Community leaders come together addressing lack of

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Rotary Club of Tallahassee Southside got a $75,000 grant Tuesday to help bridge the digital gap for students who may not have access to the internet or technology at home.

“COVID taught us,” said Rotarian Christic Henry. “It taught us that there are students that have access to sustainable technology services, and there are students that don’t.” She said it’s a community responsibility to step in and fight the problem.

Henry said it’s necessary for students on Tallahassee’s southside to be exposed to the tech industry, and internet access should not be a barrier.

Community and tech leaders from multiple states came to Fairview Middle School Tuesday, holding a forum to make sure the next generation of students are well-prepared to keep up with technology. The grant was awarded by Comcast, who is partnering with the Tallahassee community on the initiative.

“I’ve actually never done anything like this before,” said 12-year old Journey Scarborough. She said attending the technology sessions piqued her interest and she learned about new career opportunities. “I might actually want to be an engineer now,” she said.

Students were exposed to several career options in technology and social media, while stakeholders worked on solutions to close the digital gap.

We have careers, jobs and opportunities here, but the current workforce aren’t skilled to take advantage of them,” said Henry. “A lot of the reason why is because the knowledge of IT, and the knowledge of that skilled background and understanding of technology is lacking.”

The Rotary Club, Apalachee Ridge Estates Neighborhood Association and Leon County Schools are collectively launching a new initiative called #TallahasseeConnects. The campaign will run for nine months, helping Southside residents to access free or reduced-cost internet services.

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