National Digital Inclusion Alliance

On behalf of the 156 individuals leading 140 organizations serving communities from 39 states, we, the undersigned, urge you to reinstate the Digital Equity Act (DEA) Programs that were cancelled on May 9, 2025. We are the organizations that would have carried out the work funded by the Digital Equity Act Program, created and authorized by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

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. 

When Abraham Camez set up shop at the Hoopa Valley Community to sell his signature smoked BBQ, he noticed something that stuck with him. “A lot of people around here make incredible food or handmade goods,” he said. “But many of them weren’t making sales simply because they didn’t accept credit cards.” That everyday observation planted the seed for a brand-new community program—that’s now helping local vendors modernize their small businesses, accept digital payments, and grow their customer base.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance is thrilled to publish the first set of many resources and tools for our community that shine a light on the work of digital inclusion coalitions across the country.  We’re sharing an interactive map and visualizations of coalitions that feature a breakdown of 85 coalitions representing statewide, regional, and local (municipal and county) levels of geography. We recommend that you use these tools to gather contact information for any listed coalition to get connected with leaders across the country and learn more about their important work. 

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has worked with and learned from the thousands of people on the ground in communities across the country who are doing the important work of narrowing the digital divide. Along the way, we've learned about five essentials for running successful digital navigator programs:

“Technology isn’t just about computers—it’s about creating access to jobs, education, healthcare, and staying connected with family,” says Joe Hillaire, the lead Digital Navigator for Lummi Nation, a Tribal land located along coastal northern Washington state. Joe is helping the Lummi Indian Business Council (LIBC) build a Digital Navigator program by providing skills training and facilitating access to digital tools for residents of the Lummi Reservation. The Lummi people have deep ties to th

Working in rural Iowa, where seven of the state’s smallest incorporated communities are located, Digital Navigator Allison Ruhl has been tirelessly building a program to reach residents with technical assistance, digital skills training, and devices. Her work bridges the gap for people in hard-to-reach geographies, helping them gain the tools and confidence they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Allison is central to the Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN)’s participation in NDIA’s National Digital Navigator Corps.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance, in partnership with AMERIND Critical Infrastructure, is proud to present the very first ever awardees of the Seven Star Communities program. 

Since 2020, the digital navigator model has spread like wildfire. Programs with trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills are now in hundreds of communities across the U.S. Thirty-nine states and territories included digital navigator programs in their state/territory digital equity/opportunity plans, many of whom included libraries as key community partners.

National Artificial Intelligence Literacy Day encourages collective action to learn more about AI and reflect on how it shapes the human experience in all aspects of life. AI literacy is for everyone. It’s for people who design technology and people who interact with technology—whether they choose to adopt the latest tools or not—because AI is increasingly embedded into traditional platforms and products.