Miami, Fla. – Comcast announced Tuesday that it has awarded a $100,000 grant to Miami Dade College (MDC) as part of its Digital Adoption Initiative, aiming to bridge the digital divide and increase digital equity in South Florida communities.

The funding will be used to teach MDC students to become Digital Navigators, individuals affiliated with trusted community organizations who are trained to help people access the Internet, use devices, and build digital skills.

Once their training is complete, the new MDC Digital Navigators will begin working in South Florida communities with a low digital adoption rate.

Members of communitybased organizations will also be trained to become digital instructors to provide digital literacy courses for their clients and communities.

The program is designed to address a major gap in most digital equity strategies by building the capacity of community-based organizations to provide on-demand, consistent digital skills training and support to their constituents.

Miami has the lowest rate of internet access and the lowest median household income of the top five cities in Florida by population.

It is estimated that Black and Hispanic populations in Miami are some of the ones with the most reduced internet access across the city.

After completing the program, students will show residents how they can go online to discover and access critical resources and benefits, including food support, government assistance programs, employment opportunities and more.

The program is set to launch in the Fall of this year, with goals of training approximately 20 students at the start.