Name: New initiative to provide 20,000 free computers to Illinois families to help bridge digital divide during pandemic
Brand: suntimes.com
SKU: suntimes-com-491
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

New initiative to provide 20,000 free computers to Illinois families to help bridge digital divide during pandemic

preview

SHAREA new program aims to put computers in the hands of thousands of low-income residents across Illinois to help bridge the “digital divide” that has been laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic.The Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network announced Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will soon begin distributing 20,000 devices.The need is much greater than that, though, with an estimated 1.1 million Illinois households that don’t have a computer, according to U.S. Census data.The network is based on a partnership with the national nonprofit PCs for People, which accepts donated devices and refurbishes them for families who need them more than ever, as the COVID-19 economy has made remote work, e-learning and telehealth parts of everyday life.Related“In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m asking Illinois companies to join us in this effort, to help build on this initial down payment,” Pritzker said. “When your upgrade cycle gets renewed and your old technology no longer fits the needs of your company, you can donate it, and it will be upgraded for use by a family in need.”The program started distributing devices earlier this fall in the downstate Metro East region, and a Cook County warehouse for statewide distribution is scheduled to open in January, thanks in part to $250,000 in seed funding from the Jewish United Fund.Pritzker and Preckwinkle are calling on large companies and philanthropists to chip in, but individuals can donate used devices, too. PCs for People will provide “free certified and secure data wiping,” officials said.To receive a device through the program, residents must have an income that is less than 200% of the federal poverty level, or be enrolled in an income-based government assistance program like Medicaid or SNAP.For information on donating equipment or applying to receive it, visit .Next Up InMost ReadThe LatestToday’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.Markets are shuddering following Wall Street’s sudden realization that inflation isn’t slowing as much as hoped. The Dow dropped more than 1,000 points Tuesday afternoon and the S&amp;P 500 sank 3.6%.Shoreline salmon and trout again lead this sprawling raw-and-file Midwest Fishing Report; plus info on Illinois’ upcoming fall trout season and a Waukegan derby, aa well as hints of fall fishing arriving around Chicago, a cat-on-dog note and a Shabbona saga.Unos 300 inmigrantes han llegado a Chicago por autobús de Texas a Illinois en la última semana, según las autoridades de Illinois. Algunos están viviendo temporalmente en un hotel suburbano.La obra mexicana, “La Pájara de San Juan”, cuya trama se centra en la ciudad, es con la que arranca la programación del Festival Internacional de Teatro Latino de Chicago.

SHAREA new program aims to put computers in the hands of thousands of low-income residents across Illinois to help bridge the “digital divide” that has been laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic.The Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network announced Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will soon begin distributing 20,000 devices.The need is much greater than that, though, with an estimated 1.1 million Illinois households that don’t have a computer, according to U.S. Census data.The network is based on a partnership with the national nonprofit PCs...

public

Mitchell Armentrout

suntimes.com

Credible

Speculation

Anecdotal Evidence

Generalization

Stacking the Deck

Appeal to Authority

Straw Man

Slippery Slope

Emotional Appeal

Red Herring

False Dilemma

Illogical

Moral Equivalency

Ad Hominem

Correlation w/o Causation

Semantics

Begging the Question

Faulty Analogy

Non Sequitur

Bandwagon

Dogmatism

Failing Occam's Razor

Biased

Pure Opinion

Hit Piece

Racial Bias

National Bias

Religious Bias

Financial Incentive

Political Agenda

Gender Bias

Misused Image/Video

Study Misinterpreted

Mistake

Misused Term

Science Misrepresented

Factual Error

Satire

Surface Level

Lack of Reliable Sources

Sensational

Not Credible

Investigative

Balanced

Well Sourced

Great Context

sports

entertainment

U.S.

international

business

technology

science

culture

politics

media

health

New initiative to provide 20,000 free computers to Illinois families to help bridge digital divide during pandemic

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS