Role-playing in simulation to learn how the digital divide hurts the region’s residents and their families

A Digital Divide Simulation exercise convened by Neighborhood Allies with partner organizations, including the Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance, coincided with  with the start of Digital Inclusion Week. Neighborhood Allies normally provides information about southwestern Pennsylvania’s technology deficits and issues via social media, tabling at events and other collaborations each year, according to Senior Program Manager for Digital Inclusion & Innovation Karen Lue. This activity mirrors a poverty simulation that has been around for years. Neighborhood Allies purchased a license for it from KC Digital Drive in Kansas City, the nonprofit that developed this activity. Lue said Ibrahim Emara, an American Connection Corps AmeriCorps fellow, found it during his two years with her organization. Her team knew KC Digital Drive through attending national conferences, and Emara took part in the simulation. So they were sold on it. T-Mobile and Comcast sponsored Monday’s event, and 43 participants from Neighborhood Allies registered to take part. Lue said her team targeted decision makers in government, education, nonprofit organizations and business. The idea: build empathy for people experiencing barriers to digital access and literacy. The potential to find partners and make connections could also occur, with all coming away with tangible items they could implement to assist people learn and achieve such skills. The possibility of learning about philanthropy sources to make those happen could happen, too.