Accelerating Digital Equity Campaign Update

Updated 10/19/20

As of October 19, more than 681 donors have given more than $946,000  towards our $1.5 million goal.

The campaign continues to raise funds, even as our steering committee puts these dollars to work right away:

  • In August and September, this fund provided nearly $70,000 to DPS, allowing the district to quickly purchase Chromebooks locally when trade sanctions resulted in a device shortage for school districts across the country.

  • In September, our steering committee approved $300,000 to provide free access to HOPE Learning Centers, which are providing a safe and supportive environment for students who need it. An additional $744,000 for HOPE Learning Centers has come from Durham County and the City of Durham. (Learn more about Learning Centers and how to enroll below).

  • In October, $270,000 was allocated to establish the Accelerating Digital Equity School Fund, which provides  direct support for projects created by and for school communities. The fund is open to all 53 Durham Public Schools and will allow school teams (made up of teachers, parents, counselors, etc.) to request money to help complete a school project that engages students in an innovative way during remote-learning.

  • Also in October, an additional $45,000 was approved for the Advanced Course Equity Collaborative. This is a new initiative out of DPS’s Ignite Academy that will provide professional development and support for teachers to utilize DPS's new online learning systems to increase equitable access to advanced courses.

On October 5th, Durham faith community representatives gathered to discuss the importance of digital equity for all Durham Public Schools (DPS) students. This conversation was facilitated by Accelerating Digital Equity Campaign Co-Chair Zack Hawkins, Durham Congregations in Action Executive Director Spencer Bradford, and DPS Foundation Executive Director Magan Gonzales-Smith. A combined $45,000 has been raised so far from area faith communities for this initiative, with several more planning love offerings or other fundraisers to benefit this campaign. 

We'll have more updates soon on how this campaign is making real impact in the areas of HOPE Learning Centers, Technical Support & Digital Literacy, Ongoing Student Equipment Needs, and Teacher Training. Please stay tuned and consider supporting this Accelerating Digital Equity campaign at www.bullcityschools.org/digitalequity.

COVID-19 Critical NeedsKatie Wright