Presented by Beltone – A leader in hearing medicine. “It’s the silver lining of the pandemic cloud,” said Laura Pastor, a councilor for Phoenix, whose district includes many of the city’s digitally underserved neighborhoods. “Children no longer have to sit in library or coffee shop parking lots to get access to high-speed broadband to do their homework.” The COVID-19 health emergency closed schools, libraries and community centers and sent students to study from home the end. Given that more than 250,000 families had no access or insufficient internet speed to attend school or do tasks, city and education officials called for a solution to the digital divide. “Overcoming challenges is in Phoenix’s DNA,” said Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix. “This is a great example of how, by looking at things differently, we can create innovative solutions that make Phoenix a world class city. PHX DECC is an affordable, collaborative solution for the digital divide we are proud of. ”In an almost 18-month effort, the concept, testing, and reality have been brought together in a scalable solution for the digital divide, students with virtual ones Connects classrooms, conferences, homework and curated school resources. At Phoenix College it all started with just four words. Pastor played a leading role in bringing the consortium together to develop and deploy the PHX DECC. In her unique position as a councilor in America’s fifth largest city and full-time liaison for Phoenix Community College, Pastor is also an elected member of the governing board of the Phoenix Union High School District. She used her connections to drive a solution to the digital divide. “Paul Ross and I were called into the office of then President of Phoenix College Larry Johnson Jr. He gave us a simple fee, ”she said. “He said, ‘Solve the digital divide.'” Ross, Associate Vice President and CIO of Phoenix College, came up with the idea of using existing technology and applications to create a digital canopy over a school district, providing students with virtual classrooms and Homework connects. and school digital resources through an accessible, free, high-speed wireless intranet. “I first got the idea in Ohio in 2016 and again in Washington in 2017, and I couldn’t believe the idea of using existing technology to bridge the digital divide,” said Ross. “With the pandemic, it was no longer just in pockets; The ability to connect affected everyone, everywhere. ”Pastor was able to leverage the cross-agency resources and build collaboration. “I didn’t know how to solve the digital divide,” she said. “But I knew where to find those who wanted it. I knew the city was going to get CARES money, just like the school districts in college. If everyone contributed, we would have the know-how, the commitment and the money for it. ”When the challenge of ensuring access to classrooms and educational resources was on the table, the walls between the city, education, business and the telecommunications industry disappeared. “It’s in the city’s best interests to make this city a sustainable city at the end of the day, so you want to make sure all of your families have a level playing field,” said Christine Mackay, director of Phoenix Community and Economic Development. “That means they all have access to quality education so they can find good jobs. This is really what you want for all of your citizens. ”She said that the telecommunications industry and business world are committed to a long-term solution to all educational opportunities for our students. An Investment in the Workforce of the Future As America’s fastest growing city, Phoenix is a magnet for growing businesses and an ever-increasing need for workers. “From an economic point of view, we were not allowed to fill any gaps in our future workforce,” said Mackay. “We’ve worked really hard across all sectors to create a place that will make Phoenix Arizona a great destination for high-wage technology-related businesses that we’ve never seen before. They are very attracted to the workforce we have. ”The key is off-the-shelf technology No dedicated consultants, no proprietary hardware; The task was to adapt the solution to the maintenance and servicing within the framework of the existing school district budget. Ross said the key to doing this is doing thorough research. And he spent hundreds of hours reading specification sheets and testing standard equipment. He had what it takes to become PHX DECC: free broadband connection between students and schools in a scalable concept and an economically efficient solution. On paper, Ross and Pastor had a recipe for solving the digital divide. Finding a Long-Term Solution “We have important information about our students,” said Dr. Chad Gestson, Headmaster of the Phoenix Union High School District. “We have a staggering number living with food insecurity. (So we know) the students who live without access to resources, and they certainly live without access to technology. ”Gestson said the priority is to get quick access to school for families with a permanent solution. “Thanks to the willing companies, the students were able to access WiFi in cafés; they were able to log into the internet near libraries and some public buildings, ”Gestson said. “These are short-term solutions.” The pandemic showed that even the short-term solutions posed significant problems. “When the pandemic broke out, all students were sent home, as were their parents,” Ross said. “This meant that the household’s Internet