations; and implement a robust, reliable broadband connection (minimum speed 100/20 mbps) for identified students to be fully funded through the duration of the program. Phase two will launch the Digital Navigator Program in the remaining fifteen eligible census tract areas of the City of Pueblo and Pueblo County (Avondale/Boone) and incorporate the healthcare sector in the Digital Navigator Program.  

 $ 2,864,285.00  

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Hartford’s “Community Computer Science Workshops” project aims to provide broadband access for in-need students in the city of Hartford, Connecticut. The project can be broken down into three stages. First, UConn will recruit in-need high school students from the identified census tracts in the anchor community to support student exposure to the field of computer science through after-school workshops. Second, a Hartford-based CMC IT Helpdesk will be established to support the efforts needed to coordinate the deployment of the broadband access points from a local partner internet service provider for the anchor community, and to support the distribution of low-cost computers. Third, the institution will launch workshop deployments. 

 $ 1,195,260.00  

The College of Micronesia -FSM (COM-FSM)'s "Connecting Micronesian Communities of Learning: Community-Based College Wifi in the Federated States of Micronesia" project aims to bring technological equity to its campuses and the students they serve. The project will improve Wi-Fi access across the six campuses that COM-FSM serves. The existing slow and unstable broadband network connections will be upgraded, and existing network speeds will be increased. The program will address the need for better broadband access and increase the value and potential of the free laptops that students currently have access to at the college. The project will provide broadband access for students as they receive training in various vocational and academic programs and allow for the college to take full advantage of its new status of providing online instruction as one of its modes of instruction. 

 $ 5,395,671.00  

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) “Building a Digital Pipeline to Prosperity” project aims to reduce the digital divide in the southside of Tallahassee, FL and increase economic growth in Tallahassee by allowing students and community members to access the Internet using FAMU's high-speed broadband infrastructure and provide them the with tools, technical assistance, knowledge, and information to enhance their skills. FAMU has six project activities. They will purchase and install the hardware and software necessary to ensure accessible coverage at all times in every building and critical outdoor space on campus; create a technical assistance program to ensure all campus and community stakeholders receive the support they need to be successful users of online content; upgrade and relaunch the Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development; establish a Pre-K to Ph.D. pipeline by creating age- and content-appropriate STEM and digital-readiness curriculum; train and graduate more students across disciplines who understand data science and how data applies to their field of study and life; and conduct an evaluation of the grant to determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and short-term impact of the grant activities. 

 $ 2,414,000.00  

Miami Dade College (MDC)’s “Weaving Internet Resources into Economic Development” (WIRED) project aims to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in anchor communities that have access to: broadband internet services and connectivity equipment; digital literacy education and instruction; and workforce opportunities in information technology related careers. WIRED will improve digital literacy in the anchor communities by offering in-person and online digital literacy workshops. The project will also increase broadband access by linking eligible students and their households to subsidized internet plans or providing mobile hotspot devices to eligible students that are not able to access subsidized internet plans; providing Wi-Fi ready laptops through on-campus lending libraries; and expanding and improving outside broadband through infrastructure improvements and equipment installation on campuses located in the most distressed anchor communities. Lastly, to help increase minority representation in high demand occupations in areas such as cybersecurity, MDC will offer residents of anchor communities enrollment opportunities for First Step Prep, a boot camp for individuals lacking requisite computer competencies. 

 $ 2,997,232.00  

The Atlanta Technical College “Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program” (ATC-CMCPP) project aims to: align programs, initiatives, and services to ensure student success and to meet community and industry needs; improve institutional infrastructure for leadership and accountability across all functions of the College; and build a sustainable business model for resources and industry partnerships. ATC will improve its broadband and wireless infrastructure and will also increase the IT Department's staff capacity by engaging consultants to ensure that the project is implemented with the highest quality within the grant period. Through the lending library, the college will increase the number of laptops, tablets, and hotspots available to students. ATC will partner with a community-based nonprofit organization from the anchor community to offer senior citizens from target communities' digital skills development through the College's Continuing Education Division. An external evaluation will be conducted to determine the projects effectiveness and document best practices. 

