Tech Kit
The Digital Divide Tech Kit program is a Pilot Program to provide portable devices to low-income families in the City of Portland. The Project helps Portlanders overcome barriers to getting online. This program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
We are prioritizing those with the greatest needs,
- Community Elders
- Students in college or about to enter college
- Family currently without access to the internet
Living Islands and the City of Portland will provide those eligible with a tablet, a laptop, or a Chromebook. We will also provide digital hotspots for those without internet access.
To request equipment, you must live in, have family, work, or study in the City of Portland.
All data in this form will only be reviewed by the Living Islands Tech Team and will never be shared with anyone, including the City, State, and Federal Government.
You can fill out the form on behalf of someone else, like a student, a friend, or your grandparents.
THE PROGRAM IS FULL, AND ALL DEVICES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
We are working with funders to (hopefully) rerun this program in the future.
Why Tech Kit: Bridging the Tech Divide – Empowering Our Communities with Technology!
Living Islands has been one of the recipients of Tech Kits through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)’s Digital Divide Response. This project aims to connect people to the online world by providing them with laptops, iPads, Wi-Fi payment assistance, and other necessary resources. The priority populations they seek to serve include diverse communities such as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), seniors, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and refugees, individuals experiencing houselessness or housing insecurity, foster youth, domestic violence survivors, people impacted by incarceration, individuals with disabilities, and those living in poverty. These priority populations often face significant barriers to digital connectivity.
Living Islands is committed to serving the Pacific Islander community members in need and empowering them to connect. In an era of rapid technological advancements, witnessing the digital divide persisting in many communities is disheartening. This makes it even more crucial that our community members have access to the resources provided by this project, which aims to bridge the tech divide through funding to purchase devices.
As Living Islands continues to work with the Digital Divide Response project with the support of ARPA, their commitment to creating a digitally connected and empowered community shines as an inspiring beacon of progress. Through their dedicated work and collaboration, they are fostering a future where access to technology is not a privilege but a fundamental right for all.
