Urban League Opens Digital Learning Lab in time for Census 2020

Applying for a job or for school, doing homework or making sure you’re counted in the upcoming census is difficult, if not impossible, with no internet access.

And in low-income neighborhoods, only 40% of residents have reliable internet access.

“The black and brown communities, low-income communities, have historically not been able to enjoy the internet and all the opportunities it provides,” said Henry M. Thomas III, President and CEO of the Urban League Springfield (Springfield, MA). 

The Urban League hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday for its Digital Learning Lab, which features 28 computers, a podcast studio and a smartboard-equipped classroom. It’s in the Springfield Technology Park at the corner of State and Federal streets. The $95,000 center is in the same building as the Urban League’s offices.

“It’s not an investment in the Urban League,” Thomas said Tuesday. “Although we are making the investment. It’s an investment in the community.”

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