A Bit of a Choice

0 or 1. At the end of the day, every line of every piece of code comes down to that. Yes or no. A or B. And slowly from that we have built a miraculous set of tools that have galvanized our economy, connected our world in ways we could never have imagined a generation ago.

As North Carolina builds out its digital infrastructure, we have a 0 or 1 decision to make as well. Do we want everyone to have a real chance to take advantage of this tool?

At the Emerging Issues Forum, ReCONNECT to Technological Opportunity, earlier this month in Raleigh, we checked in on the remarkable progress the state is making in extending high speed internet capacity to every nook and cranny of the state. But when we looked at who’s using it, we found a lot of people left behind. A greater percentage of people in rural NC aren’t subscribing to high speed broadband services. More total people, mostly lower-income folks, aren’t subscribing in our cities. Add it up, and just 59.4% of people across the state who have an opportunity to subscribe to broadband are doing so.

On February 10 we explored what communities can do to leverage high speed Internet in an equitable way. We “time traveled” to the future, to a time when everyone had access to broadband. We learned how both rural and urban communities are using broadband for economic growth. Oh and did we mention this happened!

See complete recap »

IEI announced formation of Building a New Digital Economy in NC (BAND-NC), a new support program designed to make the state “first in digital inclusion.” BAND-NC is a grant program designed to help communities implement digital inclusion projects in their county.

The Institute for Emerging Issues, Service Year NC, The Corporation for National & Community Service, the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, and Service Year Alliance invite you to attend the 2020 Service Year Summit. The summit will focus on how we strengthen national service in NC?

Learn more »

Subscribe and tune in for episodes every Tuesday! A few of our upcoming feature guest include:

• Chris Vitiello (The Poetry Fox)
• Dr. Blair Kelley (NC State University, Assistant Dean for Interdisciplinary Studies and International Programs for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences)
• Rev. James Gailliard, AND MANY MORE!

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7 early-stage startups win spots in
RIoT’s Wilson accelerator program
WILSON — Raleigh-based Internet of Things organization (RIoT), the North Carolina-based economic development nonprofit, has accepted seven early stage startups into their fourth cohort of the RIoT Accelerator Program (RAP), launching in Wilson, NC this spring. Learn more

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William C. Friday Dialogues for Civic Leadership:
Practicing Presence, Cultivating Conveners
3rd Thursdays, Monthly
through Thursday, June 18, 2020
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Southern Regional AHEC Education Center 3rd Floor
1601 Owen Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304 Learn more

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Applications are now being accepted for the Johnson Service Corps (JSC)
From August 2020 through July 2021.

JSC places young people with Chapel Hill and Durham nonprofits. Participants live in intentional communities, receiving a monthly stipend and shared food budget, while working as emerging professionals with their nonprofit partner organization.

Time is committed each week to faith formation around issues such as justice, equity, and call. Although it is an affiliate of the Episcopal Service Corps, young people of all faiths are welcome in JSC. For more information and to apply, visit their website or contact Program Director Andrew Hudgins at andrew@johnsonservicecorps.org.
Learn more