 $ 2,997,558.00  

Fort Valley State University (FVSU)’s “Communi-versity: Piloting an Ecosystem for Digital Equity” project will expand broadband connectivity, access, and digital skills for students and residents in Peach County, GA. The project will be divided into three parts. First, the project will convene a “Communi-versity” advisory board that will be responsible for decision-making processes on a range of resource allocations. Next, the recipient will conduct activities related to engagement programs that will connect anchor communities, provide training experiences, create a training curriculum, and recruit and train TechNavigators to help campus and anchor community participants increase their use of broadband, improve their digital skills, and overcome barriers to adoption on and off campus. Finally, the recipient will expand broadband connectivity and access by providing laptops, hotspots, and cell boosters and establishing satellite-supported broadband hubs across anchor community. Using partnerships with Headstart, Extension, and other local entities, Communi-versity will use several local broadband hubs across the community as local touchpoints for training, each staffed with a local team of TechNavigators. 

 $ 4,231,058.00  

The Morehouse School of Medicine "From Survivor to Innovator: Digital Health Equity and Community Impact" project will expand student access to basic technology and broadband, improve telehealth access in MSM's anchor community, expand science and health career exploration with its educational partners, and improve MSM faculty’s ability to integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. MSM hopes to understand the impact that increasing technological access and literacy will have on digital health equity. The Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy Connects project will provide technology, equipment, and access for students in grades K-8 and in undergraduate programs from Atlanta communities impacted by limited investments in broadband internet connectivity. MSM will also expand opportunities for additional students in its existing S.T.E.A.M and HCOP programs. The Digital Health Educator Initiative is an MSM faculty development enhancement effort to include technology integration into MSM curriculum development, and instructional design to improve teaching and learning delivery. The MSM Health Equity for All Lives (H.E.A.L) Initiative will expand existing student-run clinics via telehealth technologies.  

 $ 3,232,255.84  

The Chicago State University (CSU) "Advancing Broadband Equity through Learning Intermediaries in the Neighborhoods of Chicago" (ABELINC) project aims to implement a Community Navigator program to address the digital inequity and exclusion among populations and in anchor communities that have endured historic segregation and disinvestment in Chicago neighborhoods. Full-time Navigators will work with student Navigators to provide digital skills support to key under-served population groups based at Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois University. With community partners, the full-time Navigators will be trained in and will provide guidance around four key skills to foster household broadband adoption: basic digital literacy, digital conduct, online resources and tools, and Internet subscription/enrollment and device purchase. In addition, the Navigators will help local small businesses develop online commerce literacy. The Navigators will also provide laptops to households in the priority neighborhoods that have only smart phones and mobile plans. Additionally, CSU will upgrade its campus Internet connection. 

 $ 2,218,696.00  

The Grambling State University (GSU) “Meeting the Needs of Underrepresented Communities by Providing Broadband Access and Training” project aims to address the needs of faculty and students related to broadband access and technology training, to enhance the skills of faculty and skills of students in information technology and telemedicine/telehealth, and to stimulate the adoption and community use of broadband services for telehealth. The project activities include improving the broadband infrastructure of Grambling State University through cable upgrades in buildings and installation of access points for improved Wi-Fi coverage; providing subsidized broadband access to qualified low-income in-need students through a mobile hotspot program; providing training to support professional development for GSU faculty in information technology, telehealth & telemedicine, and the online delivery of courses; and expanding student training in cybersecurity and information technology through the implementation of new courses and programs.  

 $ 3,029,484.79  

The Southern University Law Center (SULC) “Creating Digital Leaders” project aims to provide access and opportunity to a diverse group of students through the expansion of broadband access. The project activities will build the broadband infrastructure and IT capacity of SULC and the Southern University Landmass; partner with the College of Business to build skills and IT workforce capacity through STEAM programs offered to community organizations (high schools, churches, community centers, libraries) and members of the community; stimulate the adoption and community use of broadband services by accessing tele-law via the clinical legal programs with a concentration on disaster preparedness, business formation and entrepreneurship, and business technical assistance; provide need-based students with the resources needed to compete in a digital age; and provide subsidized broadband access and technology equipment to low-income and in-need high schools, churches, community centers, libraries, and members of the community. 

 $ 3,000,000.00  

Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO)'s “SUNOconnects” project aims to expand broadband internet access, connectivity, and digital inclusion for the SUNO campus and designated schools located in the 9th and 15th Wards of New Orleans. The project activities include providing equipment and devices that support remote education and information sharing to students and faculty; provide digital awareness, training, education, outreach, access, and technology support for students, faculty, staff, and the community at large; and upskill IT staff and enhance workforce capacity to better support and sustain the new environment. 

