Advancing Broadband Equity(ABE-LINC)

About ABE-LINC:

The Chicago State University (CSU) "Advancing Broadband Equity through Learning Intermediaries in the Neighborhoods of Chicago" (ABELINC) project, together with subrecipients Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), will implement a guided program to address the internet adoption, broadband access, and the teaching of basic computer skills in Chicago neighborhoods.

What We Offer:

The ABELINC program, based at Chicago State University (CSU) and Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), will use a multi-level approach in which full-time staff work with advanced university student workers to provide high-touch digital skills support with key community anchoring residents. Each full-time ABELINC staff member will develop an engagement strategy with community partners and provide mentoring and supervision to a cohort of student navigators. ABELINC staff will be trained in, and will provide guidance around, 4 key skills to foster household broadband adoption:

1. basic digital literacy (e.g., introduction to devices, broadband technologies, and popular applications);
2. digital conduct (e.g., online safety, privacy management, responsible social media practices,);
3. online resources and tools (e.g., education/training, employment search, healthcare, etc.);
4. Internet subscription/enrollment and device purchasing (e.g., introduction to service plans, government, community resources, and enrollment support).

In addition, ABELINC staff will help local small businesses develop online commerce literacy (e.g., using social media to promote awareness, using business tools). The program will also provide laptops to households in the priority neighborhoods that have only smartphones and mobile plans. In addition to this program, CSU will upgrade its campus Internet connection to meet the increasing campus demand for bandwidth.

Our Partners

Along with CSU, NEIU, UIC, NIU, and IIN, local partners of the grant include Governors State University, Chicago Urban League, City Colleges of Chicago, Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Chicago Commons, Cook County Sheriff’s Department, PCs for People, and Safer Foundation. The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) invited collaborators and guided development of the project proposal.

About Chicago State University

Chicago State University, founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University’s five colleges offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois and ranked by a Harvard economist in the top 4% of public and private universities nationwide in supporting our graduates’ economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent civic space on the greater South Side of Chicago by hosting a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The University is located near public transit that provides convenient access to the campus. For more information, visit here.

About the Illinois Innovation Network

The Illinois Innovation Network, which is led by the University of Illinois System, is a group of 15 hubs across the state working to drive inclusive innovation and economic and workforce development across the state. Hubs, most of which are based at public universities, use a combination of research, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship, and workforce training programs to spur inclusive economic development in their regions and across the state.