Need better internet skills? California is spending $70 million to make that happen

Many of us are constantly checking our phones or laptops. But there’s also a large swath of people who aren't so fluent with technology — think older adults, people with disabilities and low-income communities. That’s millions of residents who don’t have the skills to participate fully in modern life.

It's such an important issue that the federal government has awarded California $70 million to set up digital skills classes and other resources across the state, with at least two more rounds of funding to come by 2026.

On Wednesday, the state received the money to carry out its 200-page plan for closing the digital divide. The next step is working out how to divide up the money across the state. Outside of schools and libraries, there aren't many places people can go to learn how to get more comfortable online, so a new slew of offerings will have to be created.

The California Department of Technology, which is in charge of the Digital Equity Capacity grant, as it’s known, said the majority of the money will likely go to helping local groups and coalitions offer devices, digital skills class and other resources.

It’s expected that organizations will be able to apply for funding by the end of the year.

But first, residents will get a chance to weigh in on how officials should divide the money.

“It's important for us to step outside of our own box, if you will, and meet people where they are,” said Scott Adams, deputy director in the office of broadband and digital literacy at the CDT.

He said the state is still developing draft guidelines for the public to consider.

The framework for distributing funds will go out for public comment around late September or early October, and there will be meetings to get feedback.

How the money will be divided up

The state plans to split its $70 million grant fund in three ways: The first is on “centralized services” like a digital literacy assessment and training platform that could be used by local groups and government agencies. Adams said his agency will also fund existing or new state digital inclusion programs.

But the largest amount of funding will go to a digital equity capacity subgrant program for local groups and coalitions to implement, though an exact amount has not been publicly disclosed.

The state is also encouraging groups to appoint one lead primary applicant per geographic area. In the L.A. area, that will be Rebecca Kauma, digital equity director for the county’s Internal Services Department.

She’s applying for capacity grant funds on behalf of local groups as part of her work with the L.A. County Intergovernmental Broadband Coordinating Committee, or IBCC. The coalition is made up of about 40 members, including the L.A. Digital Action League, the nonprofit Human-I-T, Cal State Dominguez Hills and others.

“We've all been connecting and leaning on each other to be able to share best practices and resources,” Kauma said. “And although this application is competitive, it's important for us to understand that each of us will be allocated funding to be able to do great work and that there is a strong and unified voice within the digital equity field.”

Filling in the gaps

As large as it sounds, $70 million across such a populous state as California will not be enough to cover its needs.

So the federal government launched a separate but complementary program in July to fill in the gaps. For that, groups apply directly to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for help, not the state government.

It’s called the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Fund. Local and regional groups have until Sept. 23 to apply for grants in the range of $5 million to $12 million. (You'll be able to read more about that in an upcoming story.)

Kauma is leading the region’s application for this fund as well. During a recent CDT webinar, she stressed to officials that she needs enough time to organize both applications on behalf of more than 20 local partners, many of whom need City Council approval in order for them to participate.

“It requires a lot, and for me, I'm doing it as a one woman team and trying to do the best that I can to serve our partners… whatever flexibility that you can provide to those that are serving in that role would be greatly appreciated,” Kauma said.

She’s also organizing a virtual workshop this fall to help people submit public comments on how the state will split up the money from its capacity grant.

Estefania Zavala, digital equity and economic inclusion officer for the city of Long Beach, said her team is “very much looking forward to partnering” with local groups, educational institutions and other digital inclusion advocates to go after the subgrant funding. Long Beach is also applying for a competitive grant through L.A County.

CDT deputy director Adams said they plan to get “all the funding out in 2025, but there's some steps that need to happen” before they can nail down exact dates.