As more schools have started the new school year remotely, that means there are plenty of students that have problems with reliable internet access.  Which makes remotely learning hard or useless in some cases.

WZZM 13 reports that the Grand Rapids Public library is trying to help fix that, by working with and identifying local organizations around the area that work with a "large population of tech-disadvantaged households and residents."

Through that work, WZZM 13 says GRPL has teamed up with the following 5 community organizations:  HQ - Runaway Homeless Youth Drop-in center, the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities - Cook Arts Center, Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, Baxter Community Center, and the Urban League to help families they don’t have high-speed Internet access by providing mobile hotspots.

As GRPL Youth Services Supervisor, Jessica Anne Bratt said in a news release posted to  WZZM 13,

“With the expansion of virtual education across the city due to COVID-19, it’s imperative that we confront the digital equity gap. Students without access to high-speed internet experience an immeasurable disadvantage during distance learning. Providing hot spots to neighborhoods with high need promotes equitable learning opportunities.”

According to WZZM 13, the mobile hotspots help provide internet access from anywhere and their hope is to be able to help make virtual learning easier on families that find themselves struggling to afford or unable to secure high-speed internet access.

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