Helping to close the digital divide
Our three M3 institutions have developed a variety of solutions this fall to help close the digital divide for students as virtual learning continues to be a critical component during the pandemic. Some highlights are listed below.
MPS
- Hosted its first-ever “Connection Day” on Aug. 31 to assist students and families across the district with technology needs prior to the first day of school. Schools helped students ensure that Internet connections, cameras, and microphones were working properly.
- Offered Virtual Family Engagement Sessions to give families an understanding of technology, resources and expectations to support students during Phase One of the MPS Reopening Plan. MPS shared tools and tips to help students use Chromebooks at home during virtual learning.
MATC
- Distributed more than 1,300 Chromebooks to students without other access to technology so they could continue their education, stay on track for graduation and achieve their dreams.
- Provided 250 Wi-Fi hot spots through MATC libraries to loan to students to provide reliable Internet access.
- Guaranteed these supports for students in the public-private partnership MATC Promise free tuition program, thanks in part to a generous gift from American Family Insurance.
UWM
- Has limited numbers of Dell laptops, made available by a generous donation from Dell, and Chromebooks, made available by the UWM Libraries, for students to borrow during the fall semester.
- Reopened three UWM campus computer labs with limited capacity to account for social distancing.
- Made UWM remote computer labs available to students for distance learning and increased safety. These labs connect remote students with on-campus Windows 10 computers so they can access software for classes that may not be available on their own personal computers.