 $ 2,999,999.89  

University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s "Rebuilding Our Digital Road: Digital Infrastructure Re-imagining" project aims to expand broadband internet access and connectivity to connect UMES's dynamic and innovative education and outreach programs with the broadband capacity that will support their value as roads for students and patrons to expand career pathways, education, and opportunities for economic mobility. The project activities include: expanding broadband Internet access and connectivity to UMES residence halls, student centers, and key STEM academic buildings; connecting UMES’ most dynamic and innovative education and community outreach programs with the broadband capacity to increase their value as access points for students and community members; and assessing UMES’ service to its students (on and off campus) and its position in the Maryland University System and anchor community in relation to its broadband capacity and digital infrastructure. 

 $ 4,115,616.00  

Morgan State University's “META (Miles of Education through Technology Access) Zones” project aims to deliver novel and timely services to both students and local “hyper-disparity” communities as well as reduce the digital divide amongst Morgan State students and the low-income communities the University has selected to serve. The project activities will provide laptops and subsidized broadband subscriptions to students and community members; upgrade Wi-Fi infrastructure on campus; engage low-income anchor communities to engage in public health seminars and adoption of telehealth services; and engage the communities to deliver programming related to the Smart Tiny Home movement. 

 $ 2,970,106.00  

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston)’s "Addressing Digital Access Gaps in Education" (ADAGE) project aims to expand the campus infrastructure to provide educational content in a synchronous online modality, to expand a loaner program for hubs and end devices, and to deliver content intended to create workforce and career pathway awareness. The project can be divided into three parts. First, UMass Boston will expand the campus infrastructure, specifically relating to retrofitting classrooms to enhance and provide educational content in a synchronous online modality. Next, the university will implement the Digital Inclusion Program, which will effectively deliver content through HyFlex broadband availability and provide equitable access and equipment. Lastly, the university will deliver content intended to create workforce and career pathway awareness through cyber and IT skills training. 

$ 2,999,591.00

Wayne County Community College District’s (WCCCD) “Connecting Minority Communities” project aims to promote digital literacy and inclusion for students and anchor communities serviced by WCCCD. The primary project activities are: updating the on-site technology infrastructure and support services in WCCCD’s Campus Success Centers and Cyber Labs; building out a virtual server infrastructure; assembling a regional Digital Literacy and Skilling Consortium to build the capacity of digital skilling organizations and develop equitable adoption strategies; and implementing the CMC Rocket 2 Work training programs. Rocket 2 Work will build the digital skills and IT workforce capacity in anchor communities through program offerings that will include Cybersecurity, Skilled Trades programs, and IT. 

 $ 1,924,280.00  

The Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) Connecting Minority Communities project, “Expanding Broadband Capacity at Red Lake Nation College,” aims to upgrade broadband access, capacity, and skills for RLNC students, staff, and community members. The project activities will provide and upgrade on-site internet service and security, upgrade laptop and desktop computers, increase learning software options at RLNC, and provide digital devices and broadband service plans for RLNC students to enable access on and off campus. The project will also provide professional development and capacity building opportunities for RLNC IT staff, cybersecurity training for RLNC faculty, staff, and students, and drone training and certification for community members, including a youth drone camp.   

$ 2,938,816.00

Nebraska Indian Community College’s “Tribal Broadband Wireless Expansion” project aims to bridge the digital divide for its students, the majority of whom are Native American. There are four main project activities: NICC will hire four key staff to significantly expand the school Information Technology department; increase campus cybersecurity; obtain and distribute laptops and hotspots for students and for select in-need community stakeholders; and purchase software for improved distance learning. On each campus, NICC will also build a One Button Studio, a simplified recording studio that gives users the ability to create a high-quality video recording. 

$2,488,048.00

The College of Southern Nevada's “CONNECTIVITY CONCIERGES” project aims to build the broadband and IT capacity of its institution by boosting digital literacy for its students and providing broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment, and support that can easily be accessed by the students and community members from the Anchor Community tracts in a 15-mile radius of the West Charleston (WC) campus. The project will take place on two campuses. The project activities include creating hospitable Concierge areas on campus with loaner connected devices, charging stations and secure lockers for students’ own equipment, hotspots, and Collaboration Pods to increase access; staffing the Concierge areas with designated Concierges (trained IT professionals and interns from CSN’s Department of Computing and Information Technology); hiring trainers who will provide Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) so Concierges can assist in various languages as necessary; and forming a College-wide Connectivity Committee to support Concierge staff, steer Concierge activities, review milestones and build partnerships that will keep the Concierges going once NTIA funding ends. 

