The Metropolitan Government of Nash-ville and Davidson County is launching a program in 2024 that will help residents live, learn, and work more successfully using technology. TechTies: Connected Services for the Community will provide technology training, free laptops, apprenticeship and job opportunities, and virtual health monitoring at a single Metro location.
“Our vision with TechTies Nashville is to create a single point of access to digital opportunity,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has been a vocal champion of Metro’s digital inclusion work. “I’m appreciative of the team’s thoughtfulness in launching this program, including their focus on the location, which is highly accessible to residents through multiple modes of transportation.”
The initiative is designed to accommodate participants who need help with transportation, a known barrier to accessing digital inclusion programs. Metro Nashville will remove a known barrier to participation by providing transportation to and from the Metro Action Commission facility.
The $1.9M award is the result of a successful proposal for Connected Community Facilities. This competitive grant program from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development is funded by the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan. It is one of the several programs that the state has developed to advance digital opportunity.
“We are thrilled to provide multiple services under one roof, while simultaneously expanding our workforce development program,” said Dr. Cynthia Croom, Executive Director of the Metro Action Commission (MAC). A leading partner for the initiative, MAC’s new facility at 1281 Murfreesboro Pike will house the program. This is a way to provide individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the tools and resources needed to break cycles of poverty and thrive in today’s connected world.”
TechTies: Connected Services for the Community is a collaborative effort between Metro Government (Metro Digital Inclusion, Metro Action Commission, Metro General Services, and Nashville Public Library) and multiple local community-serving organizations (Tech Goes Home Tennessee, The Darrell S. Freeman Center for Innovation and Incubation, Fisk University, Blacks in Technology-Nashville Chapter, and Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE)) to provide comprehensive digital solutions tailored to the diverse needs of Nashville’s residents. Mayor O’Connell added,
“Our partnerships underscore our commitment to supporting and working with trusted local organizations to create opportunities for all members of our community.”
“This competitive grant award is the culmination of a ten-year effort to bring a comprehensive digital opportunity program to deserving communities in Metro Nashville and Davidson County,” said Keith Durbin, Metro’s Chief Information Officer and Director of IT,
“We have been incredibly fortunate to have the unwavering support of Mayor O’Connell and our partners in Metro Action Commission and Metro General Services Dep-artment to help bring this dream to fruition.”
Durbin led the establishment of the Nashville Digital Inclusion Fund, establishing the Anytime Access for All digital device initiative, and co-chairing the committee that developed Connected Nash-ville, Metro’s smart city plan, which was the basis for much of Metro’s digital inclusion work today.
“Technology touches many aspects of life,” said Digital Inclusion Officer Pearl Amanfu, who leads Metro’s award-winning digital inclusion program. “Single-tactic solutions no longer work to bridge the widening gap of digital opportunity. Broadband access is most impactful when people also have the skills, devices, and ongoing support to fully embrace all the possible benefits of technology.”
