SEI Digital Inclusion Plan
SIRPC recognizes the role digital inclusion plays in economic and community development. Since 2021, we have been working to support our regional communities in their efforts to close digital gaps. Ensuring that people have the knowledge and skills to participate in an increasingly digital society is vital for a thriving community.
What is Digital Inclusion?
Digital inclusion ensures everybody (children, seniors, minorities, small businesses, and workers to name a few) have access to affordable and adequate internet connectivity, reliable devices, sufficient digital skills and literacy, and customized support to prosper in the digital age.
Development of SIRPC's Digital Inclusion Plan
SIRPC worked closely with the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) to draft a regional digital inclusion plan supported by a regional digital advisory team (RDAT).
The original RDAT included representation of multiple leaders and stakeholders in the nine county region, including:
Mike Perleberg, Karl Galey, Eric Kranz (Dearborn County);, Rick Nobbe, Bryan Robbins, Joyce Brindley (Decatur County); John Palmer, Shelly Lunsford (Franklin County); Nicole Schell (Jefferson County); Teresa Brown, Josh Taylor (Jennings County); Amy Hoffman, Lisa Hewitt Williams (Ohio County); Cheryll Obendorf, Sarah Lamping, Gary Norman, Mike Bettice (Ripley County); Linda Sanders (Shelby County); Jon Bond, Jon Sieglitz (Switzerland County)
The RDAT members met over the course of about 10 months time from January 2021 to October 2021 to develop the first draft of the plan. Following the development of the first draft of the plan, county ambassadors were recruited to assist in gathering public input and finalizing the plan.
In the fall of 2021, SIRPC hired a Digital Inclusion Fellow to help the RDAT team complete the plan and lead its debut to the region in 2022. The plan will be implemented over the course of a 5-year period in SIRPC counties.
The Mission
The mission is to create a regional environment where all southeast Indiana citizens and businesses thrive through connectivity and digital inclusion.
Goal #1: Build/upgrade affordable, scalable, and future proof broadband throughout the community and improve adoption.
Goal #2: Ensure all residents have reasonable access to quality, affordable, and reliable devices as well as a trusted technical support to maintain, upgrade and use these devices
Goal #3: Provide a perpetual digital literacy ecosystem — multi-faceted across multiple technologies - offering support and equitable access to people of all ages and abilities for the region’s digital activities
Goal #4: Include connectivity, devices and digital skills into local and regional community and economic development strategies through public private partnerships, coordination, and assessments resulting in a sustainable digital equity ecosystem.
