Helping Students Bridge the Digital Divide

United Way volunteers from Ernst & Young recently collaborated with United Way Successful Students Impact Partner Family Service Association to help students at Bowden Academy with an educational workshop focused on crossing the digital divide. The volunteers used up to date technology, including programs powered by artificial intelligence to help the students create their very own piece of digital art, which was later printed and framed for each student.

The digital divide remains a major barrier to academic success for students in San Antonio. Some students lack access to broadband internet, with an estimated 7 million Texans living without it in their homes.

This engaging classroom activity successfully bridged the digital divide for these students while helping them express their own creativity in an artistic way.

“The artificial intelligence (AI) art project offered to our children at Bowden Academy was a unique and beneficial experience for children, proving that technology can be a powerful catalyst for creativity and critical thinking,” said a Parent Facilitator who works with the children.

United Way and Family Service Association staff also gave each student a framed copy of their art.

Students without access to modern technology like laptops or reliable internet service are then at risk of falling behind on their homework assignments that require both. This also denies these students the opportunity to participate digitally in other learning opportunities outside of their class’s normal curriculum to foster education even further.

According to the ACT Center for Equity in Learning, 17% of students in the U.S. are unable to complete homework due to limited internet access while 50% of low-income families do not have the technology required for online education.

Through the Successful Students Impact Area, United Way invests in community programs that prepare students for success in school, college and their careers. This includes resources that promote reading and math proficiency, improve school attendance and more. This program at Bowden Academy, powered by Family Service Association, is a part of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County’s “Multiply Success” initiative.

“Multiply Success” initiative is funded by Corporate Partners for Racial Equity (CPRE), a partnership between San Antonio area business leaders with the mission of improving racial equity in our community. The goal of “Multiply Success” is to make a difference for children in San Antonio by addressing racial equity disparities in education.

“Frankly speaking, shifting away from the paper-based assignments in their classroom, the AI art project allowed the children to reroute their minds, having a more flexible and adaptable approach to learning,” the Parent Facilitator added. “The transformative impact of this AI art project reinforces the importance of integrating technology in ways that foster creativity and innovation within education,” they said.

With increased access to modern technology and reliable internet access, students are better prepared to succeed in school, the workforce and all stages of life.