TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Biden Administration recently announced Tohono O'odham Community College and the Navajo Nation Diné College as two of the first five grant recipients of the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program.
The five grants totaling $10,642,577 will be used to fund internet access, equipment, and to hire and train information technology personnel.
Tohono O'odham Community College will receive $1,927,857 in grant money to support the college's Hewel Wepegi Macidag kc, wog - ‘Learning the Internet Road’ program.
The program is designed to address the lack of broadband access at the college and surrounding Tohono O'odham Nation communities, and to address equity by supporting digital literacy skills, workforce training and community technology upgrades.
Responding to the grant announcement, Tohono O'odham Community College shared via social media:
One of our goals here at Tohono O'odham Community College is to establish a technology core that will enable the students and the broader community to meet the challenges of the future.
With this grant, we can continue our efforts and work toward achieving that goal.
Diné College will receive a grant amount of $2,925,627 toward its Connect Navajo project, which aims to improve educational and economic opportunity on the Navajo Nation by improving internet access, providing more hardware, and investing in IT staff.
According to the grant, "This project will ensure that the Diné people can continue to reside in their homes on Navajo Nation and benefit from access to technology that helps them earn academic credentials and enter economically rewarding and personally fulfilling careers."
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will continue reviewing applications and awarding CMC program grants on a rolling basis.
The CMC program is funded through the Biden Administration's $268 million Internet for All initiative.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