 $ 2,777,052.00  

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark (RU-N)'s "Creating Connections: Building Equitable Access to Broadband in Newark through Public-Private Collaborations" project aims to enhance digital infrastructure and equitable access to it, to teach digital technologies, and to develop jobs of the future. The project activities will expand campus Wi-Fi, digital capabilities; upgrade campus technology resources; expand and innovate the Technology Launchpad; provide Internet service to Residential Community Reintegration Programs; provide technological devices (laptops, tablets, desktops) for student-inmates; connect Rutgers University–Newark Talent and Opportunity Program students and their family/community to connectivity and technological resources; provide residents and students with access to career pathway trainings to compete in the tech and telecom industry; and train Cohorts of high school students in the fundamentals of data science, survey design, implementation, engage in service-learning community survey projects, and analyze findings for dissemination and sharing. 

 $ 2,301,890.00  

Felician University’s “Project FELICE: Fostering Equity in Learning Through Inclusion, Connectivity, and Engagement” aims to expand the university’s broadband capacity and improve broadband access, adoption, and digital skills for students, other university stakeholders, and anchor communities while improving training for nurses and providing service to the community. The project activities will upgrade and expand the university’s broadband infrastructure, computing resources, and online technologies to make remote learning fully accessible; teach telehealth best practices to Felician nursing undergraduate and graduate students, counseling psychology graduate students, and behavior and autism studies graduate students so that they learn to provide skilled, culturally informed care using remote communications platforms; and provide professional development in best practices via telehealth for staff and telehealth-based services and resources for the individuals and families they serve. 

 $ 1,945,329.00  

Eastern New Mexico University Roswell (ENMUR)'s "Creating Connected Communities to Provide Opportunities (Project C-3PO)" project aims to increase broadband connectivity and computer aptitude in the communities of Roswell, Dexter, Lake Arthur, Hagerman, and Midway, New Mexico. The project can be divided into three parts: (1) Education and Training, (2) Awareness and Access, and (3) Equipment and Support. ENMUR’ project activities will: survey community residents to identify gaps in computer literacy; develop computer training courses to be offered at community training locations; train IT support staff to assist with all IT needs on campus and to operate an extended hour computer support hotline; and establish learning centers at community anchor locations. The Awareness and Access activities will survey community residents to identify broadband access needs; develop and launch a marketing campaign; and work with participants to identify and assist them in obtaining low-cost broadband options. In the Equipment and Support category, ENMUR will: create an extended hour computer support hotline for students, community members, and MBEs; utilize hotspots as broadband access points; make laptops available for check out; and set up service plans for hotspots and public wireless systems.  

 $ 1,686,620.00  

New Mexico State University’s “Bringing Broadband to New Mexico State University and Surrounding Counties” project aims to increase broadband connectivity by installing broadband internet equipment to provide access to individuals in the community. The project activities will expand Internet access on South Campus; install a broadband network infrastructure to Farmington, NM; and purchase equipment and upgrades for additional stations for the Forestry Research center in Mora, NM and the Agricultural Science Center in Alcade, NM. As a result of implementing the project, New Mexico State University will expand and improve its broadband network resulting in better access for individuals on campus and in the community. The expansion to agricultural research and science centers will also improve connectivity for researchers and students to continue to support agricultural research. The upgrade will support online learning, increase the institution’s technology and IT capacity, and continue to provide support for research that sustains and supports New Mexico's diverse environment, farms, ranches, forests, and communities. 

 $ 1,645,133.56  

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute’s “Parallel Network Upgrade” project aims to expand broadband to improve campus-wide network technology accessibility for students, staff, and faculty. The project activities include preparation, design planning, installation, implementation of the network. SIPI will gather information, initiate the vendor acquisition process, and award a contractor. Then, the contractor will create a map to define existing infrastructure, identify and purchase equipment required to successfully accomplish project goals, and create a network design plan for the campus IT Master Plan. Ultimately, SIPI will install new network-related equipment and replace outdated equipment and software technologies, including firewalls and cloud service servers. Then, the institution will implement trainings, security setup and install, backup procedures, and certification documentation for the upgraded network. Finally, SIPI will carry out service level agreements, emergency support, maintenance/service updates, and customer acceptance.  

