Broadband access bridges the digital divide

Enbridge grant gives students in rural Minnesota equitable access to the internet

In the northern Minnesota communities of Mahnomen, Waubun, Ogema and White Earth, internet access can be spotty at best. The problem is twofold. First, modern telecommunications infrastructure is lacking. And second, many families can’t afford the pricy costs of rural high-speed internet.

Inequitable access to the internet affects the community at large, including young students whose future depends on accessing online resources for education, skills development and technological literacy, all needed in our connected world.

“Some kids have (internet), some don’t,” says Lisa Weber, superintendent of Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Schools, whose two K-to-12 schools are located on the White Earth Reservation.

“It’s an inequitable service for our kids. All kids have the right to learn and have access to internet, technology and resources,” she says.

The digital divide between those with internet and those without was amplified throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with students needing to do home-based learning online.

“It’s been an uphill climb for us,” Weber remarks.

That’s all changing with a $366,000 Enbridge grant that will provide broadband access for a combined 1,400 students in the Waubun-Ogema-White Earth and Mahnomen school districts.

The grant will cover home internet costs for families in need, ensuring all students can take advantage of the online learning opportunities that are integral to a modern education.

“It will open doors and keep them open for students,” Weber says. “Equitable is making sure kids have equal access to improve educational opportunities and to provide for our neediest students.”