The Piñon Project Family Center in Cortez is working with other community organizations in Southwest Colorado to provide computers and internet access to families.
“We’re trying to close that digital divide,” said Lynn Urban, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Southwest Colorado.
Interested families can fill out a printed one-page application or the online option in either English or Spanish. The deadline to submit the application is Monday, Nov. 16.
The announcement comes two days after the Montezuma-Cortez School District decided to transition in-person students to remote, online learning after the Thanksgiving holiday because of the rise of COVID-19 cases in Montezuma County.
The organizations collaborating on the effort will be able to provide some computers to families immediately, but others may take time. A surge in demand for low-cost computers and laptops as education goes virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic has created shipment delays, Urban said.
The application is “meant to get an idea of the need,” she said.
The Piñon Project is encouraging local businesses to donate computers or laptops they are not using to be refurbished at PCs for People in Denver.
“It’s a huge collaboration between several donors and a grant from the government’s COVID relief fund,” Urban said.
School districts like Montezuma-Cortez have been able to provide their students with Chromebooks to take home, but they are returned at the end of the school year.
“Owning their own computer is more of a long-term solution,” Urban said, allowing entire families to access resources like telehealth and online grocery shopping.
The Piñon Project will also pay for a year of internet access for families that can’t afford it, if broadband access is available in their area. If broadband is not available, but there is a good cell signal, the organization will provide a hot spot for families.
If there is no broadband or cell signal, the organizations will work to help families find a solution, Urban said.
“There is no specific criteria to be selected, but we will prioritize applications based on the urgency we see,” Urban said.
Jim Parr, education effectiveness liaison for the Montezuma-Cortez School District, said this initiative is pivotal for places like Montezuma County.
“Such a large portion of the community doesn’t have this resource,” Parr told The Journal Friday.
The school district is “trying to provide the best education we can in an equitable fashion,” Parr said, and this program will help some students get to the place they need to be.
The digital divide in Montezuma County is “more significant than we might realize,” he said.
United Way of Southwest Colorado is asking families that receive a PC or help with internet access to provide $20 at some point in their service to help cover the cost. The organization is providing scholarships for families that can’t afford this contribution.
“Do not let this be a barrier,” Urban said.
United Way is still accepting donations to help families in need on their website.