 $ 1,979,985.00  

Dominican University New York’s (formerly Dominican College of Blauvelt) “Connection” Program aims to provide access to reliable technology and stable internet on campus and within campus buildings, update learning systems, and improve student technology to support technological fluency and student success in the classroom and in professional pursuits. The project activities are expanding internet access on campus by adding more wireless access points; providing subsidize broadband access and equipment ( hotspot access equipment, Wi-Fi extenders, and headphones) to be lent to DC students for long-term use; hiring two additional IT staff members who will support training materials and ensure that students are able to leverage technological resources and, also,  that faculty and staff are best positioned to use technological resources; and purchasing video cameras and podcasting equipment that can be used to facilitate experiential learning with technology and enhance remote learning to improve digital skills and IT workforce capacity.  

 $ 699,950.00  

The Bennett College "E Camp" (Entrepreneurship, Coding, and Artificial Intelligence for Members of the Community Program) project aims to expand instruction and remote learning opportunities by creating three certificate programs that are available to neighboring communities. BC will design, implement, and execute a new hybrid entrepreneurship program and a coding and artificial intelligence program for students at Bennett College and women and girls of color in the community. The entrepreneurship program will integrate the Bennett campus community with the neighboring community in a hybrid format. An introduction to computers course will be offered to help community members that lack adequate prerequisite computer experience to succeed in the program. Students will be provided a computer and access to broadband, as needed, to access the courses they take. This project will also improve the WIFI capabilities on the Bennett College campus 

 $ 4,933,021.00  

Fayetteville State University (FSU)'s “Expand Deployment of Pivotal Technologies” (EDOPT) project aims to improve broadband utilization, remote learning, STEM learning outcomes, entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity capabilities for students and small businesses in the surrounding anchor communities. FSU’s project activities will expand hybrid telepresence classroom capabilities, distribute laptops and hotspots to selected students with demonstrated need;  assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in its anchor communities to launch or enhance their online presence--leveraging the assistance of student interns working with faculty and with national and local community partners; enhance utilization of shared broadband resources and applications in the University-owned Business Hub; pilot virtual reality-based lab simulations in selected Science classes; and enhance an Entrepreneurship Lab within its College of Business and Economics to enable students to work remotely with businesses and entrepreneurs. 

 $ 5,720,896.00  

Johnson C. Smith University's “Charlotte’s Inclusive Tech-Innovation Pilot” project aims to create a vibrant and connected community that leverages broadband to support economic growth and prosperity within the anchor communities and, also, to increase broadband connectivity, minority business enterprises, and economic mobility. The project activities will provide trainings (bootcamps in analytics; community-based trainings by different partners and collaborators; university-based trainings); implement technology platforms to support learning experiences; distribute laptops to students and patrons in the eligible census tracts; upgrade the campus broadband infrastructure at the university from a 3G to 5G network; and provide working space in the Smith Tech-Innovation Center for minority businesses to operate 

 $ 3,686,697.00  

The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) “Aggie Residential Network Upgrade” project’s goals are to update the WiFi network and other equipment within the residence halls on campus, which are unable to meet student’s bandwidth and security needs, and to create staff positions to support faculty development to further integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. Two main project activities will meet these goals. The first is to upgrade broadband network equipment in sixteen residence halls and two buildings adjacent to them. The second activity is to fund to two instructional technology specialists for two years to help faculty adopt and integrate modern technology into their teaching, learning, and community/economic engagement practices. 

 $ 5,072,045.00  

Shaw University's “Building Bridges to Cyber Operations and Digital Equity” (Building Bridges to CODE) project aims to improve the learning capacity and capabilities of students who are currently enrolled at the university and to enable students to engage in supplemental learning with a hybrid learning model. Low-income students will be able to unlock the potential of digital learning with Shaw University’s Digital Resources. The project activities include upgrading the current infrastructure to improve its current capacity of 1 Gbps to support a 10 Gbps connection to the internet; distributing personal learning devices to low-income students; creating a virtual campus for current and future students; and upgrading technology in classrooms to enhance education delivery for both virtual and in-person students. 

 $ 2,066,822.86  

The Wilberforce University “Wilberforce University Broadband Access” project aims to address the significant gaps between the current state of broadband access and connectivity and the desired state of these increasingly foundational resources at Wilberforce University. The project activities will expand broadband internet access on campus; create hybrid classrooms by upgrading the equipment and devices available for student and teacher use; create new IT positions to support technological upgrades and provide Chromebooks to students; and open the campus library to members of the anchor community where they can utilize the campus broadband services. 

