The Mobile Learning Lab: What a Difference a Year Makes!
History:
The Dallas Innovation Alliance emerged as a 501c3 public-private partnership in 2015. Cofounded by Trey Bowles and Jennifer Sanders, the nonprofit was formed to unite public, private, civic and academic sectors to support the City of Dallas’ smart city strategy. A Smart City takes a comprehensive approach to economic growth by leveraging infrastructure to reduce costs, and increase efficiency across the city by using technological improvements to improve all aspects of city life. This vision currently includes bridging the digital divide by providing accessible wifi options to underserved communities, improving transit options, reducing emissions, and integrating a data driven approach to prepare Dallas for the future. Its first initiative, the Smart Cities Living Lab in downtown Dallas’ West End Historic District, comprising 10 concurrent projects, was the fastest-to-market smart cities initiative in the country.
In 2018, the DIA focused on building partnerships with organizations and community leaders in South Dallas, and in 2020, the Mobile Learning Lab, a repurposed school bus equipped with seating areas, laptops, and internet access that spans 300 feet, was launched with the mission to provide internet access, homework support and enrichment planning to students in South Dallas. Recent studies have shown that over 60% of 8th Graders nationally need the internet to complete their homework each day, and in Dallas, only half of the city’s families in targeted zip codes had access or a subscription to broadband internet.
Getting 'on the road’ - The Challenges of 2020 Brought Opportunity to Drive Broad Impact
Last year, digital inclusion became an even larger priority as the nation slowed to a halt in response to COVID-19 that sent workers and children home from school for almost a year. The learning gap widened as research began to reveal that families in underserved zip codes were disproportionately impacted in both health, education and digital access. Dallas Innovation Alliance immediately went to work addressing this gap by increasing literacy, access and affordability by inviting partners to participate in the Mobile Learning Lab to bring the program to the places it was most needed. In addition, the DIA has been able to serve on initiatives such as the Internet for All Coalition, through more than 40 partners across ISDs, cities, higher education and community organizations, has been able to ensure K-16 students have access to internet in the home.
The Mobile Learning Lab serves as a mobile learning site for homework support, STEAM, mindfulness programs, art, social skills, digital and soon, financial literacy. The MLL, in partnership with CARDboard Project, provides additional resources for the whole family, including community pop up events and supporting jobs fairs.
Year One in Review:
Over 1600 students were served from July 2020 - March 2021, with more than 90% members of communities of color, desperately in need of safe and educational opportunities in light of the pandemic - particularly experiential learning after a day of Zoom burnout. The Mobile Learning Lab has had six “bus stops” throughout the community and makes surprise appearances at the Pop-Ups where our team supports community members to get connected with critical resources including vaccine registration, to increase their quality of life. Over 700 people have been served at these pop ups and we are excited to continue driving education and increased digital access.
Looking Ahead
As we look toward summer programming and Mobile Learning Lab 2.0 for the 2021-22 school year, we’re excited to take the learnings gained, and continue to provide access, support and enrichment programming to communities, and adult programming and services to contribute to solutions to close the digital divide’s three legs of the stool: Access, Affordability and Training. Please reach out if you’re interested in supporting, hosting or providing programming with the MLL!
A Note of MASSIVE gratitude
Thank you to our partners along the journey, without which NONE of this is possible: Santander Consumer USA Cisco Capital OneMeadows Foundation NETSYNC Presidio T-Mobile Cradlepoint GTS Parsec Technologies, Inc. Radio Engineering Industries; and our partners at Dallas Independent School District State Fair of Texas® Spectra Fair Park First, Fair Park, Frazier Revitalization, Inc. TR Hoover Community Development CenterPark South YMCA, West Dallas Multipurpose Ctr Project Still I Rise Inc. Seeds to STEAM #VisionaryVibes CARDBoard Project Better Block Foundation#digitalinclusion #remoteschool #COVIDpivot #digitaldivide#smartcommunities #smartcities #bettertogether