Digital Empowerment

At Connected Nation, expanding digital opportunity means ensuring people have the skills and confidence to use technology in ways that open doors to education, employment, and community engagement. In 2025, CN delivered our largest year of digital empowerment training to date, hosting 1,818 workshops and training 35,211 individuals nationwide in digital skills.

Building on this work, we also advanced AI readiness, launching pilot programs in Kentucky and Texas and curating AI literacy resources that help new learners gain the clarity, confidence, and skills needed to navigate the growing role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.

Connected Nation hosted six community meetings across Michigan, Texas, and Oklahoma and completed three Technology Action Plans to support communities in Texas and Oklahoma, working alongside local leaders and partners in regions including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Far West Texas and the Amarillo region, and Lawton, Okla. 

These gatherings were designed to foster listening, dialogue, and shared learning around connectivity and opportunity, including discussions on diverse broadband technologies and emerging solutions such as low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity.

CN continued its community technology planning work in partnership with The Priddy Foundation, working with the final five communities in the foundation’s 24-county footprint to develop customized Technology Action Plans. This work across North Texas and Southern Oklahoma over the past four years has brought data, education, and coalition-building to local communities at a critical time in broadband infrastructure. 

This year, Connected Nation published a report on the first comprehensive technology assessment of all 60 main public libraries in Utah. Using data gathered by the Utah Education Network (UEN) and the Utah State Library Division (USL), we analyzed the existing technological infrastructure and resources.

Our report provided state and local leaders with the necessary insights to make informed decisions regarding funding and library strategies for technology deployment and use, ensuring that technology investments are strategically allocated to address the areas of greatest need.

The Connected Nation Research team collaborated with multiple teams across the country to help identify and overcome barriers to closing the Digital Divide. 

Click here to see summaries of those studies on page 15 of the Impact Report.  

Connected Nation advanced policy and advocacy efforts by elevating community insights, engaging in national conversations, and tracking emerging issues shaping the future of digital opportunity.

We also contributed to the national dialogue by participating in conferences, working groups, and cross-sector convenings, including the Connect America, Broadband Nation Expo, and Net Inclusion Conference, where CN shared our approach to digital empowerment and the growing importance of AI literacy. As part of this work, we signed a national AI pledge, reinforcing our commitment to the responsible and inclusive use of emerging technologies.

WHAT’S NEXT

Looking ahead, CN is building on this momentum through our strategic plan, which prioritizes expanding digital skills training, strengthening community partnerships, integrating AI literacy across our programs, and increasing access to tools and resources that support long-term economic opportunity. These goals will guide our efforts as we continue to scale our impact and respond to the growing importance of digital inclusion.

We are launching several new efforts that will further strengthen this work. The introduction of a Digital Empowerment Dashboard, found on this page, will provide new ways to measure and visualize impact across communities, while enhancements to the Drive Your Learning platform will expand access to self-paced training and learning pathways. We will also bring together partners, communities, and learners through our 25-Hour Digital Skills Marathon, a signature event celebrating CN’s 25th anniversary and our attempt to set a Guinness World Record while advancing digital opportunity at scale.

Together, these efforts reflect both the progress we have made and the opportunity that lies ahead. As we continue this work, we remain focused on ensuring that every individual has the tools, skills, and support needed to thrive in an increasingly digital and AI-enabled world.