$ 2,950,598.00  

Northeastern State University’s “Project INVESTS” aims to make an investment in the expansion of its educational infrastructure to meet the needs of tribal and other low-income and underrepresented college students, over 66% of whom live in rural areas. NSU will improve the network capacity and virtual instructional delivery systems by expanding virtual services offered by its U.S. Department of Education TRIO programs and improving remote learning capacity for NSU’s high school-to-college summer bridge program. NSU will also train its IT staff to manage the upgraded network systems as well as provide internships to its students. The school will replace old analog equipment in its Library Auditorium with state-of-the-art Zoom teaching and learning resources and extend capabilities across the entire institution using mobile Zoom carts. Finally, NSU will train faculty in digital and technical skills to increase the number of online courses available. 

$ 2,948,610.00  

Community College of Philadelphia’s “Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program” project aims to expand access to technology equipment, services, and trainings to provide sustainable digital equity to the communities in and around the Community College of Philadelphia. The program will: expand access to needed technology devices (desktops/laptops); increase access to internet connectivity (wireless and private LTE broadband); and implement digital literacy education (community digital literacy training and on-campus workforce development training courses).  

 $ 1,510,941.00  

The Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Carolina Campus (UAGM-CC) “Broadband Digital Inclusion Project” (BDIP) aims to address the need for digital inclusion and to address challenges the university faces in helping undergraduate students and low-income households in Puerto Rico, particularly in Carolina County. There are five project activities. The project will research digital inclusion, digital broadband adoption and access to remote education by university students and low income/anchor communities in Puerto Rico; deploy equipment such as computers, tablets, and audiovisual equipment on campus to improve instruction; deploy broadband technology to provide access to Internet services to selected three anchor communities in Carolina County; provide access to educational instruction on Cybersecurity; and develop digital literacy skills among UAGM-CC low income/in need students and members of selected three anchor communities by providing access to educational instruction.  

 $ 2,893,457.00  

Benedict College’s “Connecting Minority Communities & Innovation Initiative” pilot program will decrease the digital divide for college students and members of the targeted anchor communities by improving IT infrastructure through the installation of hotspot towers, increasing student academic achievement, increasing graduation and retention rates at the college, and improving adult learning and job readiness through the development of a community learning center and loan device program. The project activities fall into two categories: (1) Infrastructure and (2) Community Engagement. The infrastructure phase will expand Benedict College’s broadband capacity and access for students, faculty, and staff by upgrading the internal Wi-Fi infrastructure to support higher level network security and access. The second phase, Community Engagement, will establish a community learning center and loaner device program for the target population to increase student academic achievement, retention, and graduation rates. 

 $ 2,999,450.00  

Claflin University's “Connecting Minority Communities Project” will bridge both on-campus and near-campus broadband divides for Claflin University’s underserved students. Claflin aims to close the digital divide among its underserved students. In addition, the university will develop a Digital Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program that will allow Claflin University to fully leverage and maximize new investments in broadband and technology. The project will upgrade the university broadband network in all major campus buildings and residential halls. Also, the university will introduce a new Student Technology Equity Program (STEP) that provides long-term loans of laptops and hotspot access points to assist students with course work. Finally, Claflin will upgrade campus wireless access points to meet new standards 

 $ 2,992,248.23  

The American Baptist College Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program project aims to improve the technological capabilities of American Baptist College, identify the “Digital Deserts” in a 15-mile radius of the college, aid those communities, and improve the technological services provided to students at American Baptist College and to many others in the surrounding area. Their project activities include upgrading the campus’ technologies and digital capabilities; providing equipment and training to students, staff and faculty; targeting needed digital access and services in technologically-starved areas of the community and expand its existing outreach programs; delivering educational and support classes to all program users; and improving the capacity of on campus and community site training centers by hiring staff and buying equipment.  

$ 472,005.48

The Lane College “Digital Equity & Innovation Project” has two main goals: (1) to build a virtual learning environment capable of handling modern connectivity requirements; and (2) to create a healthy community through workforce training and community programs, made possible through technology acquisition. The project will update the broadband network at Lane College by replacing hardware and wiring that has outlived its useful life and conducting network updates to ensure security. The project will also develop the college’s Dream and Innovation Center – a new workforce development and training space. CMC funding will be used to equip the Center’s classrooms with technology including workstations, interactive whiteboards, and improved wireless access and install security for the building to ensure safety of equipment and students. The Dream & Innovation Center will also house two workforce development partnership programs. 

