Dallas Innovation Alliance Launches Mobile Learning Lab to Provide Wi-Fi and Services
In support of Operation Connectivity and in collaboration with Dallas Independent School District, 10 buses will bring internet coverage to under-connected neighborhoods in Dallas
July 16, 2020 [DALLAS, TX] – The Dallas Innovation Alliance, a 501c3 public private partnership dedicated to supporting smart cities strategy in Dallas, announced the launch of its Mobile Learning Lab, providing Wi-Fi to under-connected neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. With the support of partners Santander Consumer USA Foundation,The Meadows Foundation, Cisco, Capital One, Netsync, and Presidio, a footprint of 150-300 feet of Wi-Fi coverage will serve the South Dallas-Fair Park neighborhood at Fair Park located just inside Gate 5, off of 2nd Avenue. The mobile learning lab bus was generously provided by FlyBusFly.
The program is two years in the making, and through partnerships with Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD), a total of 10 buses will be dispatched to provide Wi-Fi access in Dallas neighborhoods identified as having the highest percentage of homes lacking internet. The Dallas ISD buses will serve as mobile hotspots, tech support hubs, and enrollment centers. When school buildings closed due to COVID-19 in March, an estimated 36,000 Dallas ISD households had no Internet connectivity. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa led the charge, known as Operation Connectivity, and believes providing broadband Internet connectivity to all Dallas ISD families is a social justice issue that must be addressed.
Currently, over 40 percent of residents in Dallas lack in-home connectivity, according to research conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and a recent Dallas Independent School District survey found that nearly 30% of students do not have internet access.
“Having broadband Internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity,” Superintendent Hinojosa said. “Internet connectivity should join water, electricity, gas and wastewater as an essential service.”
“When we asked our neighbors what they want to see at Fair Park, the number one answer was free Wi-Fi,” said Spectra’s Peter Sullivan, General Manager of Fair Park. “When the Dallas Innovation Alliance approached us with this initiative, we saw this as another opportunity to support our surrounding community.”
When pandemic restrictions subside, the DIA’s Mobile Learning Lab will convert into a classroom, and will serve to fill the homework gap during the afternoon and evening hours, providing programming including on-board tutoring, experiential learning opportunities, financial and digital literacy, and more. For parents, resources including job application assistance, access to online services, workforce development, among others, will be available. Weekend programming will include seminars for senior citizens on financial planning, digital literacy and protection against identity theft and fraud online. Partnerships with community organizations will bring additional programming to the Mobile Learning Lab.
“Digital inclusion is one of the most critical issues of our generation, impacting all areas of our lives, including education, healthcare and access to opportunity; the current crisis has put a spotlight on this challenge, as well as the opportunity to come together to find solutions,” commented Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director of the Dallas Innovation Alliance. “This program is designed to aid in providing access to resources as organizations across the city work together to design long-term solutions. We are honored to support the vision of Superintendent Hinojosa and Operation Connectivity to serve our neighbors, and are so grateful to our partners in making this program a reality.”
The Mobile Learning Lab will be stationed at Fair Park from 9:00am to 3:00pm with additional programming locations varying week to week. All activities will be outside until further notice as we monitor public health circumstances evolve. The Dallas Independent School District activated two initial buses in June, and will evaluate expansion as summer session commences. For specific locations and schedule, please visit the ‘Where’s my bus?' site. Public, community and private sector organizations interested in partnering on programming are encouraged to reach out to info@dallasinnovationalliance.com. For more information, please visit www.DallasInnovationAlliance.com.
About the Dallas Innovation Alliance
The Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) is a 501c3 public-private partnership dedicated to supporting the design and execution of a smart cities plan for the City of Dallas. The DIA defines a smart city as one that lives at the intersection of community, data and technology to improve quality of life, inclusive economic growth and resource efficiency. In 2017, the DIA launched the Smart Cities Living Lab, comprised of 10 integrated projects in downtown Dallas, and is the fastest-to-market smart cities initiative in the country. Partners of the Dallas Innovation Alliance include: City of Dallas, Dallas County, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Dallas Regional Chamber, VisitDallas, Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC), Downtown Dallas Inc., The Real Estate Council (TREC), Texas Research Alliance, AT&T, Toyota, Santander, Capital One, Cisco, Netsync and Wells Fargo.
For more information, please visit www.DallasInnovationAlliance.com or follow the DIA on Twitter @DallasSmartCity and Facebook at DallasInnovationAlliance.