San Jose might be known as the center of innovation and the tech capital of Silicon Valley, but for nearly a tenth of its residents living without internet access in their homes, that does not reflect their reality. At Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School, where more than 90% of students are first-generation immigrants, Principal Joe Albers sees the effects of the digital divide every day. “A lot of it has to do with limited access to technology in the home,” Albers said. “The issue we see most is that our students are pretty tech-savvy and can adapt, but their parents are not as much, which can prevent them from helping with their student’s academic achievement and can make it harder for them to support their student through their college search.” To help organizations such as Cristo Rey high bridge that critical gap of access among residents, the San Jose City Council has awarded $1 million spread across 23 organizations — from charter school networks to nonprofit organizations to affordable housing developers — as part of its new San José Digital Inclusion Fund .
San Jose awards $1 million in grants for increasing internet access to thousands of low-income residents