 $ 2,246,173.00  

Our Lady of the Lake University’s “Connecting Minority Communities Pilot” project aims to improve and expand educational instruction and remote learning opportunities, build the digital capacity of the university, and increase broadband access, adoption, and digital skills of the university and surrounding anchor community. First, OLLU will upgrade technology and provide internet access. They will train faculty on incorporating technologies into instruction and provide training in the use of curriculum design and pedagogical tools for online and remote courses across disciplines. Also, the university will provide virtual machines to students in remote courses to facilitate access to university software. In addition, OLLU will implement university-wide proctoring services to provide remote proctoring and integrity safeguards for online testing and assessments that will allow the institution to uphold academic standards in remote courses. Finally, they will establish a new Remote Services Librarian position to expand remote learning opportunities by building the digital capacity of OLLU’s campuses. 

 $ 2,999,677.18  

The Paul Quinn College (PQ) “Quinnite Community Digital Learning Center” project will address the lack of infrastructure and technology support in the institution and in the surrounding anchor communities. Paul Quinn College seeks to remedy the problem and resolve the crisis by strengthening IT staff expertise to serve both the College and the anchoring communities to address this serious need. The project can be broken into two parts. First, the college will facilitate the development of a full-service IT Department to serve existing users and projects and help build the next phase of the university's digital learning infrastructure. PQ will hire an IT Director. Second, PQ will build a Community Digital Learning Center where it will operate a full-service IT learning and support center, and provide loaner laptops to Paul Quinn College students, K-12 students from KIPP South Oak Cliff charter school and DISD Haynes Global Prep International Baccalaureate Academy, their families, and members of the surrounding community.   

 $ 2,770,417.00  

Sul Ross State University (SRSU)'s “Expanding Access and Increasing Capacity in Far West Texas” project aims to improve broadband network capabilities on campus and upgrade classroom facilities so that distance learners have learning and teaching experiences that mirror those of in-person learning. At the SRSU Alpine Campus, upgrades will focus on taking advantage of recent infrastructural improvements to bring networking capabilities into the 21st century, including upgraded wiring to distance learning classrooms, improved firewalls, and upgrading switches. At the three campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde which comprise SRSU’s Rio Grande College, improvements will focus on distance learning and classroom and common space upgrades to ensure that the commuter and simulcast learning style of the campus provides students an opportunity to excel which meets or exceeds the opportunity of students who attend in-person learning elsewhere. Additionally, SRSU will launch a laptop provision pilot program to distribute capable laptops to students who demonstrate need and otherwise lack access to such technology when off campus. 

$ 1,183,089.00

The Jarvis Christian College “Digital Literacy and Access” project aims to close a digital divide among the college's students by upgrading the school's wireless infrastructure, providing access to personal devices and hotspots, and increasing the volume of courses and degrees available to hybrid and full online students for a more immersive, engaging learning experience. The project activities will upgrade the broadband infrastructure to increase capacity and reduce lag on the network; purchase and distribute personal devices and Wi-Fi hotspots; and install computer stations and collaboration technology into the Texas Workforce Commission building on campus. 

 $ 3,000,000.00  

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU)’s “Air Panther NextGen Network Project” aims to mitigate the digital divide at PVAMU and its designated anchor communities in two tiers, which are internal-facing activities that will impact PVAMU’s infrastructure and external-facing community centric education programs. The project activities include upgrading the university’s infrastructure;  enhancing facilities through investment of smart technology and training for faculty and staff members; creating virtual reality augmented classrooms and content to support the development of virtual instruction; developing a continuing education non-academic platform; procuring laptops to support students in need of access to personal device; and creating a digital skills training program for PVAMU students and the residents of Hempstead and Prairie Cities. 

$ 2,850,148.35

The South Texas College (STC) “Connecting Minority Communities” project aims to increase network capacity and resilience by adding additional fiber connections between campus locations, transform more classrooms to support digital learning, and support low-income students with limited resources by providing more ways for students to connect to STC faculty and learning opportunities. The project activities will upgrade fiber optic bandwidth connectivity between the Mid-Valley Campus, the Starr County Campus and STC's Information Technology Hub; upgrade existing classroom infrastructure and equipment to increase the digital classroom capacity at the Mid-Valley Campus and the Starr County Campus; provide mobile gateway devices and student services for at least 400 students; and expand instruction and remote learning opportunities for students by virtualizing specialized desktop software. 

 $ 2,152,778.26  

Texas College’s “Communities Connected” project aims to expand broadband access and provide leadership to the community in the acquisition and use of broadband services. The project activities will upgrade Texas College’s current internet speed and bandwidth on its main campus and extend it to off campus buildings; partner with residential Fixed Wireless providers to offer online broadband education, awareness, training, access, and equipment to students and households of Tyler, Texas and Smith County; provide discounted and/or subsidized broadband access and equipment to residents of Tyler, Texas; provide IT training to small-business organizations in the community; provide training to faculty; and evaluate the project. 

