HACP - Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
12/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/09/2024 12:21
HACP W.O.W. CyberBus Heads to D.C. for ConnectHomeUSA Summit
December 9, 2024
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) WiFi On Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus is hitting the road for our nation's capital to convene with national colleagues during the annual ConnectHomeUSA Summit.
Staff will travel to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dec. 10-12, 2024, to discuss the HACP's innovative Digital Literacy Initiatives programs, and give tours of our CyberBus.
The W.O.W. CyberBus is a mobile classroom equipped with computers and internet access that offers remote instruction in STEM education, computer science, financial literacy, and business development for students and parents in HACP communities. It was launched in an effort to bring broadband internet access to residents' homes in the HACP's continued mission to bridge the digital divide within the region.
The CyberBus was launched in fall 2022, in partnership with Jerome Bettis' The Bus Stops Here Foundationand Pittsburgh's STEM Coding Lab. Since its launch, the CyberBus has helped more than 500 clients achieve proficiency in various computer programs.
During the summit, the HACP will be presented with an inaugural ConnectHomeUSA Trailblazer Award in recognition of its groundbreaking digital literacy initiatives. Staff will also speak on the topic: "Making the Momentum Last: Building Sustainable Digital Inclusion Programs," and share the success of the CyberBus and anticipated 2025 arrival of the Workforce on Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus 2.0 that will expand upon the HACP's workforce development training opportunities across the region.
"HACP made a steadfast commitment to bridge the digital divide in our community and has made great advancements toward this goal in recent years," said HACP Executive Director Caster D. Binion. "We are very proud to take our act on the road to showcase best practices in digital learning and to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle to bring low-income populations - both rural and urban - online and equipped to succeed in the digital age."
In 2022, the CyberBus traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for the Super Bowl and brought technology to several underserved communities, including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Housing Division. Residents were able to experience the many features the bus has to offer. The staff also provided 20 Samsung tablets to exceptional students, which were chosen by a local high school.
In 2024, the CyberBus headed to Detroit, Michigan during the NFL Draft and brought programming and devices to children who belong to various chapters of the Boys & Girls Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan.
"The CyberBus has previously traveled to high profile events like the Super Bowl in Phoenix and the NFL Draft in Detroit," literature from ConnectHomeUSA reads. "The HUD CHUSA team has the honor of hosting them at HUD Headquarters so that CHUSA communities can get a first-hand view of all that the CyberBus offers and what it's like to use a computer lab on a bus!"
The CHUSA Summit is a chance to hear from HUD leadership, engage with other federal staff overseeing historic broadband programs, connect with CHUSA stakeholders, and network with other CHUSA communities.
Richard Monocchio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, is also scheduled to speak during the summit. Mr. Monocchio visited Pittsburgh's Larimer neighborhood in June to celebrate the HACP's completion of the four-phase Cornerstone Village development.
The HACP was designated as a Tier 2 ConnectHomeUSA organization in early 2024. Tier 2 organizations show a strong commitment to bridging the digital divide within their targeted communities, as well as maintain stable partnerships with state and local organizations.
The HACP was also recently awarded a $270,000 devices grant through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority(PBDA) Digital Connectivity Technology Program(DCTP) to upgrade devices and reach more clients within our Digital Literacy Initiatives and Resident Self-Sufficiency programs.
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) is an independent agency of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development(DCED).
ConnectHomeUSAwas first launched as ConnectHome in 2015 as a pilot program designed to test whether the public, private and nonprofit sectors could work together to narrow the digital divide locally. After its initial success, the program was expanded in 2017 by HUD and the non-profit organization, Everyone On. As of 2020, the program added 100 cities across the country into the program, with plans to increase the number of connected residents by at least 15% each year.
For updates on the summit, please visit the HACP's social media channels at:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing-authority-city-of-pittsburgh/
For more information on the HACP's W.O.W. CyberBus and Digital Literacy Initiatives, please visit: https://hacp.org/programs-services/digital-literacy-initiatives/
For more information on HUD's ConnectHomeUSA program, please visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/connecthomeusa/
-
Media contact: Michelle Sandidge, Chief Community Affairs Officer, [email protected].