Knight Center of Digital Excellence Partners with 10 U.S. Communities, Top Experts to Seek Stimulus Funding for Broadband Awareness, Training and Adoption Initiative

AKRON, OH, September 02, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Knight Center of Digital Excellence today announced details of its Sustainable Broadband Adoption stimulus proposal - "Connect Your Community" (CYC). The Knight Center, along with the nation's top digital adoption experts, proposes CYC to engage, train, equip, and support new broadband users in ten communities: Aberdeen, S.D.; Akron, Ohio; Biloxi/Gulfport, Miss.; Bradenton, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Lexington, Ky.; Miami, Fla.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Zanesville, Ohio.

Connect Your Community would directly help more than 38,000 disadvantaged households benefit from Internet access through a high-touch, community-based, replicable approach. The program would include digital literacy training and support, creating about 136 direct jobs while generating another 50 indirect positions. The Knight Center has partnered with community agencies such as urban leagues, libraries, educational institutions, economic development groups, and health and human services organizations that would carry out the work in each targeted region...