 $ 2,470,225.00  

University of Houston – Downtown’s “Expanding the UHD Bilingual E-Library to Support Literacy Awareness and Connectivity among the Hispanic Community" project aims to address issues related to connectivity, literacy, and the preparation of the labor force to meet the challenge of economic growth in Houston, Texas. The main project activity is expanding UHD's bilingual e-library to support digital skills, digital inclusion, literacy training, and technology services to assist the Hispanic community within the UHD anchor community. UHD bilingual students will work with Hispanic families at elementary schools in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to write culturally meaningful stories with the families. These stories will be part of the UHD upgraded bilingual e-library. The e-library supports practicing reading in English and Spanish. In addition, parents will learn comprehension, writing skills, and technology proficiency along with their children. 

 $ 2,990,594.00  

The University of the Virgin Islands' “UVI Technology Innovations: Expanding Network Capacity and Resilience to Foster Creativity, Enhance Cybersecurity, and Improve Access To Resources For Learning" project aims to achieve broadband and IT infrastructure improvements and implement unique innovations in teaching strategies and resources to engage students effectively. The project activities include the replacement of fiber optic cable for faster data transmission speeds and more robust bandwidth; the replacement of routers to address faulty electronics that are points of failure; the commissioning of architectural drawings of residential facilities for optimizing placement of WiFi access points; and the creation of a pilot community cloud to ensure that students and faculty using the specialized lab environment remain connected for teaching and learning during the intermittent power grid and service provider disruptions common to the USVI Territory.  

$ 3,898,789.00  

Norfolk State University (NSU)’s “Establishing a Smart Campus and Community (SmartCOM)” aims to expand broadband access and connectivity on campus and provide subsidize broadband services for students, broaden remote instruction, workforce development, and adopt broadband internet services in anchor communities to decrease the lack of internet access, provide needed resources to the university, and improve economic challenges for members of the anchor communities. The project activities will install core fiber infrastructure to all buildings on campus; provide commercial bandwidth speed with fiber directly into business locations; subsidize student broadband access; create workforce development and experiential learning opportunities for NSU students; partner with local churches for off-site training and digital inclusion programs for anchor community residents and eligible students. At these sites, NSU will provide high-quality technical assistance for broadband internet access service, equipment distribution, an intensive individualized care management process to holistically address social, behavioral, and physical drivers impacting their health and self-sufficiency; and increase the training services offered at the NSU Innovation Center. 

$ 2,799,180.00  

Virginia State University's “Broadband Infrastructure and Digital Inclusion” project seeks to improve broadband internet access and digital inclusion on the VSU campus and in the surrounding anchor community. VSU will improve their broadband infrastructure and access by acquiring and installing new fiber optic cabling, access points, and antenna systems across campus. Additionally, VSU will enhance digital inclusion on and off campus by distributing laptops to new freshmen, joining the MidAtlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA), providing a Digital Navigator program in the anchor community, and implementing a community coding initiative for K-12 students in the Ettrick and Petersburg communities. 

$ 2,987,765.00

Virginia Union University's “Connecting Minority Communities Pilot” Program aims to enhance, expand and improve broadband internet access, connectivity, and digital inclusion for its campus facilities, faculty, staff, and prioritized students as well as those most in need within the anchor community. The project activities are: improving the Campus Area Network with hardware and software upgrades to wireless connectivity; hiring additional IT staff; providing complimentary broadband internet access and loaned equipment (including laptops, tablets, hotspots, routers); and offering digital skills development. Students and community patrons will be required to take digital skills trainings prior to receiving loaner equipment. 

$ 2,963,813.00

The University of Washington (UWT)'s "Connect Across Tacoma: devices, skills, and service expansion for digital equity" project aims to address digital divides in Tacoma, WA, improving broadband access, adoption, and education for students at the University of Washington Tacoma and patrons in its anchor community. The project activities include distributing tablets and laptops to in-need students and patrons by the Black Brilliance Research (BBR) team; enrolling households with Internet subscriptions who would not otherwise have home broadband service; training students and patrons as Digital Stewards; and having the Digital Stewards do a 14-week internship in which a subset of those Stewards will deliver digital literacy training, user support, and broadband adoption support to the broader student and anchor community, including participants in the device distribution program and the service enrollment program.