connection was used by parents for work and several students for school. There wasn’t the capacity for everyone at the same time. In addition, companies that normally provided WiFi to students were also closed and many turned off their wireless networks. ”Pastor noted that the problem was in her own home where she was juggling the roles of parent, employee, board member and councilor . “We had internet connectivity issues with all of the video conferencing and virtual classes,” she said. It was impossible for thousands of families to go to school from home. They had no food on the table, let alone high-speed internet connection. Sitting in a parking lot by closed libraries and leisure centers helped, but it wasn’t a homework solution. It wasn’t just bags here and there Ross watched the pandemic highlight digital divide issues that weren’t just bags scattered across rural America. “Almost everyone with a student at home was affected in some way by the bandwidth requirements,” he said. “So we decided it was time to take the theory and test it in practice.” Phoenix wasn’t the only community that took up this challenge. Other cities and organizations have tried to find a solution. According to reports, costs have skyrocketed and the number of people served has been limited. The answer from Phoenix College would serve 250,000 families for far fewer than other systems. With off-the-shelf equipment, school districts could take on system maintenance within their budget. Micro-concept tested with college students With seed capital from the city of Phoenix, Ross has brought a test installation into play at Phoenix College. Students on campus took the test, took classes, did schoolwork, and used resources. The micro-concept was a complete success. Phase I deployment started in summer 2020. “We had to cover the school districts. I can tell you more about any rod under the (PHX DECC) cap than anyone, ”said Ross. “I was walking through the neighborhoods; I’ve talked to people; I looked at all of the locations. I knew that would work. ”The goal was to be ready for the start of the school year 2021/22. The program goes live on September 1 in three school districts: the Phoenix Union High School District and the Alhambra and Cartwright elementary school districts. A public effort supported by businesses and the private telecommunications industry The WiFi canopy for the schools required security, high-speed broadband capacity, and the ability of each district to manage costs and maintenance within the existing technology capacity. PHX DECC provides all three solutions. It took financial support to make this possible, and Phoenix played a huge role in that. “ARPA and the CARES Act provide the federal funds necessary to invest in a resilient, strong future that will last for generations,” said Gallego. “Investing that money in PHX DECC will create a more connected community and deliver the critical outcomes our city needs.” The canopy connects students and parents with virtual classrooms and conferences, homework, and school-curated resources. It does not offer unrestricted access to the internet. Telecommunications companies are generally against cities and educational institutions that offer broadband services. The Southwest Telecommunications Association supports the efforts with PHX DECC. “The cable communications industry supports these efforts. We don’t want government agencies to compete with private companies; this system does not compete, ”said Susan Bitter Smith, executive director of the Southwest Cable Communications Association. “The association understood the needs of communities, and the (PHX DECC )’s unique connection between students and classrooms gives underserved communities the help they need.” Affordable, Accessible, Scalable PHX DECC “We wanted something that any educational institution could use “Said Ross. Instead of writing a blank check, the collaboration focused on the cost of maintaining the PHX DECC system. “We didn’t want the districts to have to hire extra costly third-party providers to maintain the system,” said Pastor. “We wanted the districts to be able to integrate maintenance into existing budgets and capacities. We succeeded. “These controlled costs and the use of existing equipment make the system scalable and transferable to school districts. Ross is really excited about what this means on the education ladder up and down.” We’re creating a program here at Phoenix College that is ours Educates technology students, “he said. They learn how to install, maintain and operate (PHX DECC), which can help them find jobs at local schools or anywhere that this system is installed.” Those involved in the whole process say it almost gives them the creeps when they think of PHX DECC as a life changing technology for families. “Our entire community is thrilled that we are part of this intergovernmental effort to bridge the digital divide,” said Gestson “Once we have this network in place, our staff and faculties will really be able to meet students at night and during the night nd to deal with on weekends. They’re very excited for our students. ”Gestson said,“ In this high-tech world, technical access shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be a right. ”PHX DECC Phase I goes live on September 1st. Is Your Business Listed In The Official Prescott Valley Recreation Guide ?! 60,000 copies are printed annually! How can you add your company? Call 928-257-4177 or email [email protected] or fill out the form on www.signalsaz.com.
[ad_2]
