The digital divide in Buffalo is being narrowed with the opening of a new public digital lab Tuesday at the Community Center at Crucial in East Buffalo.
“Digital literacy and high-speed internet access is no longer a luxury; it should be considered a critical access point for every community,” said Thomas Beauford Jr., president and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League. “It’s now a social justice issue, and beyond that, it’s a 21st-century civil rights issue.”
The AT&T Digital Learning Lab includes 30 computers, new furniture, laptops, tablets and a 3D printer for students and their families. After-school programs and mentoring will be available. AT&T is providing a free digital learning program called The Achievery.
The lab, located at 230 Moselle St., came together through AT&T’s collaboration with the Buffalo Urban League and Dreamerscorp Inc.
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“We needed an innovation hub, where we can go ahead and catapult the diversity and inclusion in the technology space,” said Nigel Brown, CEO of Dreamerscorp.
In Buffalo, more than 11,400 K-12 students lack home access to the internet, according to Digital Bridge K-12. This was a particularly big issue during the early period of the Covid-19 pandemic, when most students attended school remotely.
AT&T created the New York Digital Literacy Lab Initiative to help provide computer access in digital deserts. The company is launching five new labs across New York, with the lab at Crucial being the second one to open.
Supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic caused some delays, according to Kevin Hanna, director of external affairs at AT&T, but the lab managed to be completed in less than one year.
Brown said the state-of-the-art lab is set up for students to take part in programming like videography, podcasting, journaling and game creation.
“You have to make sure that there’s a strong foundation in order to have a strong impact and outcome,” Brown said. “The only way to do that is to have the best tools.”
The lab is a welcome addition to the community center, which already has an Esports program, community space and a gymnasium. The programs at the center run six days a week, with after-school hours occurring during the school year and all-day programs running during the summer.
Fierra Green, of Buffalo, said her 11-year-old daughter Amira struggles with reading during school. She said the lab will benefit her daughter, particularly during summers when children sometimes lose skills they learned during the school year.
“This is going to be great to help her,” Green said. “Now that we have that facility here, it can get her on target for school.”
Amira said the lab will help her be more prepared in math class. She said she’s excited about what the new technology has to offer.
“It’s good,” Amira said. “I’m looking forward to new seating, new equipment and new things to learn.”
