Davida Delmar

A well-planned program is only effective if people are aware of it, highlighting the crucial role that marketing and outreach play in the success of your digital navigator program. Shannon O’Brien, a digital navigator with the National Digital Navigator Corps from Washington State University – Grays Harbor Extension, was “surprised at how much program development and marketing were needed when starting out.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance launched the 2025 Digital Navigator Program Toolkit. It provides guidance for setting up and managing successful digital navigator programs. The authors of the toolkit are experts from the NDIA team who have experience training, supporting, and learning from hundreds of digital navigators and programs providing digital navigator services across the country. The toolkit takes readers from conception to execution to sustaining a digital navigator program, with concrete tools and advice from practitioners across the country. 

Seven Star Communities is a new initiative to honor and celebrate Native nations accomplishing digital inclusion work. The Seven Star Communities program hopes to highlight outstanding work, and also provide an opportunity for Native nations to learn from each other. The application for Seven Star Communities 2024 will open towards the end of August. Seven Star Communities are Tribal governments, Native entities and organizations that are working toward digitally inclusive communities.

Tribes are using digital equity funds to do amazing work toward closing the digital divide. Every time we talk to Tribes about digital equity, they have great ideas about how to incorporate digital inclusion in their communities, but they always ask the same question – “Where’s the money for that?” To prepare Tribes for upcoming funding, here’s an overview of existing and forthcoming funding that can help Tribes fund similar programs in their community:

The concept of “digital sovereignty” has become critical for not only Native American Tribes in their pursuit of affordable and robust internet access but also for non-Native partners in understanding the importance of partnering with Tribes. Dr.